Nothing is like a good table. I hope you will like this one guys.
| Time Period | Therapeutic Approach | Key Figures | Core Concepts & Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Greece (4th Century BCE) | Philosophical Counseling | Socrates, Plato, Aristotle | Early ideas about self-examination, reasoning, and emotional well-being. |
| Late 18th Century | Moral Therapy | Philippe Pinel, William Tuke | Advocated humane treatment of the mentally ill; introduced talk therapy elements. |
| Late 19th Century | Hypnotherapy & Suggestion Therapy | Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Janet | Used hypnosis to treat hysteria; explored dissociation and subconscious processes. |
| Late 19th – Early 20th Century | Psychoanalysis | Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler | Freud: Unconscious mind, free association, dream analysis; Jung: Archetypes, collective unconscious; Adler: Inferiority complex, individual psychology. |
| 1910s – 1930s | Behavior Therapy | John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Joseph Wolpe | Focused on observable behavior; Pavlov: Classical conditioning; Wolpe: Systematic desensitization. |
| 1940s – 1950s | Humanistic Therapy | Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow | Rogers: Client-centered therapy, unconditional positive regard; Maslow: Self-actualization, hierarchy of needs. |
| 1940s – 1960s | Gestalt Therapy | Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, Paul Goodman | Focused on awareness, present moment, and integration of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. |
| 1950s – 1970s | Cognitive Therapy | Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck | Ellis: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT); Beck: Cognitive Therapy, cognitive distortions. |
| 1950s – Present | Existential Therapy | Viktor Frankl, Rollo May, Irvin Yalom | Frankl: Logotherapy (finding meaning in suffering); May & Yalom: Freedom, isolation, responsibility. |
| 1950s – 1980s | Family & Systemic Therapy | Murray Bowen, Salvador Minuchin, Virginia Satir | Bowen: Family Systems Theory; Minuchin: Structural Family Therapy; Satir: Communication in families. |
| 1960s – 1980s | Transpersonal Therapy | Stanislav Grof, Ken Wilber | Explored spiritual and transcendent aspects of human experience. |
| 1960s – 1990s | Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) | Aaron Beck, Albert Bandura, Donald Meichenbaum | Combined cognitive and behavioral principles; self-efficacy, cognitive restructuring. |
| 1970s – Present | Narrative Therapy | Michael White, David Epston | Focuses on reframing personal stories to reshape identity and meaning. |
| 1980s – Present | Mindfulness-Based Therapies | Jon Kabat-Zinn, Marsha Linehan | Kabat-Zinn: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); Linehan: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). |
| 1990s – Present | Positive Psychology Therapy | Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Focuses on strengths, well-being, and resilience. |
| 1990s – Present | EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) | Francine Shapiro | Used for trauma and PTSD treatment. |
| 2000s – Present | Third-Wave CBT (ACT, DBT, MBCT) | Steven Hayes, Marsha Linehan, Zindel Segal | Hayes: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Linehan: DBT; Segal: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). |
| **2010 |
Psychotherapies division based on their approaches
1. Psychoanalytic & Psychodynamic Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late 19th–Early 20th Century | Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler | Psychoanalysis (Freud), Analytical Psychology (Jung), Individual Psychology (Adler) | Explored the unconscious, dream analysis, defense mechanisms, free association |
| 1910s–1940s | Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, Erik Erikson | Ego psychology, Object Relations Theory, Psychosocial Development | Expanded psychoanalysis into child development, relationships, and identity formation |
| 1950s–Present | Heinz Kohut, Donald Winnicott, Otto Kernberg | Self Psychology, Attachment Theory, Modern Psychodynamic Therapy | Focus on self-development, early attachment, and relational patterns |
2. Humanistic & Existential Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s–1960s | Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogers), Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow) | Emphasized self-actualization, unconditional positive regard, empathy |
| 1950s–1970s | Fritz Perls, Rollo May, Viktor Frankl | Gestalt Therapy (Perls), Existential Therapy (May, Frankl) | Focused on present awareness, personal responsibility, meaning-making |
| 1990s–Present | Irvin Yalom, Kirk Schneider | Contemporary Existential-Humanistic Therapy | Further integration of meaning, authenticity, and emotional depth in therapy |
3. Behavioral & Cognitive Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s–1950s | B.F. Skinner, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov | Behaviorism, Classical & Operant Conditioning | Focused on learned behaviors, reinforcement, and conditioning |
| 1960s–1980s | Aaron Beck, Albert Ellis | Cognitive Therapy (Beck), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Ellis) | Shifted focus to thoughts shaping emotions and behavior |
| 1990s–Present | Steven Hayes, Marsha Linehan | Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) | Combined cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness techniques |
4. Family & Systemic Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s–1970s | Salvador Minuchin, Murray Bowen, Virginia Satir | Structural Family Therapy (Minuchin), Bowen Family Systems, Satir’s Systemic Therapy | Focus on family dynamics, generational patterns, and communication |
| 1980s–Present | Michael White, Steve de Shazer | Narrative Therapy (White), Solution-Focused Therapy (de Shazer) | Strength-based and goal-oriented approaches to change family and individual narratives |
5. Trauma & Neuroscience-Informed Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s–1990s | Francine Shapiro, Peter Levine | Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing | Developed trauma-specific interventions focusing on body and mind connection |
| 2000s–Present | Bessel van der Kolk, Daniel Siegel | Trauma-Informed Therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology | Neuroscience-based understanding of PTSD, integration of mindfulness and bodily awareness |
6. Integrative & Contemporary Approaches
| Time Period | Key Figures | Key Theories & Developments | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s–Present | Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jeffrey Young | Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Schema Therapy | Integration of mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive techniques |
| 2000s–Present | Various Neuroscientists | Neuroplasticity & Psychotherapy | Application of brain research to enhance treatment outcomes |
2 comments On A Comprehensive Table On the History of ‘Psychotherapy’
I love categorizing and discipline.
This table can be one of the sources of inquisitive minds seeking therapeutic approaches and renowned names.
I hope you write about various approaches and psychologists and link them here.
This table still needs a lot of work. You’re right.