This document explores the theories of Carl Rogers and the model developed by Gerard Egan, providing insights into their contributions to counselling skills and practice.
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This document explores the foundational theories of Dr Carl Rogers and Dr Gerard Egan, two influential figures in counselling psychology. It examines Rogers' three core conditions for therapeutic growth and Egan's structured Three Stage Model for effective helping relationships.
Introduction to Core Counselling Theories
Humanistic psychologist Dr Carl Rogers identified three core conditions for growth that are practised as skills by counsellors. These foundational skills, combined with Dr Gerard Egan’s structured approach to helping, form the basis of modern counselling practice.
Both Rogers and Egan believed that effective counselling requires more than just theory – it demands specific skills, attitudes, and a structured approach to helping clients navigate their challenges and achieve meaningful change.
Carl Rogers: The Core Conditions
Dr Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic psychologist who revolutionized psychotherapy by developing a client-centered approach. He believed that individuals have an innate tendency toward self-actualization when provided with the right therapeutic environment.
The Three Core Conditions
Rogers identified three essential conditions that must be present for therapeutic growth to occur:
1. Unconditional Positive Regard
Unconditional positive regard means accepting and valuing the client without judgment or conditions.
The therapist shows complete support and acceptance of the client, regardless of what they say, feel, or do
The client is valued as a human being, not based on their actions or behaviors
Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake
This creates a safe space for clients to express themselves openly and honestly
Important
Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others, and counsellors accept and love the person for what they are, refraining from any judgment or criticism.
2. Genuineness (Congruence)
Genuineness or congruence means being real, open, and authentic with the client.
The therapist is not hiding behind a professional facade
They are genuine and transparent in their feelings and responses
This models honesty and encourages trust in the therapeutic relationship
The closer our self-image and ideal self are to each other, the more congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth
Understanding Congruence: From Mathematics to Psychology
The term congruence may be familiar from mathematics, where two shapes are congruent when they match perfectly in size and shape. Rogers borrowed this concept to describe psychological alignment.
The Bridge Between Concepts:
Just as two triangles are congruent when they align perfectly with no gaps or differences, a person is psychologically congruent when different aspects of their self align:
Mathematical Congruence
Psychological Congruence
Shapes match perfectly
Self-image matches actual experience
All parts align exactly
Ideal self matches real self
No gaps or differences
Inner feelings match outer expression
Perfect superimposition
Authentic presentation - no facade
Examples of Congruence in Practice:
Congruent (Aligned):
Feeling angry inside → Expressing that anger appropriately
Valuing honesty → Acting honestly in all situations
Believing in compassion → Demonstrating compassionate behavior
Result: High self-worth, psychological health, authenticity
Incongruent (Misaligned):
Feeling sad inside → Forcing a smile and saying “I’m fine”
Valuing creativity → Working in a job that stifles creativity
Seeing oneself as kind → Acting harshly toward others
Just as mathematical congruence means “no difference between the shapes,” psychological congruence means “no gap between your inner self and outer expression.” A congruent therapist shows authenticity - what they present externally matches their genuine internal experience.
3. Empathetic Understanding
Empathy involves deeply understanding the client’s experience and feelings from their point of view.
The therapist doesn’t just intellectually “get it” – they emotionally connect with the client’s experiences
They reflect that understanding back to the client
This helps clients feel heard and validated
Empathy is different from sympathy – it’s about understanding, not just feeling sorry for someone
Note
Rogers believed that when a therapist consistently provides these three core conditions within the therapeutic relationship, clients feel accepted, understood, and free to explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment.
The Impact of Rogers’ Work
Rogers’ humanistic approach emphasized:
The individual’s subjective experience and self-perception
Personal growth and self-actualization
The therapeutic relationship as the vehicle for change
The client’s innate capacity for positive growth
His work transformed psychotherapy by placing the client, rather than the therapist, at the center of the therapeutic process.
Gerard Egan: The Three Stage Model
Dr Gerard Egan developed a practical framework for counselling that builds upon Rogers’ core conditions. He believed that counsellors needed not only to possess the core conditions but also to help clients make decisions, clarify and set goals, and support them in implementing their actions.
