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Counselling Theorists Summary Sheet

One of the most exciting parts of studying counselling is discovering the people whose ideas have shaped modern therapeutic practice. This guide introduces the key theorists you'll encounter during Level 2 and Level 3 counselling training and explains why their work is still relevant today.

Carl Rogers (1902–1987)

Approach: Person-Centred Therapy (Humanistic)

What did Rogers believe?

Carl Rogers believed that every person has the ability to grow, heal and reach their full potential if the right conditions are provided. He argued that people are the experts on their own lives and that the counsellor should not give advice or tell clients what to do. Instead, the counsellor creates a safe relationship where clients can explore their experiences and discover their own answers.

Key concepts:

  • The Actualising Tendency
  • Empathy
  • Congruence (Genuineness)
  • Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)
  • Self-concept
  • Conditions of Worth
  • Incongruence

Impact on counselling:

Rogers transformed counselling by shifting the focus away from diagnosis and expert advice towards the therapeutic relationship itself. His work remains the foundation of many counselling courses and influences almost every modern counselling approach.

Recommended reading:

  • On Becoming a Person – Carl Rogers
  • Person-Centred Counselling in Action – Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne
  • Person-Centred Counselling in a Nutshell – Roger Casemore

Further reading:

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)

Approach: Psychoanalysis / Psychodynamic

What did Freud believe?

Freud believed that much of human behaviour is influenced by unconscious thoughts, feelings and early childhood experiences. Although many of his original ideas have evolved, Freud introduced concepts that continue to influence counselling today.

Key concepts:

  • The unconscious mind
  • Defence mechanisms
  • Childhood development
  • The Id, Ego and Superego
  • Free association

Impact on counselling:

Freud’s work laid the foundations for psychodynamic counselling and introduced the idea that understanding our past can help explain our present.

Recommended reading:

  • Introducing Psychoanalysis – Ivan Ward
  • Freud: A Very Short Introduction – Anthony Storr
Anna Freud (1895–1982)

Approach: Psychoanalytic Psychology

What did she contribute?

Anna Freud expanded her father’s work by developing our understanding of defence mechanisms and how people unconsciously protect themselves from emotional distress.

Key concepts:

  • Defence mechanisms
  • Ego psychology
  • Child development

Impact on counselling:

Her work helps counsellors understand behaviours such as denial, projection and repression without judgement.

Melanie Klein (1882–1960)

Approach: Object Relations Theory

What did she believe?

Klein believed that our earliest relationships influence how we experience relationships throughout life.

Key concepts:

  • Internal world
  • Early attachment
  • Object relations
  • Splitting

Impact on counselling:

Her work helped develop modern attachment theory and relationship-focused counselling.

John Bowlby (1907–1990)

Approach: Attachment Theory

What did Bowlby believe?

Children need secure relationships with caregivers to develop emotionally healthy relationships later in life.

Key concepts:

  • Secure attachment
  • Insecure attachment
  • Internal Working Model
  • Separation and loss

Impact on counselling:

Attachment theory now underpins work with children, families, trauma and adult relationships.

Recommended reading:

  • A Secure Base – John Bowlby
Mary Ainsworth (1913–1999)

Approach: Attachment Theory

What did she contribute?

Ainsworth developed the “Strange Situation” study, identifying different attachment styles.

Key concepts:

  • Secure attachment
  • Avoidant attachment
  • Ambivalent attachment
  • Disorganised attachment (identified later through subsequent research)

Impact on counselling:

Attachment styles continue to inform relationship counselling and psychotherapy.

Aaron Beck (1921–2021)

Approach: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

What did Beck believe?

Our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviours. By identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns, emotional wellbeing can improve.

Key concepts:

  • Automatic thoughts
  • Cognitive distortions
  • Core beliefs
  • Negative thinking cycles

Impact on counselling:

Beck developed Cognitive Therapy, which became one of the most researched and widely used forms of therapy worldwide.

Recommended reading:

  • Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond – Judith Beck
Albert Ellis (1913–2007)

Approach: Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)

What did Ellis believe?

People are often upset not by events themselves but by the beliefs they hold about those events.

Key concepts:

  • ABC Model
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Challenging unhelpful thinking

Impact on counselling:

Ellis’s work directly influenced modern CBT.

Eric Berne (1910–1970)

Approach: Transactional Analysis (TA)

What did Berne believe?

People communicate from three “ego states”:

  • Parent
  • Adult
  • Child

Understanding these interactions helps improve relationships and communication.

