Week 2

2.1
Discuss the personality descriptors described by Adler and their association with birth order. What
are your thoughts about how accurate they may be both in general and with people you know, in your
own family of origin; and how this theory relates to a family systems approach.

2.1.1
Adlers theory about birth order states an understanding of five positions that he lists as only, oldest,
second, middle and youngest (Maniacci & Sackett-Maniacci, 2019).
For reference: “…only children tend to be perfectionists, oldest borns become leaders, second
borns become rebels, middle children become pleasers, and youngest borns become attention
seekers” (Maniacci & Sackett-Maniacci, 2019, p. 71). I found a page within BetterHelp which is
well-known and used within the younger generations about Adlers birth order theory (BetterHelp
Editorial Team, n.d.). I myself, am the youngest child, and I do feel like some of the qualities align
with myself, I defiantly do not align with an attention seeker as I am very quiet and shy around new
people. Although, an aspect explained is that youngest children may relate to qualities of only child
children (BetterHelp Editorial Team, n.d.). I do believe I am mature for my age as a 22-year-old I do
not relate to many people my age and my closest friends are 25-30. Although, my partner is a second
children, and he was indeed a rebel in childhood. I find it interesting how this dynamic can be shown
to be accurate with a majority of people in my social circle.
Do you believe that birth order has an impact on personalities, or genetic plays a stronger role in
personality development?
References
Maniacci, M. & Sackett-Maniacci, L. (2019). Adlerian Psychotherapy. In D. Wedding & R. J.
Corsini (Eds.), Current psychotherapies  (11th ed.) pp. 59-100. Boston, MA: Cengage.
BetterHelp Editorial Team. (n.d.). Birth order theory: Insights into your personality. BetterHelp.
Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/family/birth-order-theory-
insights-into-your-personality/ 

2.1.2
Hello Morgan, - was posted Tuesday 21 1:57pm
I found your post interesting. It is funny how we are closest to the people who are most like us;
How your friends are also oldest of single parents. Maniacci and Sackett-Maniacci talked about
the importance of siblings in our lives and the roles they play, regardless if they follow the
traditional roles or not (2019). When reading about your sister, it made me think of my partner.
My partners is the third of five children, although his mother had her first at 16 years old. My
partners oldest sibling and him have a 12-year age gap and I find that he resonates more with
the second child tendencies being rebellious, peacemaker, and very independent.

In addition, it seems like gender correlates in some ways. In my social circle it is typical for the
older brothers to be protecting the younger sisters from heart break and ache, which seems to
also play into independence for women- as I am the youngest my older siblings were protective
(Stein, n.d.) which I am thankful for now, but made me want to be independent then. As it is
apart of Adlers theory, siblings do influence us as we are often around them in childhood more
than parents (Maniacci & Sackett-Maniacci, 2019).
What other correlations do you see when analyzing siblings or family relations surrounding you
in different cultures or societies? Do you think age gaps can impact the dynamics of families?
References
Maniacci, M. & Sackett-Maniacci, L. (2019). Adlerian Psychotherapy. In D. Wedding & R. J.
Corsini (Eds.), Current psychotherapies  (11th ed.) pp. 59-100. Boston, MA: Cengage.
Stein, H. (n.d.). Adlerian overview of birth order characteristics. Alfred Adler Institute of Northwestern
Washington. http://adlerian.us/birthord.htm

2.1.3
Hi Jeni,
Your post fest very relatable! I do agree with Adlers theory of birth order, it is actually very
interestingly accurate for a majority of people in my life, except for the detail of youngest being
attention seekers. Maniacci and Sackett-Maniacci do note that siblings play an important role in
our development due to the time we spend with them (2019). Due to the differential dynamic
in families, I believe the youngest seems to vary the most when I apply this theory to those
around me. Typically, I have noticed that females that are also the youngest do not have
attention seeking tendencies; could this be because boys are loud, aggressive, and in a way
bossy during childhood? Perhaps this is just my own experience with my big brothers!
Although, another note Stein made for youngest, is that they typically want to be bigger than
the others (n.d), which can play into being more mature versus attention seeking.
Do you think birth order could impact the types of careers or fields that people are drawn to?
References
Stein, H. (n.d.). Adlerian overview of birth order characteristics. Alfred Adler Institute of Northwestern
Washington. http://adlerian.us/birthord.htm