The Skilled Helper Model
Egan’s Three Stage Model provides a structured approach to the helping process:
Stage 1: Getting the Story (Current Scenario)
Purpose: Exploration and understanding where the client is now
Key activities include:
Encouraging the client to tell their story using prompts, active listening, open questions, and SOLER
Helping the client break through blind spots using reflection
Supporting the client to identify the right problem or opportunity to work on (prioritization)
Note
This stage is about creating a safe environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns.
Stage 2: Development of Possibilities for Change (Preferred Scenario)
Purpose: Envisioning where the client wants to be
Key activities include:
Helping the client use their imagination to spell out possibilities through questioning and exploring their views
Supporting the client to choose realistic and challenging goals through action planning
Helping the client find incentives that will support their commitment (what they will get out of it)
Stage 3: Strategies for Change and Closing the Session (Action Implementation)
Purpose: Determining how the client will achieve their goals
Key activities include:
Helping the client find possible actions with appropriate timing
Supporting the client to find best-fit strategies that will work for them
Helping the client draft an action plan for implementation
SOLER: Non-Verbal Listening Technique
Egan introduced the SOLER acronym as part of his Skilled Helper approach. It is a non-verbal listening process used in communication and a key skill taught to counsellors.
SOLER stands for:
S: Sit SQUARELY on to the client, preferably at a 5 o’clock position to avoid the possibility of staring
O: Maintain an OPEN posture at all times, not crossing your arms or legs which can appear defensive
L: LEAN slightly in towards the client
E: Maintain EYE CONTACT with the client without staring
R: RELAX. This should in turn help the client to relax
Important
SOLER should be used as an integral part of active listening. It helps create a supportive, attentive environment that encourages clients to open up and share.
Integration of Rogers and Egan
The theories of Rogers and Egan complement each other to create a comprehensive counselling approach:
Core Conditions Meet Structured Process
Rogers’ core conditions (unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy) provide the foundational therapeutic attitude
Egan’s Three Stage Model provides the structural framework for guiding the helping process
Together, they create a counselling approach that is both humanistic and practical
From Theory to Practice
These core conditions and stages can be explained in terms of the skills that counsellors require in a counselling situation:
Establishing rapport through SOLER and active listening
Creating a safe environment through unconditional positive regard
Building trust through genuineness and congruence
Understanding deeply through empathetic listening
Facilitating exploration of the current situation (Stage 1)
Supporting goal-setting and envisioning change (Stage 2)
Enabling action through strategy development (Stage 3)
Practical Applications in Counselling
When to Use the Core Conditions
The core conditions should be present throughout the entire counselling relationship:
During initial rapport building
While exploring difficult emotions
When challenging unhelpful thinking patterns
During goal-setting and action planning
When concluding the helping relationship
When to Apply Each Stage of Egan’s Model
The three-stage model provides a flexible framework:
Stage 1 is essential at the beginning but may be revisited as new issues emerge
Stage 2 helps clients move from problem focus to solution focus
Stage 3 ensures that insights translate into real-world action
Caution
While the model appears linear, in practice counsellors often move flexibly between stages as the client’s needs evolve.
Conclusion
The contributions of Dr Carl Rogers and Dr Gerard Egan have profoundly shaped modern counselling practice. Rogers' core conditions provide the therapeutic foundation of acceptance, authenticity, and understanding, while Egan's Three Stage Model offers a practical framework for guiding clients from exploration through to action.
Together, these approaches enable counsellors to create supportive, structured helping relationships that empower clients to understand their challenges, envision meaningful change, and take concrete steps toward their goals. Understanding and integrating both approaches is essential for developing effective counselling skills.
Note
The counsellor’s role is not to change the client but rather to facilitate the client’s own process of change. By seeking counselling, clients have already initiated their journey toward transformation. Counsellors will encounter clients with diverse opinions, beliefs, and values that may differ from their own. Respecting these differences aligns with fundamental principles of mutual respect and tolerance, which are core to ethical counselling practice and reflect key values in contemporary professional standards. To clearly understand this note, it is divided into following points:
The facilitator role - counsellors help clients change themselves rather than imposing change
Client agency - seeking counselling is already the start of their change process
Respecting diversity - counsellors will encounter diverse opinions and values
Professional values - this aligns with mutual respect, tolerance, and ethical counselling practice
FAQ
Dr Carl Rogers, a humanistic psychologist, identified the three core conditions for growth that are practiced as skills by counsellors. These foundational skills form the basis of modern counselling practice.
