Changing views of theory and practice in counselling: Multiple intelligences, eclecticism and the therapeutic alliance

This art icle discusses three theories and approaches in the f ield of counselling that have the potent ial to advance understanding of counselling processes. One, developed within educat ional psychology and f irst published in 1983, is Gardner’s theory of mult iple intelligences (MI) (Gardner, 1983, 2006). Gardner argued against a one-dimensional view of intelligence, in favour of a pluralist ic view that recognises that people have dif ferent cognit ive strengths and contrast ing cognit ive styles (Gardner, 2006). His theory has become instrumental in school curriculum planning, and widely adopted in the f ield of educat ion. His theory delineates eight dist inct intelligences, each one represent ing a dif ferent way that people can ref lect , communicate and learn.