ADLERIAN THERAPHY

Individual Psychology

• indivisible psychology

• based on the concept of holism

• phenomenological approach

• theological explanation of human behavior

• stresses social interest

• focuses on birth order and sibling relationships

Phenomenological

an orientation of Adlerians attempt to view the world from the client’s subjective frame of reference

Individual Psychology

from the Latin, individuum, meaning indivisible

Holistic Concept

implies that we cannot be understood in parts; rather, all aspects of ourselves must be understood in relationship

Unity and Patterns of Human Personality

• Behavior as Purposeful and Goal-Oriented

• Striving for Significance and Superiority

• Lifestyle

Behavior as Purposeful and Goal-Oriented

Individual Psychology assumes that all human behavior has a purpose; purposeful nature of behavior is perhaps the cornerstone of Adler’s theory.

Teleological

Adler replaced deterministic explanation with ____________ (purposive, goal-oriented) one.

Fictional Finalism

refer to an imagined life goal that guides a person’s behavior

Striving for Significance and Superiority

Adler stressed that the recognition of interiority feelings and the consequent striving for perfection or mastery are innate—they are two sides of the same coin.

Lifestyle

The movement from a felt minus to a desired plus results in the development of a life goal, in which

Social Interest and Community Feeling

probably Adler’s most significant and distinctive concepts; refer to individual’s awareness of being part of the human community and to individuals’ attitudes in dealing with the social world

Gemeinschaftsgefühl

social interest and/or community feeling

Social Interest

the action line of one’s community feeling, and it involves being as concerned about others as one is about oneself

Community Feeling

embodies the feeling of being connected to all of humanity—past, present, and future—and to being involved in making the world a better place

Three Universal Life Tasks

1. Friendships (Social Task)

2. Establishing Intimacy (Love-Marriage Task)

3. Contributing to Society (Occupational Task)

Birth Order and Sibling Relationships

Adler identified five psychological positions, or vantage points, from with children tend to view life: oldest, second of only two, middle, youngest, and only.

Birth Order

it is not deterministic concept but does increase an individual’s probability of having certain set of experiences

Oldest Child

generally receives a good deal of attention, and during the time she is the only child, she is typically somewhat spoiled as the center of attention; tends to be dependable and hardworking and strives to keep ahead

Second Child of only two

from the time she is born, she shares the attention with another child; she typically behaves as if she were in a race and is generally under full steam at all times

Middle Child

often feels squeezed out; may become convinced of the unfairness of life and feel cheated; may assume a “poor me“ attitude and can become a problem child

Youngest Child

always the baby of the family and tends to be the most pampered one; may develop helplessness into an art form and become expert at putting others in his service

Only Child

although she shares some of the characteristics of the oldest child, she may not learn to share or cooperate with other children; she will learn to deal with adults as well, as they make up her original familial word

Family Constellation

Adlerian assessment relies heavily on an exploration of the client’s ______ ____________, including the client’s evaluation of conditions that prevailed in the family when the person was a young child, birth order, parental relationship and family values, and extended family and culture.

Early Recollections (ERs)

are defined as “stories of events that a person says occurred [one time] before he or she was 10 years of age“; are specific incidents that clients recall, along with the feelings and thoughts that are accompanied these childhood incidents

Private Logic

the concepts about self, others, and life that constitute the philosophy on which an individual’s lifestyle is based; involves our convictions and beliefs that get in the way of social interest and that do not facilitate useful, constructive belonging

Adlerian Brief Therapy (ABT)

elaborated from Dreikurs (1997) in what he called minor psychology therapy in the context and service of holistic medicine; there are four phases of therapeutic process:

• Phase 1: Establish the Relationship

• Phase 2: Explore the Individual’s Psychological Dynamics

• Phase 3: Encourage Self-Understanding and Insight

• Phase 4: Reorientation and Reeducation

Phase 1: Establishing the Relationship

The Adlerian practitioner works in a collaborative way with clients, and this relationship is based on a sense of interest that grows into caring, involvement, and friendship.

Therapeutic Progress

___________ ________ is possible only when there is an alignment of clearly defined goals between therapist and client.

Phase 2: Explore the Individual’s Psychological Dynamics

The aim of the phase is to get a deeper understanding of an individual’s lifestyle; the focus is on the individual’s social and cultural context.

Subjective Interview

the counselor helps the client to tell his or her life story as completely as possible

Objective Interview

seeks to discover information about (a) how problems in the client’s life began; (b) any precipitating events; (c) a medical history, including current and past medications; (d) a social history; (e) the reason the client chose therapy at this time; (f) the person’s coping with life tasks; and (g) a lifestyle assessment

The Family Constellation

Adler considered the family of origin as having a central impact on an individual’s personality. Adler suggested that it was through the ______ _____________ that each person forms his or her unique view of self, others, and life.

Early Recollections

Another assessment procedure used by Adlerians is to ask the client to provide his or her earliest memories, including the age of the person at the time of the remembered events and the feelings or reactions associated with the recollections.

Phase 3: Encourage Self-Understanding and Insight

Adlerian therapists interpret the findings of the assessment as an avenue for promoting self-understanding and insight.

Insight

defined as “understanding translated into constructive action“; Adlerians refer to an understanding of the motivations that operate in a client’s life

Self-understanding

_________________ is only possible when hidden purposes and goals of behavior are made conscious.

Interpretation

deals with the clients’ underlying motives for behaving the way they do in the here and now; Adlerian disclosures and interpretations are concerned with creating awareness of one’s direction in life, one’s goals and purposes, one’s private logic and how it works, and one’s current behavior

Phase 4: Reorientation and Reeducation

The final stage of the therapeutic process is the action-oriented phase known as _____________ ___ ___________: putting insights into practice. This phase focuses on helping clients discover a new and more functional perspective.

Reorientation

involves sifting rules of interaction, process, and motivation; these shifts are facilitated through changes in awareness, which often occur during the therapy office

Encouragement

entails showing faith in people, expecting them to assume responsibility for their lives, and valuing them for who they are