The three core conditions identified by Carl Rogers are:
Unconditional Positive Regard - accepting and valuing the client without judgment or conditions
Genuineness (Congruence) - being real, open, and authentic with the client
Empathetic Understanding - deeply understanding the client’s experience and feelings from their point of view
Agreeing with everything the client says or does
Showing complete support and acceptance of the client regardless of what they say, feel, or do
Only accepting clients who behave appropriately
Providing conditional approval based on client progress
(2) Unconditional positive regard means the therapist shows complete support and acceptance of the client, regardless of what they say, feel, or do. The client is valued as a human being, not based on their actions or behaviors, and positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong.
Empathy involves deeply understanding the client’s experience and feelings from their point of view, emotionally connecting with their experiences. Sympathy, on the other hand, is about feeling sorry for someone. Empathy is about understanding, not just feeling pity.
Genuineness or congruence means being real, open, and authentic with the client. The therapist is not hiding behind a professional facade but is genuine and transparent in their feelings and responses. This models honesty and encourages trust in the therapeutic relationship.
Core Condition
Description
A. Unconditional Positive Regard
1. Deeply understanding the client’s experience from their point of view
B. Genuineness
2. Accepting and valuing the client without judgment or conditions
C. Empathetic Understanding
3. Being real, open, and authentic with the client
A-2, B-3, C-1.
Clients will never experience difficulties again
Clients feel accepted, understood, and free to explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment
Therapy sessions will be shorter
Clients will become dependent on the therapist
(2) Rogers believed that when a therapist consistently provides these three core conditions within the therapeutic relationship, clients feel accepted, understood, and free to explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. This creates the foundation for therapeutic growth.
Carl Rogers believed that individuals have an innate tendency toward self-actualization when provided with the right therapeutic environment. His humanistic approach emphasized the individual’s subjective experience, personal growth, and the client’s innate capacity for positive growth.
Dr Gerard Egan developed the Three Stage Model, also known as the Skilled Helper Model, which provides a structured approach to the helping process in counselling.
The three stages in Egan’s Skilled Helper Model are:
Stage 1 - Getting the Story (Current Scenario) - exploration and understanding where the client is now
Stage 2 - Development of Possibilities for Change (Preferred Scenario) - envisioning where the client wants to be
Stage 3 - Strategies for Change and Closing the Session (Action Implementation) - determining how the client will achieve their goals
The primary purpose of Stage 1 (Getting the Story) is exploration and understanding where the client is now. This involves encouraging the client to tell their story, helping them break through blind spots using reflection, and supporting them to identify the right problem or opportunity to work on.
Key activities in Stage 2 (Development of Possibilities for Change) include:
Helping the client use their imagination to spell out possibilities through questioning and exploring their views
Supporting the client to choose realistic and challenging goals through action planning
Helping the client find incentives that will support their commitment (what they will get out of it)
SOLER stands for:
S - Sit SQUARELY on to the client, preferably at a 5 o’clock position
O - Maintain an OPEN posture at all times
L - LEAN slightly in towards the client
E - Maintain EYE CONTACT with the client without staring
R - RELAX, which should in turn help the client to relax
Counsellors should sit squarely on to the client, preferably at a 5 o’clock position, to avoid the possibility of staring. This positioning creates an attentive yet comfortable environment for the client.
SOLER is a verbal communication technique used in counselling sessions.
False. SOLER is a non-verbal listening process used in communication and is a key skill taught to counsellors. It focuses on body language and positioning rather than verbal communication.
Component
Description
A. S (Squarely)
1. Maintain this with the client without staring
B. O (Open)
2. This should help the client feel at ease
C. L (Lean)
3. Sit at a 5 o’clock position to the client
D. E (Eye contact)
4. Do this slightly towards the client
E. R (Relax)
5. Avoid crossing arms or legs which can appear defensive
A-3, B-5, C-4, D-1, E-2.
Rogers’ core conditions (unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy) provide the foundational therapeutic attitude, while Egan’s Three Stage Model provides the structural framework for guiding the helping process. Together, they create a counselling approach that is both humanistic and practical.
Rogers’ conditions provide the therapeutic foundation
Egan’s model provides structural framework
The approaches must be used separately and never combined
Together they create a comprehensive counselling approach
(3) This is incorrect. The theories of Rogers and Egan complement each other and should be integrated to create a comprehensive counselling approach. The core conditions and stages work together, not separately.
