Major Counseling Theories Comparison
This cheat sheet provides a quick-reference comparison of the counseling theories most frequently tested on the NCE, NCMHCE, LCSW, and LMSW exams. Know the founder, core concepts, primary techniques, and best applications for each theory.
Psychodynamic Approaches
| Theory | Founder | Key Concepts | Techniques |
|---|
| Psychoanalysis | Sigmund Freud | Unconscious mind, id/ego/superego, psychosexual stages, defense mechanisms, transference | Free association, dream analysis, interpretation, analysis of transference and resistance |
| Adlerian Therapy | Alfred Adler | Inferiority feelings, striving for superiority, social interest, birth order, lifestyle assessment | Encouragement, lifestyle assessment, early recollections, acting "as if," paradoxical intention |
| Jungian Therapy | Carl Jung | Collective unconscious, archetypes, individuation, persona, shadow, anima/animus | Dream analysis, active imagination, sandplay, word association |
| Object Relations | Melanie Klein, D.W. Winnicott | Internal representations of self and others, attachment patterns, splitting, transitional objects | Exploration of relational patterns, therapeutic relationship as corrective experience |
Humanistic/Existential Approaches
| Theory | Founder | Key Concepts | Techniques |
|---|
| Person-Centered | Carl Rogers | Self-actualization, conditions of worth, congruence, unconditional positive regard, empathy | Reflection, active listening, genuineness; therapist provides necessary and sufficient conditions |
| Gestalt Therapy | Fritz Perls | Here-and-now awareness, unfinished business, contact/withdrawal, figure/ground | Empty chair, exaggeration, "I" statements, experiments, dream work |
| Existential Therapy | Rollo May, Irvin Yalom, Viktor Frankl | Freedom, responsibility, meaning, death anxiety, isolation, authenticity | Exploration of ultimate concerns, Socratic dialogue, logotherapy (Frankl), confrontation with existential givens |
Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches
| Theory | Founder | Key Concepts | Techniques |
|---|
| Cognitive Therapy (CT) | Aaron Beck | Automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions, core beliefs, cognitive triad (self, world, future) | Thought records, cognitive restructuring, Socratic questioning, behavioral experiments |
| REBT | Albert Ellis | ABC model (Activating event, Belief, Consequence), irrational beliefs, musturbation | Disputing irrational beliefs, shame-attacking exercises, rational-emotive imagery |
| Behavior Therapy | B.F. Skinner, Joseph Wolpe | Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, extinction | Systematic desensitization, exposure, token economies, behavioral contracts, relaxation training |
| CBT | Aaron Beck (integration) | Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected; cognitive distortions maintain problems | Cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure, problem-solving, skills training |
| DBT | Marsha Linehan | Dialectics (acceptance AND change), emotion dysregulation, biosocial theory | Mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness; individual + group skills |
Systems and Postmodern Approaches
| Theory | Founder | Key Concepts | Techniques |
|---|
| Family Systems | Murray Bowen | Differentiation of self, triangulation, multigenerational transmission, emotional cutoff, family projection | Genograms, coaching, detriangulation, "I-position" statements |
| Structural Family | Salvador Minuchin | Subsystems, boundaries (rigid, diffuse, clear), hierarchy, enmeshment, disengagement | Joining, restructuring, enactment, boundary making, unbalancing |
| Strategic Family | Jay Haley, Cloe Madanes | Problem-maintaining sequences, hierarchy, power, homeostasis | Directives, paradoxical interventions, reframing, prescribing the symptom |
| Solution-Focused (SFBT) | Steve de Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg | Focus on solutions not problems, exceptions, client strengths and resources | Miracle question, scaling questions, exception-finding questions, compliments, "do more of what works" |
| Narrative Therapy | Michael White, David Epston | The person is not the problem; dominant stories, alternative stories, thin vs. thick descriptions | Externalization, unique outcomes, re-authoring, definitional ceremonies, therapeutic documents |
Quick Theory-to-Technique Matching
- Empty chair technique = Gestalt (Fritz Perls)
- Miracle question = Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
- ABC model = REBT (Albert Ellis)
- Cognitive triad = Cognitive Therapy (Aaron Beck)
- Genogram = Bowen Family Systems
- Paradoxical intention = Adlerian / Strategic Family Therapy
- Systematic desensitization = Behavior Therapy (Joseph Wolpe)
- Unconditional positive regard = Person-Centered (Carl Rogers)
- Externalization = Narrative Therapy (Michael White)
- Mindfulness + distress tolerance = DBT (Marsha Linehan)
- Logotherapy / meaning = Existential (Viktor Frankl)