| Keri Abitz
Counseling Theory
2/19/15
Reflection on Adlerian Theory
The formation of the Adlerian Theory is credited to Alfred Adler. He associated his sickly childhood with his decision to become a physician. He had a passionate concern for people. Adler made major contributions to the development of the psychodynamic approach to therapy. The Adlerian Theory focuses on understanding people as complete beings, and says that where we are going is more important than where we came from. Adler believed that people create themselves, and aren’t shaped solely by their childhood experiences. He also believed that human behavior is goal-directed and purposeful.
Alfred Adler’s theory states that what motivates people to strive for success are inferiority feelings because we are driven to overcome those feelings. Adler stressed that the goal of success enables people to overcome obstacles. The ways in which people strive for competence is what makes them individuals. He believed that even more important than a person’s heredity and genetics, is what we chose to do with our abilities and limitations.
According to the Adlerian Theory, behavior is best understood from an individual’s perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and conclusions, and how people interpret reality and the meanings that they attach to what they experience. The holistic concept says that we can best understand ourselves and others by understanding them in the context of their own life, and that all dimensions of a person are interconnected. The focus is on understanding a person as a whole.
Individual psychology, the term Adler gave his theoretical approach, states that all human behavior has a purpose. The general idea of individual psychology is that people can only think, feel, and act in relationship to their movement towards their life goals.
The Adlerian theory stresses the importance of birth order, though the actual birth order is not as important as the person’s perception of their experience. Adler believed that a person’s perceived position in their family has a lot to do with how they interact in the world as adults. Working with family dynamics is a key part of this theory.
The therapeutic process includes a lifestyle assessment which is useful in pinpointing a person’s faulty assumptions and mistaken goals in life. This can be useful for promoting insight and self-understanding. Following this, there is an opportunity for reeducation or reorientation of the client which aims at steering the client towards the useful side of life and developing a sense of belonging. Adler stated that clients are often discouraged, and therefore the counseling process focuses on providing information, teaching, guiding, and encouraging them. The basic goal of the Adlerian approach is to help clients identify and change mistaken beliefs and to participate more effectively in their social world.
I found some great websites that I can refer to in the future:
http://psychological-musings.blogspot.com/2012/03/comparing-sigmund-freud-and-alfred.html. This describes similarities and differences between Freud and Adler.
http://www.adlerian.us/theoprac.htm. Here you can learn more about Adlerian theory and practice.
http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/adler.htm. This website provides information about Adlers early life, his Theory, and a timeline of events.
http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Strengths-And-Weakness-Of-Adlerian-1196217.html. Strengths and weakness of this theory are discussed.
http://www.alfredadler.edu/about/theory. This is an overview of the Adlerian Theory
Corey, Gerald (2009, 2013) Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning |