Human Givens

What are the Human Givens?

We all know that we have physical needs for food, water, warmth and shelter, but people often don’t realise that certain emotional needs of just as crucial for both our mental and physical health. These needs are called “givens” as they are genetically programmed into us at birth, and we experience them as feelings. These include a sense of security- feeling safe, social connection, status- feeling valued, autonomy and control, competence and achievement, and meaning and purpose.

Nature has also “given” us innate resources which help us get these needs met, such as the ability to build relationships with each other and feel empathy, imagination- the ability to problem solve creatively, long-term memory to remember what we have learnt, to be able to step back and take an objective look at our circumstances. When any of our emotional needs are not met or our resources are used incorrectly, we suffer considerable distress, which can affect those around us.

This is why when Human Givens therapists work with people in mental distress, they look for what is missing in those people’s lives and seek ways to redress that, as well as teaching them important life coping skills.

Why is this approach so effective?

Human given therapists focus on helping clients identify the unmet emotional need or needs that are disturbing them and help them do something about it by activating their natural resources in new ways. To do this they use a variety of proven techniques aimed at problem solving and changing emotional responses.

The approach is informed by a wide range of fields including findings from psychology and neurobiology about what people need to function well, and international research studies that have established which psychotherapeutic techniques are most effective. Human givens therapists do not repeatedly go over past miserable memories-real or imagined, as research shows this often tends to confuse and upset vulnerable people. Instead they offer practical help and powerful psychological interventions that deal with mental and emotional distress in the here and now.

This is a “psychobabble free zone” to help people with a wide variety of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The human Givens approach is supported by Primary Care Mental Health Education (Primhe) affiliated with the Royal College of General Practitioners and is a member of our accrediting professional body the Human Givens Institute (HGI). I abide by the professional conduct and ethics policies. They are also approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social care.

For more information and resources please go to www.hgi.org.uk