Discussion

edwardgoe

CHAPTER5.pdf

Home >Psychology homework help >Discussion

Adlerian Therapy

Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology

 Based on the concept of holism

 A phenomenological approach

 Teleological explanation of human behavior

 Social interest is stressed

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (1)

Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology

 Birth order and sibling relationships

 Therapy as teaching, informing and encouraging

 Basic mistakes in the client’s private logic

 The therapeutic relationship—a collaborative partnership

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (2)

 Adlerians attempt to view the world from the client’s subjective frame of reference  How life is in reality is less important than how the individual believes life to be

 Our present interpretation of childhood experiences matters more than the actual events

 Unconscious instincts and our past do not determine our behavior

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (3)

 Adler’s most significant and distinctive concept  Refers to an individual’s attitude toward and awareness of being a part of the human community

 Embodies a community feeling and emphasizes the client’s positive feelings toward others in the world

 Mental health is measured by the degree to which we successfully share with others and are concerned with their welfare

 Happiness and success are related to social connectedness

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (4)

 A life movement that organizes the client’s reality, giving meaning to life  “fictional finalism” or “guiding self ideal”

 Psychiatric symptoms are “failed attempts” at achieving our lifestyle

 Adlerian therapy helps clients to effectively navigate lifestyle tasks

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (5)

 Lifestyle is how we move toward our life goals

 “private logic”

 Values, life plan, perceptions of self and others

 Unifies all of our behaviors to provide consistency

 Makes all our actions “fit together”

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (6)

 Inferiority Feelings  Are normal and are the wellspring of creativity  Develop when we are young‐‐characterized by early feelings of hopelessness

 Superiority Feelings  Promote mastery and enable us to overcome obstacles

 Related Complexes  Inferiority Complex  Superiority Complex

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (7)

 Five psychological positions: 1) Oldest child– receives more attention, spoiled, center of attention

2) Second of only two– behaves as if in a race, often opposite to first child

3) Middle– often feels squeezed out 4) Youngest– the baby 5) Only– does not learn to share or cooperate with other children, learns to deal with adults

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (8)

 Phase 1: Establishing the Proper Therapeutic Relationship  Supportive, collaborative, educational, encouraging process

 Person‐to‐person contact with the client precedes identification of the problem

 Help client build awareness of his or her strengths

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (9)

 Phase 2: Exploring the Individual’s Psychological Dynamics  Lifestyle assessment  Subjective interview  Objective interview  Family constellation  Early recollections  Basic Mistakes

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (10)

 Phase 3: Encouraging Self‐Understanding/Insight  Interpret the findings of the assessment  Hidden goals and purposes of behavior are made conscious

 Therapist offers interpretations to help clients gain insight into their private logic and lifestyle

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (11)

 Phase 4: Reorientation and Re‐education  Action‐oriented phase; emphasis is on putting insights into practice

 Clients reoriented toward the useful side of life

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (12)

 Most distinctive intervention; central to all phases of Adlerian therapy

 It is a fundamental attitude more than a technique

 Expecting clients to assume responsibility for their lives builds their self‐confidence and courage

 Discouragement is the basic condition that prevents people from functioning

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (13)

 Group provides a social context in which members can develop a sense of community and social‐relatedness

 Sharing of early recollections increases group cohesiveness

 Action‐oriented strategies for behavior change are implemented to help group members work together to challenge erroneous beliefs about self, life, and others

 Employs a time‐limited framework

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (14)

 Child guidance  School psychology and counseling  Parent education  Couples and family counseling  Cultural conflicts  Correctional and rehabilitation counseling  The community mental health movement  Mental health institutions

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (15)

Strengths from a Diversity Perspective

 The Adlerian approach stresses the effects of social class, racism, sex, and gender on the behavior of individuals

 The therapeutic process is grounded within a client’s culture and worldview

 Contemporary Adlerians appreciate the role of spirituality and religion in the lives of clients, since these factors are manifestations of social interest and responsibility to others

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (16)

Strengths from a Diversity Perspective

 Cultures that emphasize the welfare of the social group and the role of the family will find the basic Adlerian assumptions to be consistent with their values

 The approach offers flexibility in applying a range of cognitive and action‐oriented techniques to help clients explore their practical problems in a cultural context

 Adler was one of the first psychologists at the turn of the century to advocate equality for women

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (17)

Limitations from a Diversity Perspective

 The approach focuses on the self as the locus of change and responsibility; emphasis on changing the autonomous self may be problematic for many clients

 It has potential drawbacks for those who are not interested in exploring past childhood experiences, early memories, family experiences, and dreams

 If clients expect the therapist to be the “expert,” they may be dissatisfied with the collaborative stance of the Adlerian therapist

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (18)

 This approach is flexible and integrative; it allows for the use of relational, cognitive, behavioral, emotive, and experiential techniques

 It is suited to brief, time‐limited therapy

 Many of Adler’s ideas were revolutionary and far ahead of his time. Many of his ideas have found their way into most of the other therapeutic approaches

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (19)

 Adler spent most of his time teaching his theory as opposed to systematically documenting it  Some consider Adlerian theory simplistic

 Many of Adler’s theoretical constructs (i.e. lifestyle) are difficult to measure and require empirical testing

 Research on treatment efficacy is limited

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 5 (20)