Unit 2
Understanding Counselling Theory
Criteria 1
Understand a major therapeutic model of Counselling.
1.1. Explain the historical development of one major therapeutic model, including the
people influential in its development.
Carl Rogers was a prominent American Psychologist born in 1902 to a religious and wealthy
family in Oak Park, Illinois; there, he quietly developed his inquisitive personality through
books, writing and the study of insects, which sparked his interest in studying behaviours
and relationships.
As a young adult, and under the pressure of his parents, Rogers had embarked on a
becoming a Minister, however, on returning from a religious trip from China, Rogers had a
momentous questioning of his faith and, to his parents’ distaste, decided to pursue a career
in Psychology at Columbia University.
Carl Rogers received his PhD in 1931 and began working with ‘troubled’ children and the
prevention of cruelty, with an interest in the behaviours and personalities of the parents;
Rogers’ experiences thereafter led to the foundations and development of Client-Centred
Therapy.
Dr Carl Rogers founded Client-Centred Therapy in the 1940’s and believed that Therapy
could be carried out in a simpler, warmer and more optimistic manner, referring to the
individual as a ‘Client’ as opposed to Freud’s more clinical term of ‘Patient’. His approach
centred on understanding the Client’s subjective experience, rather than relying on
techniques, and placed emphasis on understanding the self. He believed every individual
has a Self-Actualising Tendency, which is the innate ability for personal growth to reach their
full potential. Rogers developed the importance of the Client-Counsellor relationship with
Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR), Congruence and Empathy at the core. David Cohen, in
his Biography of Carl Rogers said, “Therapy is more of an art than a science and, just as the
Impressionists changes painting, Rogers changed therapy by offering new ways of doing it.”
(Cohen, 1997)
Rogers was heavily influenced by Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), who was a fellow American
Psychologist and Philosopher operating at a similar time. Maslow established the Hierarchy
of Needs and Self-Actualisation which deeply resonated with Rogers’ beliefs and philosophy,
as this also emphasised free will and self-determination, which ultimately leads to an
individual fulfilling their true potential.
, Rogers would continue to advance and champion Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) and his
philosophical beliefs for the rest of his life and even continued to speak, write and work
until his death in 1987. David Cohen additionally wrote, “Despite his many and very human
failures, he [Rogers] remains one of the most important psychologists of the twentieth
century.” (Cohen, 1997)
1.2. Explain the philosophical basis of the chosen model.
Carl Roger’s philosophy centred around a Humanistic perspective which placed great value
on the individual and explored their innate desire to grow and develop. He believed all
humans are born good with an inner ability to reach their potential. Rogers’ philosophy
focuses on the Client knowing what is best for themselves, stating: “It is the client who
knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have
been deeply buried.” (Goodreads, Online, 2023).
Roger’s philosophy focussed on the importance of the Counsellor-Client relationship, which
should be developed in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Providing a safe
space and a holding environment, along with the Core Conditions of Unconditional Positive
Regard, Empathy and Congruence is paramount in facilitating the Client’s self-exploration.
Rogers in fact used a further three Core Conditions which are explored further in Q1.4.
Rogers emphasised the focus on the Client’s subjective experience and ability to help
themselves, believing that each Client is the expert of themselves, and the Counsellor
should believe in the Client’s autonomy. Rogers was quoted to say “When I can sensitively
understand the feelings which they are expressing, when I am able to accept them as
separate persons in their own right, then I find that they tend to move in certain directions.
And what are these directions in which they tend to move? The words which I believe are
most truly descriptive are words such as positive, constructive, moving toward self-
actualization, growing toward maturity, growing toward socialisation.” (Goodreads, Online,
2024)
Rogers’s philosophy centres around the belief that the Client has the capability for self-
discovery and personal growth through the Self-Actualising Tendency (see Q:1.3). PCT is a
facilitative environment which enables this process by providing the Core Conditions, in a
supportive and empathic helping relationship.
1.3. Explain the key concepts and principles of the chosen model.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s Rogers worked on key concepts and principles of the Person-
Centred approach and developed six conditions - essential for nurturing the therapeutic
Understanding Counselling Theory
Criteria 1
Understand a major therapeutic model of Counselling.