Establishing rapport requires using SOLER and active listening techniques, creating a safe environment through unconditional positive regard, and building trust through genuineness and congruence.
The core conditions should be present throughout the entire counselling relationship, including:
During initial rapport building
While exploring difficult emotions
When challenging unhelpful thinking patterns
During goal-setting and action planning
When concluding the helping relationship
Stage 3 - immediately create action plans
Stage 2 - start setting goals right away
Stage 1 - encourage the client to tell their story and identify priorities
Apply all stages simultaneously
(3) Stage 1 (Getting the Story) should be applied first to encourage the client to tell their story and help them identify the right problem or opportunity to work on through prioritization. This exploration is essential before moving to goal-setting or action planning.
Core conditions are not important in counselling
Structure and practical skills are unnecessary
Counsellors need both therapeutic attitudes and practical frameworks to help clients achieve change
Only goal-setting matters in therapy
(3) Egan believed that counsellors needed not only to possess the core conditions but also to help clients make decisions, clarify and set goals, and support them in implementing their actions. This shows that both therapeutic attitudes and practical frameworks are necessary for effective counselling.
Egan’s Three Stage Model is completely linear, and counsellors must always follow the stages in exact order without going back.
False. While the model provides a structured framework, in practice counsellors often move flexibly between stages as the client’s needs evolve. Stage 1 may be revisited as new issues emerge, and the model appears linear but is used flexibly in actual practice.
In Stage 1 (Getting the Story), active listening is used along with prompts, open questions, and SOLER to encourage the client to tell their story. It creates a safe environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns.
Rogers transformed psychotherapy by placing the client, rather than the therapist, at the center of the therapeutic process. His client-centered approach emphasized the therapeutic relationship as the vehicle for change and recognized the client’s innate capacity for positive growth.
To explore the client’s past experiences
To help clients draft action plans and find best-fit strategies for achieving their goals
To diagnose the client’s problems
To build the therapeutic relationship
(2) Stage 3 (Strategies for Change and Closing the Session) focuses on determining how the client will achieve their goals. It involves helping the client find possible actions, supporting them to find best-fit strategies, and helping them draft an action plan for implementation.
When maintaining an open posture (the O in SOLER), counsellors should avoid crossing their arms or legs, as this can appear defensive and create a barrier to communication.
Stage
Purpose
A. Stage 1
1. Determining how to achieve goals and creating action plans
B. Stage 2
2. Exploration and understanding where the client is now
C. Stage 3
3. Envisioning where the client wants to be and setting goals
A-2, B-3, C-1.
Reflecting understanding back to the client helps them feel heard and validated. The therapist emotionally connects with the client’s experiences and mirrors that understanding, which deepens the therapeutic relationship and supports client exploration.
Helping clients break through blind spots means using reflection to help them see aspects of their situation that they may not have noticed or acknowledged. This increases self-awareness and helps identify important issues to address.
Active listening skills
The counsellor’s sense of self-worth and authenticity
Goal-setting techniques
Assessment procedures
(2) The closer our self-image and ideal self are to each other, the more congruent we are and the higher our sense of self-worth. This relates to the counsellor’s own authenticity and genuineness, which is one of Rogers’ core conditions.
Helping clients find incentives in Stage 2 is significant because it supports their commitment to change. When clients understand what they will get out of achieving their goals (the benefits or rewards), they are more motivated to pursue and maintain their chosen changes.
According to Rogers, the client should be valued based on their actions and behaviors rather than as a human being.
False. In unconditional positive regard, the client is valued as a human being, not based on their actions or behaviors. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake. The person is accepted for who they are, not what they do.
References
Primary Sources
Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. London: Constable.
Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal relationships as developed in the client-centered framework. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A study of a science. Vol. 3: Formulations of the person and the social context. New York: McGraw Hill.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On Becoming a person: A psychotherapist’s view of psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin.
Egan, G. (1975). The Skilled Helper. Brooks/Cole.
Online Resources
For more information about the work of Dr Carl Rogers and Dr Gerard Egan, visit the following links:
Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (Eds.). (2019). Psychotherapy relationships that work: Volume 1: Evidence-based therapist contributions. Oxford University Press.
Farber, B. A., & Doolin, E. M. (2011). Positive regard. Psychotherapy, 48(1), 58.