Adlerian Therapy

View of Human Nature Stress choice and responsibility, meaning in life, and the striving for competence or perfection. Focus on inferiority feelings---motivate to strive for success (superiority) Focus on subjective experiences

Adler’s Theory of Personality Lifestyle Social interest Birth order Inferiority and Superiority

Lifestyle The lifestyles are based on social interest and degree of activity and energy. Four types of lifestyles the Socially useful type the Ruling type the Getting type the Avoiding type

Social Interest Social interest: a sense of identification and empathy with others. Parent-child relationship as a model of social interest Community feeling: a sense of social connectedness Many problems are related to the fear of not being accepted by the groups we values. Then, anxiety is the result.

Birth Order Oldest child Second of only two Middle Youngest receives more attention, spoiled, center of attention Second of only two behaves as if in a race, often opposite to first child Middle often feels squeezed out Youngest the baby Only does not learn to share or cooperate with other children

Inferiority and Superiority The striving for superiority or competence is nature, whereas the superiority complex is not. superiority was a means of inflating one’s self-importance in order to overcome inferiority feelings. People may try to present themselves as strong and capable to maintain their mistaken feelings of superiority, when actually they are feelings less capable than others.

Therapeutic Goals Building a Collaborative relationship Develop a sense of belonging Encouragement is the most powerful method for a person to change Changing the patterns of basic mistakes (private logic)

Therapist’s function and role Identify the patterns of basic mistakes Lack of confidence, mistrust, unrealistic ambition Conduct an assessment Gather information through family constellation, early recollections, or lifestyle assessment Focus on clients’ interpretation of experiences Develop alternative options

Client’s Experience in Therapy Are not aware of the basic mistake Help to discover the motivation of basic mistake Do not know what to do differently Fear of letting go the old patterns for unpredictable new alternative options Cling to old patterns even though it is maladaptive

Relationship b/w Therapist & Client Cooperation, mutual trust, respect Making a contract with clients Detail what they want What is preventing them from reaching goals How to change unproductive behavior into constructive behavior How to make use of their strengths

Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures 1. Establishing the relationship Deeply care and involve Identity personal issues Focus on person not the problem Increase the awareness of strengths Focus on subjective experiences and core patterns (basic mistake or private logic)

Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures 2. Exploring the individual’s dynamics Client tells his or her story; clients as experts The motivation behind basic mistakes through Family dynamics and Constellation Early Recollections Dream Personality priorities Basic mistake or private logic

Basic Mistake (Private Logic) Overgeneralizations There is no fairness in the world Impossible goals I must please everyone in order to feel loved by others Misperceptions of life and life’s demands Life is very difficult for me Minimization or denial of one’s basic worth I am basically stupid. Faulty values I must get to the top, regardless of who gets hurt in the process

Personality priorities (see handout) Superiority (or significance) Control Comfort Pleasing

Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures 3. Encouraging self-understanding and insight Insight: an understanding of motivations that operate in a client’s life Disclosure and interpretations are techniques that facilitate the process of gaining insight.

Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures 4. Helping with reorientation Putting insights into practice Increasing a sense of belonging and being valued Decreasing withdrawal from life tasks or self-protection

Therapeutic Techniques & Procedures 4. Helping with reorientation Encouragement No intervention is more important than encouragement Help clients identify self-defeating patterns Make use of assets, strengths, and resources Search for new possibilities Making a difference

From multicultural perspectives Contributions to multicultural counseling Social equality, sensitive to cultural and gender issues Focusing on a person in a social context Social interests, sense of belonging, cooperation (instead of competition) Focus on family Subjective experience (unique world of a person)

From multicultural perspectives Limitations to multicultural counseling Self as the locus of change and responsibility may be problematic for some clients Detailed explorations of one’s early family experiences may violate some cultural value Some clients may expect therapists to provide them with solutions to the problems