1.1. Explain the historical development of one major therapeutic model, including the
people influential in its development.
Carl Rogers was a prominent American Psychologist born in 1902 to a religious and wealthy
family in Oak Park, Illinois; there, he quietly developed his inquisitive personality through
books, writing and the study of insects, which sparked his interest in studying behaviours
and relationships.
As a young adult, and under the pressure of his parents, Rogers had embarked on a
becoming a Minister, however, on returning from a religious trip from China, Rogers had a
momentous questioning of his faith and, to his parents’ distaste, decided to pursue a career
in Psychology at Columbia University.
Carl Rogers received his PhD in 1931 and began working with ‘troubled’ children and the
prevention of cruelty, with an interest in the behaviours and personalities of the parents;
Rogers’ experiences thereafter led to the foundations and development of Client-Centred
Therapy.
Dr Carl Rogers founded Client-Centred Therapy in the 1940’s and believed that Therapy
could be carried out in a simpler, warmer and more optimistic manner, referring to the
individual as a ‘Client’ as opposed to Freud’s more clinical term of ‘Patient’. His approach
centred on understanding the Client’s subjective experience, rather than relying on
techniques, and placed emphasis on understanding the self. He believed every individual
has a Self-Actualising Tendency, which is the innate ability for personal growth to reach their
full potential. Rogers developed the importance of the Client-Counsellor relationship with
Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR), Congruence and Empathy at the core. David Cohen, in
his Biography of Carl Rogers said, “Therapy is more of an art than a science and, just as the
Impressionists changes painting, Rogers changed therapy by offering new ways of doing it.”
(Cohen, 1997)
Rogers was heavily influenced by Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), who was a fellow American
Psychologist and Philosopher operating at a similar time. Maslow established the Hierarchy
of Needs and Self-Actualisation which deeply resonated with Rogers’ beliefs and philosophy,
as this also emphasised free will and self-determination, which ultimately leads to an
individual fulfilling their true potential.
, Rogers would continue to advance and champion Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) and his
philosophical beliefs for the rest of his life and even continued to speak, write and work
until his death in 1987. David Cohen additionally wrote, “Despite his many and very human
failures, he [Rogers] remains one of the most important psychologists of the twentieth
century.” (Cohen, 1997)
1.2. Explain the philosophical basis of the chosen model.
Carl Roger’s philosophy centred around a Humanistic perspective which placed great value
on the individual and explored their innate desire to grow and develop. He believed all
humans are born good with an inner ability to reach their potential. Rogers’ philosophy
focuses on the Client knowing what is best for themselves, stating: “It is the client who
knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have
been deeply buried.” (Goodreads, Online, 2023).
Roger’s philosophy focussed on the importance of the Counsellor-Client relationship, which
should be developed in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Providing a safe
space and a holding environment, along with the Core Conditions of Unconditional Positive
Regard, Empathy and Congruence is paramount in facilitating the Client’s self-exploration.
Rogers in fact used a further three Core Conditions which are explored further in Q1.4.
Rogers emphasised the focus on the Client’s subjective experience and ability to help
themselves, believing that each Client is the expert of themselves, and the Counsellor
should believe in the Client’s autonomy. Rogers was quoted to say “When I can sensitively
understand the feelings which they are expressing, when I am able to accept them as
separate persons in their own right, then I find that they tend to move in certain directions.
And what are these directions in which they tend to move? The words which I believe are
most truly descriptive are words such as positive, constructive, moving toward self-
actualization, growing toward maturity, growing toward socialisation.” (Goodreads, Online,
2024)
Rogers’s philosophy centres around the belief that the Client has the capability for self-
discovery and personal growth through the Self-Actualising Tendency (see Q:1.3). PCT is a
facilitative environment which enables this process by providing the Core Conditions, in a
supportive and empathic helping relationship.
1.3. Explain the key concepts and principles of the chosen model.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s Rogers worked on key concepts and principles of the Person-
Centred approach and developed six conditions - essential for nurturing the therapeutic
