Alfred Adlers Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler, initially a student of psychoanalysis, ultimately believed that

consciousness, rather than unconsciousness should be the focus of therapy. He stressed
choice and responsibility, meaning in life, and the striving for success, completion, and
perfection. Adler perceived that people needed to be understood as whole beings within
their social and environmental contexts. Although events in the environment may often
influence the development of personality, they are not the causes of what people become.
Rather, Adler believed, it is our interpretation of these events that shape personality and
accordingly, based his theory on these concepts. Consequently, Individual Psychology
believes that most problems stem front three main factors: feelings of inferiority, inability
to cooperate with society and lack of a life goal.
Adlers Individual Psychology theory, the first holistic approach to therapy, begins
with the contemplation of inferiority feelings, as the main driving force behind all human
efforts. Instead of being viewed as a drawback, the feeling of inferiority should be
considered an opportunity to strive harder, in order to overcome what one perceives they
lack. Inferiority feelings are not an inferiority complex, but can become so when the
sense of inadequacy overwhelms the individual and, instead of prompting them to useful
activity, makes them depressed and incapable of development.
Adler asserted that genetics and hereditary traits are not as important as what
individuals choose to do with the abilities and limitations they posses. However,
biological and environmental conditions can and do limit peoples capacity to choose and
create. Adler felt the client needed to be understood through their own subjective reality,

meaning their world, thoughts and feelings, rather than through the counselors view of
the world and hence, put more emphasis on interpersonal relationships, rather than
internal dynamics.
The cornerstone of Individual Psychology, is the purposeful nature of behavior; that
one can only think, feel and act in relationship to their goals. Guiding self-ideals or goal
perfection refers to an imagined life goal that guides a persons behavior, which
determines how they will behave and interpret events. Individual Psychology also placed
great significance on social interest; an individuals knowledge of their impact on the
world in which they live and community feelings; feeling connected to all humanity.
Adler felt both are very important for the clients over all well-being.
Adler identified that a main influence on an individuals style of life, is based on the
individuals social world as a child, specifically birth order and family constellations.
Adler felt it was necessary to pay special attention to family dynamics, the relationships
between siblings and the psychological effects of birth position. Adler recognized that
although siblings share aspects in a family constellation, the psychological situation of
each child is different, due to birth order. Ones position in the family can determine how
they will relate to others in adulthood. Adler established five positions in this birth order:
The oldest child, which is described as the center of attention and tends to be dependable
and hard working. After a sibling is born, they reassert their positions and become bossy,
model children with high achievement drives. The second child is usually opposite of the
first born, because they share attention with the eldest and therefore behave as if they are
in training to surpass the eldest. They learn the oldest childs weaknesses and glean praise
and success in areas where the older child fails. The middle child can sometimes develop

into a problem child, due to a feeling that they are not given enough attention, may
consider themselves cheated and strongly feel injustice. Often times though, they can end
up being the mediators in the family (in a four child family, the second born usually
develops the characteristics of the middle child). The youngest child is the perennial
baby. Because they are so overindulged, they may develop dependency issues. However,
since the youngest march to their own tune, they develop in their own special way and
can end up outshining every other sibling. The only child shares some of the
characteristics of the oldest, but may not learn to share or play well with other children,
since adults are their familial world. The only child is usually spoiled and becomes
dependent on one or both of their parents.
Adlerian therapy has four phases: Establish a therapeutic relationship, assessment,
insight into purpose and reorientation and reeducation. The role of the therapist in
Adlerian therapy is to serve as a teacher and role model for the client, while collaborating
with the client throughout and the relationship between the client and therapist is
considered egalitarian. The Adlerian therapist will focus first on the person instead of the
problem, investigate the clients lifestyle from a holistic perspective, and create a lifestyle
assessment based on questionnaires of family constellations and early recollections. The
counselor would use humor and a lot of encouragement to help the client work to
overcome feelings of inferiority, generate life goals, and combat the clients faulty
assumptions. The counselor would need to garner enough information, in order to
conceptualize the clients life script and assign homework such as behavior experiments,
to extend therapy beyond the session. The client and counselor become a team and work
together to explore private logic (convictions and beliefs that get in the way of social

