This manuscript presents the Personal Growth Initiative construct and describes the development and initial validation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale.
An important goal of counseling is for clients to learn the process of personal growth so that they will be able to transfer this process to all aspects of their lives (Patterson & Welfel, 1994). Humanists support this view when they speak of "the good life" (Rogers, 1961) or self-actualization (Mallow, 1970) as a way of approaching life rather than only as an outcome. This view, however, is not unique to humanists. Ego psychologists address this issue by highlighting the individual's continued growth throughout the life span (Erickson, 1950). Adlerian theorists discuss the healthy personality as one that is consistently striving to attain some ideal. The salient aspect is engagement in the process of striving rather than reaching the ideal (Prochaska & Norcross, 1994). Rational emotive therapists teach people to dispute their irrational thoughts so that they can continue to grow and be happy in their lives (Corsini & Wedding, 1989). These theories share the idea that continued personal growth throughout the life span is important for the healthy individual.