Discussion Board 1
Ryan Chrzanowski
Liberty University
For this week’s discussion board, we are tasked with examining both Psychoanalytic Theory and
Adlerian Theory, how they are the same and different, what are some of their strengths and limitations,
are either compatible with Christian concepts, and are there limitations on creating measurable outcomes
for clients. First, before we start comparing and contrasting Psychoanalytic and Adlerian theories it is
important to understand what each is. Psychoanalytic theories are “theories that explain human behavior
in terms of interaction of various components of personality” (Safran and Gardner-Schuster, 2016).
Whereas Adlerian theory is “a holistic approach to psychology that emphasizes the importance of
overcoming feelings of inferiority and gaining a sense of belonging” (Cherry, 2021).
While Psychoanalytical theory studies the main aspects of personality that include the ID, Ego,
and Superego, and Adlerian theory studies more of the experiences themselves of an individual. However,
where it can be misunderstood that these theories differ because Psychoanalytical theory “focuses much
on mental disorders that appear in adulthood” (Ewen, p.23, 2014) they are actually similar as these
disorders that appear in adulthood are usually caused by a trauma that occurred in childhood which
Adlerian theory posits. One of the main weaknesses of both however is that they both seem to “stay in
their own lane” meaning that Adlerian theory sticks to the trauma and study of childhood whereas
Psychoanalytical theory studies more of that result in adulthood, and neither looks at the comparison
between the both of them, that they all somehow relate back to childhood.
When it comes to the relation to Christian concepts neither are particularly favorable.
Psychoanalytical theories outright treat God and religion as an illusion, whereas Adlerian theories while
respectful to clients who are religious, only use Christian concepts as a means to an end and find them
useful when working with clients who hold a biblically based view of Christian spirituality. However,
REFERENCES
neither Psychoanalytical or Adlerian theories hold Christian concepts at their core, nor do they address
client issues from a Christian viewpoint unless they find it useful in the moment.
Finally, in the measure of favorable outcomes for clients, Psychoanalytical theories help clients
address; anxiety issues, relationship problems, self-esteem or sexually based issues, or even phobias.
Adlerian theories simply help clients compensate for areas in their life that may need to be adjusted due to
errors and shortcomings caused from an individual’s lifestyle development. Overall, while both theories
aid clients in treatment on their own, it appears, at least from an outside perspective, that a combination of
both theories would prove more effective in the overall treatment of client’s current and past traumas.
Cherry, K. (2021, December 21). What is Adlerian theory? Verywell Mind. Retrieved November
2, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/alderian-theory-definition-techniques-and-
efficacy-5213796
Corey, G. (2017). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). BROOKS
COLE
Ewen, R. B. (2014). An introduction to theories of personality (7th ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Publishers.
Safran, J. D., & Gardner-Schuster, E. (2016). Psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic Theory - an
overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/psychoanalytic-theory
Tan, S.-Y. (2022). Counseling and psychotherapy a Christian perspective (2nd ed.). Baker
Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
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