Joe Griffin

Professional Life
Joe Griffin is the co-creator of the therapeutic approach known as Human Givens. He graduated from the London School of Economics and has years of clinical practice. Griffin has spent much of his professional life training other psychotherapists and gives workshops that teach other clinicians how to deliver psychotherapy in an effective way to achieve positive outcomes for various psychological issues including depression, addiction, anxiety, trauma, and anger.

Along with his colleague Ivan Tyrrell, Griffin has published many books on psychotherapy and on his unique approach of Human Givens. He hosts television and radio shows and is seen as a hugely entertaining and warm teacher. His programs offer clinicians the opportunity to gain the skills necessary to use his techniques in their practices throughout the world.

Contribution to Psychology
Human Givens describes a therapeutic approach that aims to meet the “givens,” or needs, of humans. The core emotional needs that we each possess are referred to as “human givens.” People spend their entire lives trying to have these needs met, and often never realize the fulfillment of those needs, resulting in mental anguish. The Human Givens approach strives to identify the barriers that prevent an individual from filling their needs. Emotional barriers can be disguised as other issues, such as security issues, life purpose issues, or self-esteem, among others.

Although the approach is relatively new, the limited research on Human Givens is positive. Integrating cognitive behavioral therapy, dream therapy, and other behavioral techniques with this method allows the Human Givens approach to be tailored to provide realistic and positive outcomes for clients.

Griffin has also conducted research into dream realization and theorizes that our dreams may a product of our worries. When a person worries about a problem during the day, they may carry that stress and anxiety into their dreams during the night and it may be expressed through metaphors. Human Givens recognizes this theory as part of its approach to treatment, especially for clients suffering from troubled sleep. Depressed and anxious clients in particular often struggle with worrisome thoughts and difficulty sleeping. Human Givens has yet to gain international acceptance, but is widely recognized as an effective form of therapy in the UK.