How to Reference Counselling Tutor

A guide for learners, tutors, and training providers

At Counselling Tutor, our mission is to support students in understanding counselling theory and real-world practice by offering clear, accessible explanations that link directly to the original academic sources. Our resources are designed to help you learn, help you locate the correct references, and support your wider reading — not to replace the primary authors whose theories you are studying.

1. How You Should Use Counselling Tutor in Your Academic Work

Counselling Tutor is best understood as a learning support library. Our role is to help you:

• Understand complex ideas in clear, everyday language
• Find the correct theorists to cite in your assignments
• Access bibliographies that signpost you to the original academic works
• Build confidence in your reading, research, and writing

Because of this, when you are writing assignments:

You should cite the original theorist for any counselling theory, model, or concept.

Examples:

• Cite Freud for psychoanalytic theory
• Cite Rogers for the core conditions
• Cite Beck for CBT
• Cite Egan for the Skilled Helper

Counselling Tutor should not be cited as the authority on these theories, because we are not the originators — we are explaining and contextualising them for you.

2. When You Should Not Cite Counselling Tutor

Do not cite Counselling Tutor when:

• You are writing about counselling theories, models, historical concepts, or named interventions
• You are referring to ideas created by established theorists
• You have used our articles as a starting point to help you understand the material

Instead:

✔ Use Counselling Tutor to understand the topic, then follow our references, read the original sources, and cite those theorists directly.

3. When It Is Appropriate to Cite Counselling Tutor

There are times when citing Counselling Tutor is acceptable and academically appropriate. These include:

 A. Counselling Tutor Books

If you are directly using material from one of our published books, you may cite the book in your assignment:

• Kelly, K. (2017). Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide. Counselling Tutor.
• Kelly, K. & Lees-Oakes, R. (2021). Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner’s Guide. Counselling Tutor.
• Lees-Oakes, R. (2019). Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide. Counselling Tutor.

 B. Expert Lectures and Resources in CSR or Counsellor CPD

When you watch a lecture or handout created by a Counselling Tutor tutor or invited expert, you are drawing on their teaching, so you may cite those resources.

Example format:
Counselling Study Resource. (2024). Working with Bereavement [online lecture]. Counselling Tutorial Library. [Accessed 12/04/25].

(Note: Do not include the URL for members-only content.)

 C. Original Counselling Tutor Explanations, Diagrams, Models, or Teaching Tools

If Counselling Tutor presents a unique analogy, diagram, process map, or explanation that is not taken from a theorist’s original work, you may cite Counselling Tutor as the source of that specific idea.

D. Counselling Tutor YouTube Videos

If you quote from or directly reference one of our YouTube videos, you may cite it:

Counselling Tutor. (2021). The Phenomenology of Person-Centred Therapy [online video]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/XXXX

[Accessed 25/05/25].

4. Using Bibliographies on Counselling Tutor Articles

Every Counselling Tutor article includes a reference list showing the original works used to create the summary. These are the theorists and authors you should cite in your academic assignments.

If you ever find an article that appears to be missing a reference list, please contact us so that we can update it. We are committed to maintaining academic accuracy across our library.

5. Correct vs Incorrect Referencing

❌ Incorrect referencing

This example incorrectly treats Counselling Tutor as the originator of psychoanalytic theory:

Counselling Tutor (2023) states that the id operates entirely in the unconscious.

✔ Correct referencing

This cites the correct original source:

Freud (1923) explains that the id operates entirely in the unconscious.

Another example:

❌ Incorrect:

Counselling Tutor (2022) describes the core conditions as…

✔ Correct:

Rogers (1957) identifies the core conditions required for therapeutic personality change.

6. Summary for Learners

You can use Counselling Tutor to help you:

• Understand the theory
• Clarify complex ideas
• Prepare for assignments and exams
• Find the correct original authors to cite

You should:

• Cite the original theorists for all theory-based content
• Only cite Counselling Tutor when using our unique materials, books, lectures, or videos

This approach supports good academic practice and builds confidence in your research skills.

7. A Note for Tutors and Training Providers

Counselling Tutor is designed as a supplementary academic support library for learners completing recognised counselling qualifications. We provide:

• Clear explanations
• Accurate signposting
• Reference lists leading directly to primary academic sources