What is Adlerian therapy (or Individual Psychology), and is it biblical.docx

What is Adlerian therapy (or Individual Psychology), and is it biblical?

Pop psychology has invaded our television shows and advice columns and is thriving in the self-

help industry. Counseling or psychotherapy is increasingly prevalent in society and seemingly

well accepted. Christian reaction to secular psychology is cautious, and for good reason. Some

secular psychology fails to uphold—or even tolerate—biblical principles. However, psychology

is a diverse field offering multiple theories and therapy forms, some of which are not overtly

unbiblical. The following is a brief overview of Adlerian therapy, also termed “individual

psychology.”

Adlerian therapy, also called individual psychology, is a short-term, goal-oriented, and positive

of all humans.

Alfred Adler was born near Vienna, Austria in 1870. He studied medicine and became a doctor,

first practicing ophthalmology before shifting into general medicine treating different

populations. In the early 1900s, Adler met regularly with Sigmund Feud as he began to develop

psychoanalysis. Yet Adler soon parted ways with Freud to begin his own branch of therapy,

which would become Adlerian therapy or individual psychology. He developed the approach,

met with patients, and spoke about his methods until his death in 1937.

When It's Used

Adlerian therapy is an evidence-based approach that can be applied successfully in the treatment

of any type of psychological disorder or mental illness. Adlerian therapy may be used in

conjunction with other therapeutic approaches such as play therapy, art therapy, and culturally

sensitive counseling, as it best suits the needs of the individuals involved. An Adlerian approach

can be employed with children, adolescents, adults, individuals, couples, families, or other

groups.

What to Expect

Adlerian therapy proceeds in four stages:

1. Engagement

therapist may also seek to understand the patient’s family dynamics, important past experiences,

and the nature and origins of various patterns of thought.

3. Insight

After learning more about the patient, insight involves uncovering why the patient acts the way

they do and helping the patient to see themselves and their circumstances differently. The

therapist asks questions to explore the patient’s perspective and guides them toward greater

awareness and understanding. The therapist may offer their own interpretations about how the

patient’s past may inform their present, and what may be causing unhelpful or dysfunctional

tendencies.

4. Reorientation

Reorientation involves change. The therapist helps the patient develop new ways of thinking and

active strategies to use outside of therapy that encourage more flexible and adaptive ways of

Overall, the focus is on reframing the attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyle choices that block success,

so that patients are more effective at reaching their desired goals.

a sense of belonging and respect for all. These therapists work especially with those people who

are most in need of positive, future-oriented counseling and encouragement.

Adlerian Theory and Spirituality

Over the years, Adlerian theory has been open to client spirituality and has attracted practitioners

and writers with strong religious convictions (Cashwell & Watts, 2010; Johnson, 2013; Sweeney,

2009). This is probably because of Adler’s emphasis on social equality and justice, but also

because, as Carlson and colleagues (2006) wrote:

The cardinal tenet of Adlerian theory is social interest, something Adler equated with the

mandate to “Love one’s neighbor as oneself” and the Golden Rule. (pp. 33–34)

Although the Golden Rule is a Christian concept, Adlerian writers and practitioners are

consistently open to other religious and spiritual perspectives. In particular, Johansen (2010)

provided guidelines for integrating individual psychology (IP) concepts into Christianity,

use religion (or spirituality) to promote separation and violence? Or is religion (spirituality) used

to bring people together as a working and compassionate community?

Counseling and psychotherapy theories are wildly variable and surprisingly convergent. What do

I mean by this? Well, despite the fact that Sigmund Freud and Francine Shapiro and Steven

Hayes and Marsha Linehan have very different ideas about what helps people change for the

better, there’s also a boatload of commonality.

Based on my narrow range of experience and knowledge, nowhere is there more commonality

than the theoretical outposts of Adlerian theory (i.e., Individual Psychology) and Choice

Theory/Reality Therapy. Both of these approaches include a broad theoretical concept related to

an individual’s personal and cultural construction of how they view themselves, others, and the

explicitly emphasizes “reality,” accommodate “spirituality?” We’ll see about that . . . maybe.

Explanation of Adlerian therapy

Adlerian therapy, named for its founder, Alfred Adler, is in the psychodynamic field of therapy.

Adler was a colleague of Freud for several years, but their paths diverged, and Adler developed a

different approach to therapy. Adlerian therapy assumes that humans are socially motivated and

that their behavior is purposeful and directed toward a goal. Adler believed that feelings of

inferiority often motivate people to strive for success, and he emphasized the conscious over the

unconscious. Adlerian therapy affirms biological and environmental limits to choice, but it is not

deterministic. Adlerian therapy recognizes the importance of internal factors, such as perception

of reality, values, beliefs, and goals. It has a holistic concept of persons, taking into account both

the influence of society on the client and the client’s influence on society.

Adler held that people have a guiding self-ideal—in essence, an image of perfection toward

which they strive—and he sought to understand a person’s behavior through a knowledge of his

goals. Adler held that one’s lifestyle (the way he or she moves toward the self-ideal) is mostly

formed at a young age but is affected by later events. Birth order is seen as relevant to lifestyle.

Who we are depends more on our interpretation of experience than on the experiences

themselves. Therefore, identifying and reframing faulty perceptions is an important part of

Adlerian therapy.

Adler emphasized social interest and community feeling—how one interacts with the world

based on an awareness of the larger human community. To Adler, social interest is a sign of

mental health. When people feel connected to others and are actively engaged in a healthy,

shared activity, their sense of inferiority decreases.

misdirected goals. Clients are then reeducated with the hope they will have an increased sense of

belonging and a higher level of social interest. In short, an Adlerian therapist encourages self-

awareness, challenges harmful perceptions, and admonishes the client to act to meet his or her

life tasks and engage in social activities. Counselors teach, guide, and encourage.

Biblical Commentary on Adlerian therapy

Many of Adler’s concepts are in line with the Bible. Humans were created for community and

for work (Genesis 2:15, 18). The Bible is filled with “one another” commands and verses

regarding life purpose. We are also told to “be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s]”

(Romans 12:2) and to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Adler’s awareness of the

harm of faulty cognition is similar to a Christian’s awareness of the destructive nature of the

enemy’s lies. Warnings against false teachers and encouragements to remain in the truth abound

Timothy 4:16). “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you

are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John

8:31-32). Clearly, truth is vital to our sense of freedom and well-being.

Adlerian therapy focuses on reframing events and reeducating clients. The Bible, too, offers us a

love Him (Romans 8:28) and that the coming glory will far outweigh present hardship (2

Corinthians 4:17). Both these concepts help give us a different interpretation—and generally

more acceptance—of our circumstances. However, Christians are not merely reeducated; they

are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

There is some concern that Adlerian therapy sometimes views God as a projection of our ideal

selves rather than as actually existing. Also, there is no solid definition in Adlerian theory about

what constitutes good social interest or a good guiding self-ideal. The therapy is, therefore,

subjective, and much depends on the counselor’s worldview.

The primary area in which Adlerian therapy misses the mark is its view of inferiority feelings.

Our sense of inferiority is not due to a lack of striving or rooted in discouragement; it is about

becoming more engaged in society. A therapist’s encouragement will not solve the problems in

our lives. Rather, it is through Christ’s work of redemption that we are made alive and new.

When we know the truth, we begin to cull out the enemy’s lies and gain God’s perspective (1

Corinthians 2:16). In Christ we persevere and act in ways that glorify God (Philippians 4:13). As