interest) and learn to challenge them, in order to encourage self understanding and
insight, while using constructive actions that encourage social interest, in order to have
the client become a healthy, functioning member of society.
Adlerian Individual Psychology can be especially helpful when utilized to counsel
adolescents. Adolescents often involve their particular social environments in the
formation of their self-identity. Understanding an adolescents individual history and
familial construct can also give counselors a deeper awareness into the students unique
situations and perceptions of life. The teacher/modeling role of the counselor, which
incorporates egalitarian methods, can prompt the student to feel as if they are an active
participant and can also provide a sense of personal control in their individual therapy.
Alfred Adlers theory, when utilized appropriately, can promote greater social interest and
self-awareness, while helping the student to establish life goals.

Carl Rogers Person Centered Therapy

Carl Rogers developed Humanistic Psychotherapy and was the first to introduce the
central role of the client-therapist relationship, as a means to growth and change. He also
instituted the analysis of session transcripts as a means of in depth study. Rogers used
quantitative research methods in psychotherapy and developed his theory of Person
Centered Therapy, based on empirical research that focuses on the strengths and talents of
the individual.
Rogers Person Centered approach to therapy, though not a fixed and completed
approach, included some basic assumptions, such as people are essentially trustworthy,
have an understanding of themselves, can resolve their own problems without direct
intervention and are capable of self directed growth, with the proper therapeutic
relationship. Rogers believed, if a therapist can access a clients core, what they would
find would be a trustworthy, positive center and people would be able to make
constructive changes and live productive lives, because they are capable of their own self
understanding and self direction.
Rogers Person Centered approach believes that there are three therapist attributes,
which can create a growth-promoting climate for the client. The first attribute,
congruence, stresses being genuine and authentic in the session. Being real with the
client might necessitate expressing a range of appropriate and constructively intended
feelings during a session. The second quality, unconditional positive regard, refers to a
deep and genuine caring for the client as a person, which is usually achieved through
empathic identification with the client and acceptance of the client, without any
judgment. The third trait is accurate empathetic understanding, which involves

understanding the clients experiences and feelings during the interaction within the
therapy session. The therapists attempt to enter their clients subjective world, by placing
themselves in their clients mind frame and drawing on that newly learned knowledge, in
order to become more in touch with their clients feelings. Though throughout this
process, it is imperative for therapists be mindful of their own identity separateness and
not lose themselves in their clients feelings. Rogers hypothesized that if these three
methods are used appropriately, clients will become less defensive, more open, and will
behave more altruistically.
The actualizing tendency, introduced by Humanistic theorys Brodley (based on
Maslows self actualization studies), proposed a natural human inclination to strive
towards healing. Because of this, the responsibility for growth of self-directed change in
attitudes and behavior, is primarily the clients. The Person Centered approach promotes
self-awareness and self-reflection and encourages clients to make ongoing healthy
changes in life, by keeping the focus on the person, not the issue at hand. The counselors
attitude, rather than their knowledge, facilitates change and their role is to be present and
accessible to the client. Counselors do not choose goals for the client, but instead provide
an environment that helps the individual remove the facades they have developed through
socialization. The counselors can then encourage the four characteristics revealed when
the facades are removed: openness to experience, trust in themselves, internal source of
evaluation and a willingness to continue growing. These methods best help the client
choose their own goals and continue to strive towards self-actualization.
Carl Rogers Humanistic Theory based Person Centered approach is widely used in
the therapy and counseling fields, for individuals of all ages. This method can be

particularly helpful when counseling adolescents, as part of establishing their own

identity, is figuring out for themselves how to cope with certain circumstances.
Correspondingly, much of the focus in this approach involves creating a safe, judgment
free environment for the student, where they can feel comfortable self-disclosing. The
counselor combines congruence, unconditional positive regard and accurate empathic
understanding in a counseling session, by using open-ended questions and encouragers,
in order to assist in development of good rapport with the student. This unique
combination may encourage the student to speak more freely and communicate, which
can help to promote further self-actualization, self-growth and problem resolution.