Impact on counselling:

Transactional Analysis is widely used in counselling, coaching, education and organisations.

Recommended reading:

  • Games People Play – Eric Berne
Fritz Perls (1893–1970)

Approach: Gestalt Therapy

What did Perls believe?

People function best when they are fully aware of what is happening in the present moment.

Key concepts:

  • Here and now
  • Awareness
  • Responsibility
  • Empty Chair technique

Impact on counselling:

Gestalt therapy encourages clients to experience rather than simply analyse emotions.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004)

Area of work: Grief and Bereavement

What did she develop?

The Five Stages of Grief:

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance

Modern understanding recognises these are not fixed stages or a linear process, but her work remains influential in discussions of grief.

Abraham Maslow (1908–1970)

Approach: Humanistic Psychology

What did Maslow believe?

People are motivated by a hierarchy of needs, beginning with basic survival and progressing towards self-actualisation.

Key concepts:

  • Hierarchy of Needs
  • Self-actualisation

Impact on counselling:

Maslow’s work complements Rogers’ belief in human growth and potential.

Gerard Egan

Contribution: Skilled Helper Model

Egan developed a practical three-stage helping model widely used in counselling skills training.

Three Stages:

  • Explore
  • Understand
  • Act

How the model helps:

His model helps learners structure supportive conversations without becoming directive.

Recommended reading:

  • The Skilled Helper – Gerard Egan
Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne

Approach: Person-Centred Therapy (Humanistic)

What did they contribute?

These two influential British counsellors developed and expanded Carl Rogers’ Person-Centred approach, making it highly relevant to contemporary counselling practice.

Impact on counselling:

Their work is highly influential and serves as recommended reading on many counselling courses.

Peter Sanders

Contribution: Introductory Literature & Student Resources

Who is Peter Sanders?

Peter Sanders has written some of the most accessible introductory counselling books available and is particularly popular with Level 2 and Level 3 students.

Recommended reading:

  • First Steps in Counselling – Peter Sanders
Margaret Hough

Contribution: Core Educational Textbooks

About Margaret Hough:

Although not a counselling theorist, Margaret Hough has written one of the most widely used counselling textbooks in UK training.

Recommended reading:

  • Counselling Skills and Theory – Margaret Hough
Which theories are covered at Level 2?

The SEG Awards Level 2 Counselling Skills qualification introduces learners to the three core counselling approaches:

  • Person-Centred
  • Psychodynamic
  • Cognitive Behavioural

Learners compare these approaches and begin to understand how theory underpins counselling skills and ethical practice.

What happens at Level 3?

Level 3 builds on this foundation by exploring counselling theory in greater depth. You’ll deepen your understanding of human development, self-awareness, ethics, diversity, communication skills and reflective practice, while continuing to relate theory to real-life helping relationships.

Top Reading List for New Counselling Students

If you’re only going to buy five books before starting your course, we recommend:

  • Margaret Hough – Counselling Skills and Theory
  • Carl Rogers – On Becoming a Person
  • Peter Sanders – First Steps in Counselling
  • John McLeod – An Introduction to Counselling
  • Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne – Person-Centred Counselling in Action

These titles are widely recommended across UK counselling training programmes and provide an excellent foundation for both Level 2 and Level 3 study.

Counselling Theory for Today’s World

At Insight Training, we believe it’s important to understand not only the theories that have shaped counselling, but also how they apply in today’s diverse and evolving society. While the work of theorists such as Rogers, Freud, Beck and Bowlby provide the foundations of counselling practice, we encourage learners to explore these ideas with curiosity and critical thinking.

A distinctive feature of our training is the integration of a neurodiversity-affirming perspective throughout your learning. As our understanding of autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergent ways of thinking continues to grow, it is important to consider how traditional counselling theories can be applied in ways that are respectful, inclusive and responsive to each individual’s lived experience. Rather than assuming that one model fits everyone, we explore how established theories may need to be adapted or interpreted when working with neurodivergent clients.

Throughout your studies, you’ll be encouraged to think critically, ask questions and engage with current research alongside established theory. We create a learning environment where it’s safe to challenge assumptions, reflect on different perspectives and consider how counselling continues to evolve. By combining strong theoretical foundations with contemporary understanding, Insight Training aims to prepare learners to become thoughtful, reflective and inclusive practitioners who are equipped to work ethically and effectively in today’s world.

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