Where did counseling originate from?

Counseling is a term that comes from the 19^th and 20^th centuries, but the roots of counseling are as old as human struggles. Throughout history, communities gathered to talk, share stories, and seek advice from one another. An old proverb, “A problem shared is a problem halved,” is a great way to look at counseling’s roots.

Although counseling comes from many other disciplines like teaching, psychology, and others, it historically draws from psychoanalysis, originated by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis was a method that Freud created that allowed people to share their problems with a trained analyst, who could help interpret aspects of their thinking which were hidden in the unconscious mind. In this first group of psychoanalysts, Freud and others focused on the interplay between the conscious mind, the unconscious mind, and the world we relate to and live in. In Freud’s approach, we are all motivated by unseen forces and unknown parts of the mind, which require careful interpretation.

As time went on, some scientists were less than satisfied with Freud’s approach to understanding human behavior and thinking. The unconscious mind couldn’t be physically measured. The existence of the subconscious was purely theoretical. This thinking gave birth to the behaviorism movement, where scientists like John B. Watson rejected anything that couldn’t be physically measured in favor of studying measurable stimuli and their impact on human behavior. Here we learned about behavioral conditioning. According to behaviorists, our behavior responds to rewards and punishments, not the product of unseen mental motives.

Carl Rogers, who created person-centered therapy, began using the word counseling when he and Abraham Maslow worked to create a new approach to thinking about humans and our behavior. The person-centered approach to therapy was an assumption that all people have a born-in desire for growth and fulfillment, and this put the counselor in the role of providing clients with a facilitating environment where the client finds their own answers rather than in the role of interpreter or re-programmer as with psychoanalysis and behaviorism.

Counseling draws from these backgrounds, applies psychology research, and has multiple focus areas in its modern application. Counseling may focus on career or school development as in school and guidance counseling. It may focus on wellness, supporting people in making positive changes, or using research-based methods to approach the treatment of mental illness. Counseling may focus on personal development, relationships, growth, and much more.

For more information on counseling and counselors, visit the American Counseling Association website.