Adlerian Theory

 Alfred Adler (1870-1937)

 

Goal

"To help clients identify and change their mistaken beliefs about self, others, and life and thus to participate more fully in a social world." (Corey, 2012)



Key Concepts:

• Approach to life is formed in the first six years of life
• Motivation is based on social relationships rather than sexual urges
• Behavior is purposeful and goal directed
• Consciousness is the focus of therapy rather than unconsciosness
• Emphasis on choice, life meaning, and the striving for completion, perfection, and success
• Individual Psychology - understanding of the person as a whole with a holistic concept on the entire being including our social relationships with family and all aspects of the outside world and our interactions with it.
• Social Interest and Community Feeling
• Mastery of three universal life tasks: Social, Love-Marriage, and Occupational
• Birth order and relationships with siblings

Goals of Adlerian Therapy:

• A shared arrangement between the therapist and the client with the goal of working toward a relationship based on mutual respect for one another.  
• A holistic or "whole person" examination of the clients lifestyle, goals, and assumptions whether correct or faulty
• Reeducation and/or reorientation of the client towards a more useful style of living
• Building of self-confidence and development of courage with emphasis on improving society and one's position in society.
• Encouragement in restructuring a person's beliefs to build self-confidence
• Developing a clients sense of belonging and being needed by society and others
• Changing faulty motivations
• Focus on four central objectives or phases of the therapeutic process
• An integrative approach of perspectives based on cognitive, psychodynamic, existential, constructivist, and systems perspectives. 

  

The Four Phases of the Adlerian Therapeutic Process:

Phase 1 - Establish The Relationship with a person-to-person contact with the client with clearly defined goals between the client and therapist.

Phase 2 - Explore the Individual's Psychological Dynamics by obtaining a thorough understanding of the clients individual lifestyle in a social and cultural context as well as the client's family constellation.

Phase 3 - Encourage Self-Understanding and Insight by understanding the clients life motivations and understanding goals of behavior and hidden purposes through interpretation of one's logic and behaviors.

Phase 4 - Reorientation and Reeducation by encouraging and challenging the client to make changes, develop courage, and use this courage to take risks and develop a new style of life.

Interesting Links:

http://www.psychcomp.com/alfred-adler-adlerian-therapy/

http://www.alfredadler.edu/

 

 References:

Corey, Gerald (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. 9th ed. 

      Belmont,California: Brooks/Cole. (pp. 102-129).