MSW 5002 WEEK4 Examine the Dimensions of Family Life

Adler Lifestyle Assessment

Personal Application: The Lifestyle Assessment

The lifestyle assessment is typically done in the initial phase of therapy as a way to obtain information about the client’s family constellation, early recollections, dreams, and strengths as a person. This information is then summarized and interpreted, especially in light of the client’s faulty assumptions about life (or “basic mistakes”). From the results of this assessment procedure, counselors make tentative interpretations about the client’s lifestyle.

Although there are a number of formats for the lifestyle questionnaire, counselors may develop their own variation by focusing on information deemed most valuable for exploration in therapy. What follows is an example of a lifestyle questionnaire that has been modified and adapted from various sources, but especially from Mosak and Shulman’s Life Style Inventory (1988). To give you an experiential sense of the process of thinking and responding to this early life-history material, complete the following questionnaire as it applies to you. As much as possible, try to give your initial responses, without worrying about what you can and cannot remember or about any “correct” responses. I strongly encourage you to fill in the blanks and to

make brief summaries after each section. Assume that you are interested in being a client in Adlerian therapy. Based on the outcomes of this questionnaire, what areas of your life would you most like to explore? How much help is this questionnaire in getting you focused on what you might want from a therapeutic relationship?

Family Constellation: Birth Order and Sibling Description

· List your siblings from oldest to youngest. Give a brief description of each (including yourself).

· What most stands out for each sibling?

· Rate each of your siblings, from the highest to the lowest, on the following personally dimensions. Include your own position in relation to your siblings.

Most to Least Most to Least

intelligent feminine

achievement-oriented masculine

hardworking easygoing

pleasing daring

assertive responsible

charming idealistic

conforming materialistic

methodical fun- loving

athletic demanding

rebellious critical of self

spoiled withdrawn

critical of others sensitive

bossy

· Which sibling is the most different from you, and how?

· Which is most like you, and how?

· Which played together?

· Which fought with each other?

· Who took care of whom?

· Were there any unusual achievements by the siblings?

· Any accidents or sickness?

· What kind of child were you?

· What was school like for you?

· What childhood fears did you have?

· What were your childhood ambitions?

· What was your role in your peer group?

· Were there any significant events in your physical and sexual development?

· Any highlights in your social development?

· What were the most important values in your family?

· What stands out the most for you about your family life?

Family Constellation: Parental Figures and Relationships

· Your father’s current age, your mother’s age.

· His and her occupations.

· What kind of person are your mother and father?

· His ambitions for the children? Her ambitions for the children?

· Your childhood view of your father. Your childhood view of your mother.

· His favorite child, and why? Her favorite child, and why?

· Relationship to children, each parent.

· Sibling most like father, in what ways? Sibling most like mother, in what ways?

· Describe your parents’ relationship with each other.

· In general, how did each of the siblings view and react to your parents?

· In general, what was your parents’ relationship with the children?

· Besides your mother and father, were there any other significant adults in your life? Who were they and how did they affect you?

Early Recollections and Dreams

· What are your earliest single and specific memory?

· What are some other early recollections? Be as detailed as possible.

· What feelings are associated with any of these early memories?

· Can you recall any childhood dreams?

· Do you have any recurring dreams?

Lifestyle Summary

· Summarize your family constellation. (What stands out most about your role in your family? Are there any themes in your family history?)

· Summarize your early recollections. (Are there any themes running through your early memories? Do you see any meaning in your early recollections?)

· List your mistaken self-defeating perceptions. (What do you see as your “basic mistakes”?)

· Summarize what you consider to be your strengths as a person. (What are your assets?)

Now that you are finished with this lifestyle questionnaire:

· What did you learn from taking it and reviewing it?

· Assuming you will be a client in counseling, what theme(s) do you most want to address?

· Do you see connections between your past and the person you are today? What about any continuity from your past and present to your strivings toward the future?

· Do you see any patterns in your life? Are there any themes running through from childhood to the present?

· Consider discussing the results of your lifestyle summary with your professor for personal and professional growth.