How human givens therapy benefits individuals and businesses

Demand for human givens therapy is increasing internationally. More people are searching out HG therapists, and the number of students wanting to train as human givens practitioners continues to rise according to recent figures. So what is human givens, and why should individuals and businesses choose this model of therapy?

The human givens

All forms of mental illness arise because, in one way or another, people's physical or emotional needs are not being met in balance. Our essential needs and our innate resources to help meet them - the 'givens' of human nature - are at the heart of the human givens approach. If all of our needs are met, making us confident about our place in the world and the people we connect with, we do not suffer from disabling conditions such as anxiety, depression, addictions, or panic attacks.

What are the emotional needs?

• Security. This can be financial security or feeling secure about our health or relationships. It can also be about our workplace or home. What are our neighbours like? Is our workplace toxic? Have we recently broken up with or lost someone we liked/loved?
• Attention. Do we receive enough good attention? Perhaps we give more than we receive or become victims of unhealthy relationships and unwanted attention?
• Control. Do we feel in control of all areas of our lives most of the time or maybe feel anxious in situations out of our control? Are we given enough responsibility - or too much?
• Status. Are we recognised for the work we do? Can we stand tall amongst our peers and family members?
• Privacy. Have we somewhere that we can be silent and alone to recalibrate our thoughts and just to 'be'? Perhaps there's too much privacy and isolation or loneliness is creeping in?
• Community. Do we spend time outside of work and home with other people? Maybe a gym class, sport, or community activity?
• Intimacy. Have we at least one friend we can tell anything to, who never judges us and accepts us, warts and all?
• Achievement. What have we achieved in our lives, big things or small? We should be constantly learning until our last breath?
• Meaning of life. What gets us up in the morning? Is it work, our family, hobbies, or even our pets?

Emotional needs audit

In human givens therapy, a beneficial and practical tool is used to measure how peoples' emotional needs are being met called the emotional needs audit. By working through the needs using a scale of one-seven (one meaning not good, seven meaning well met), a therapist can easily see areas of peoples' lives that can be improved. This is a great method to use in a workshop environment, with groups doing their audits and shared discussions. Even just flagging up hot spots can reap rewards for better mental health by setting positive, achievable goals.

We are born with resources to help get our emotional needs met, but many of us don't even know we've got them. Simply put, the innate resources help us in several ways.

We can use our 'observing self' by stepping back and looking at the situation in a different way, reframing to get better outcomes. We should trust our gut feelings; they are there for a reason and deal with our emotions and our instincts. Sleep is important, and our ability to dream each night to diffuse the emotional arousals we encountered during the day allows us to wake refreshed and clear-headed. Our long-term memory helps us decide which are good options or not such good choices to make. By using our imagination for good, we can problem-solve and find solutions, as well as helping us to be creative. Misusing our imagination is where negative rumination steps in, and we don't want that.

Who benefits from human givens therapy?

Everyone. There are colourful cards to be used with children and young adults, so they can find the therapy easy to understand, practical, and quick. Those on the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum benefit from the human givens 7/11 breathing technique. They learn how to get their needs met in the areas of socialising, status, security, and attention. Those working in the fields of education, military, health, and emergency services all benefit from HG therapy, especially concerning workplace stress and trauma. Our version of the rewind technique has shown great results time and time again. Human givens therapists see clients with a whole range of mental health difficulties from all walks of life.

Bio, socio, psycho

Human givens is a scientific approach to mental health. All human beings have the same emotional needs and innate resources. We take a holistic approach and tailor-make treatment plans for all our clients. Four to six sessions are generally enough treatment so HG therapy can be both cost-effective and time-saving. The Human Givens Institute stays up to date with the latest developments on improving mental health, as well as using tried and tested techniques from CBT, NLP, and person-centred models.

Ethical and professional

All human givens practitioners study hard for their post-graduate diploma with residential and online study covering all areas of mental health, with highly practical learning. They have regular supervision and are fully insured. To work with vulnerable adults and children, they must have enhanced DBS disclosures and follow all the necessary ethics of their Institute and privacy laws. They belong to the Human Givens Professional register which is accredited in the UK by the Professional Standards Authority who have strict guidelines. It is important to ensure, when choosing therapy, that it has this accreditation.

Human givens therapy is a modern, forward-thinking model for our fast-paced, challenging times, and for this reason, it fits well into peoples' busy lifestyles and businesses with tight resources and stretched capacities.