2.1.4
Hello Jennifer,
This is an interesting study, that seems to lack some important points. The Adler theory does
come from a traditional lens of families and their growing. Maniacci and Sackett-Maniacci
mention that “sibling relationships are crucial, even when they do not fit neatly into the
traditionally defined birth-order roles” (2019, p. 71). Maniacci and Sackett-Maniacci suggest
that at times, birth orders will not be fitting for some dependant on their traditions (2019).
Rohrer et al., did not seem to be analyzing traditional families, but those adopted and of
different biological and non-biological scenarios (2015). It is an interesting theory, although,
with the world changing to a modern contemporary society, the likelihood of the
applicableness may fade.
To answer your question, Adler had a concept referred to as Psychology of Use which focuses
less on what people had and that “…it is often far more important to know what “use” a person
makes of what he or she has” (Maniacci & Sackett-Maniacci, 2019, p. 63). I believe that working
with a client that struggles with accepting that they cannot change their childhood,
empowering them to use what they have to embrace who they are over time.
How can we as counsellors be helpful for clients from non-traditional family structures or
cultural backgrounds that do not prioritize birth order in the same way?

References
Maniacci, M. & Sackett-Maniacci, L. (2019). Adlerian Psychotherapy. In D. Wedding & R. J.
Corsini (Eds.), Current psychotherapies  (11th ed.) pp. 59-100. Boston, MA: Cengage.
Rohrer, J. M., Egloff, B., & Schmukle, S. C. (2015). Examining the effects of birth order on
personality. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2704310

2.1.5

1. Do you think birth order could impact the types of careers or fields that
individuals are drawn to? If so, how?
2. How might birth order influence the way individuals approach relationships or
social situations?
3. Do you think that birth order could have an impact on mental health or
emotional well-being? Why or why not?
4. Can you think of any examples of famous people or historical figures who
exemplify the personality traits associated with their birth order position?
5. How might birth order influence the way that individuals perceive and interact
with authority figures or people in positions of power?
6. Do you think that birth order could have a different impact on individuals who
were adopted or raised in non-traditional family structures? How might this differ
from those raised in more traditional family structures?
7. How might birth order interact with other personality factors, such as
introversion/extroversion or emotional stability, to shape an individual's overall
personality?
8. How might the personality traits associated with different birth order positions
impact romantic relationships or family dynamics later in life?

2.2 Carl Jungs Theory

Discuss how Carl Jung’s theory contributed to the creative arts therapies and provide example of its
use in art and/or music therapy.

2.2.1
Carl Jung was a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who lived in Switzerland for his years of life
between 1875 and 1961 (London, n.d.). Jung is very known for his contributions to many
psychoanalytic theories that continue to be used in modern therapy. Jung learnt from the known
Sigmund Freud for a long-time developing psychotherapy and discovering the unconscious mind
(Safran, et al., 2019). Jung had a differing worldview then Freud and they stopped working
together in 1912; Jung developed his own psychotherapy referred to as analytical psychotherapy
(Safran, et al., 2019).
Carl Jung contributed important, and interesting theories about the unconscious and conscious
mind in addition to individuation (London, n.d.).
Hoe does Jung’s ideas about collective consciousness and unconsciousness relate to our
understanding of society?
References
London, L. (n.d.). C.G. Jung. Speaking of Jung. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from
https://speakingofjung.com/jung 
Safran, J. D., Kriss, A., & Foley, V. K. (2019). Psychoanalytic therapies. In D. Wedding & R. J. Corsini
(Eds.),Current psychotherapies  (11th ed.)  pp.29-30. Boston, MA: Cengage

