Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs
Reviewed By
Donna Bottomley - Psychotherapist, MBABCP accredited, 10+ years in CBT and EMDR
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy reminds us that our wellbeing rests on meeting our basic human needs first. If safety, stability, or connection feel shaky - then everything else can feel harder too.
References
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. - The original foundational paper introducing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, often cited in both humanistic and broader psychological research that underpins need-based motivational explanations relevant to therapeutic models. Calabro, L. E. (1997). “First Things First”: Maslow’s Hierarchy as a Framework for REBT in Promoting Disability Adjustment During Rehabilitation. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 15(3). - This paper explicitly uses Maslow’s hierarchy metaphor within a cognitive-behavioral therapy family model (REBT) to prioritise intervention foci based on unmet needs, illustrating a bridge between the needs hierarchy and CBT-informed practice. McLeod, S. A. (2026). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – Simply Psychology review. - Although a literature review rather than original research, this extensively referenced and updated scholarly overview summarises empirical and theoretical work on Maslow’s hierarchy, including its applications and critiques within psychology (motivational theories often integrated with cognitive frameworks in therapeutic settings).