2.2.2
Hi Jeni, post 1
Thank you for your post, I found it interesting reading about how Jung used art therapy as the
perspectives are much deeper than surface level. For me, one who is not artistically innate, when
I think of art within therapy I think of it as simply a de-stressor, although I realize it could be
more than that.
To answer your question, I believe it is important to seek professional guidance for art and music
therapy because it involves the opening of deep unconscious aspects that may be hard to see for
those that are not trained or experienced within this realm. I found this interesting as it was
shared in one of the articles; Jung realized that some painting did turn out artistically aesthetic,
although, it would still treat them as worthless, as without that perspective, “…the whole point of
the exercise would be missed” (Swan-Foster, 2020). This is an interesting take, nonetheless, is an
important detail that analyzing the art and being able to extract emotions is important, and not to
get lost in the pure art that can be formed. Professional art and music therapists are trained to
create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment that can help individuals process and
integrate their experiences through creative expression.
What are some of the benefits of art and music therapy and how do they benefit from traditional
spoken therapy?
References
Swan-Foster, N. (2020).  C.G. Jung’s Influence on Art Therapy and the Making of the
Third.  Psychological Perspectives. Jan-Mar, Vol. 63 Issue 1, p67-94. 28p. DOI:
10.1080/00332925.2020 https://discovery.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=cafb73f0-f633-3fd8-
9975-4e725ae9b9c5

2.2.3
Hello Lauren, post 1
The topic around anima and animus is an interesting view within music therapy.
Jungs work in regards to the anima and animus archetypes representing the feminine and
masculine aspects of psychology (McClary, 2007). Jungs perspective was the anima had
feminine tendencies within the male psychology, and vice versa (McClary, 2007). Jung said that
using the anima and animus within music therapy connects one to an unconscious self to
promote connection to your soul (McClary, 2007). I believe that this helped to balance and
integrate the whole self with the individual process. Carl Jung created art therapy as something
that can be a creative process (Halverson, 2020). The topic of music therapy is interesting,
although, seems to be fit for a particular group of individuals – as everything corresponds with
our personality.
How well do you think music therapy aligns with the current therapies and theories that are in
action to improve individuals’ mental health and well-being?
References
Halverson, J. (2020, June 23). A reflection on the analytic psychology of C.G. Jung. Canadian
Art Therapy Association. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from
https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/envisage/envisage-springsummer2020-jhalverson 

McClary, R. (2007). Healing the Psyche through Music, Myth and Ritual. Psychology of Aesthetics,
Creativity, and the Arts, Vol 1(3), Aug pp. 155-
159. https://discovery.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=179dcfe8-2178-3089-8ffb-
6e25bf9025bb

2.2.4
Hello Dr. Stargell,
Art therapy is interesting, as it is a different approach to counselling and empowering one to
encounter their self-awareness. Art therapy was designed to allow clients to improve the
emotional functioning of a client (American Art Therapy Association, 2013).
Ways that I would use art therapy to possibly enable my clients to feel less stress and anxiety
induced and more self-regulated is mandala drawing and writing. Mandala drawing is very
straightforward and is built from a circular image, and can be altered in any way you want it to
be letting your mind lead and your body follow to enable the unconscious mind to move.
Writing, is a form of art that can be poetry, as sometimes short (or long) sentences are easier to
write and allow there to be a flow of words if words are the clients strong suit. In addition,
writing can be easier for some then speaking out loud, as writing is a form of art as well, it would
be interesting to see how this pairs within counselling.
How do you determine that art therapy is fitting for a particular client?
References
American Art Therapy Association. (2013). What is art therapy?  Retrieved from
http://www.arttherapy.org/upload/whatisarttherapy.pdf 

2.2.5
Hello Dominika,
Thank you for your post, I appreciated how you explained art therapy and how it intertwines
with the ego. Your example allows there to be tangible evidence that arts is a form of therapy for
some and can aid in emotional healing.
Art therapy is said to help social functioning and overall well-being and could be practised in
many formats (American Art Therapy Association, 2013). Swan-Foster emphasizes that although
art therapy can create beautiful outcomes, sometimes they are not beautiful and that is okay, it
shows that the process of art therapy is not linear, but is progressing the mental state (Swan-
Foster, 2020). Your example that you added, if there are no words for some individuals to
communicate hard emotions, it can be portrayed through painting for example, and that painting
may not be the most aesthetically appealing, which I think is valuable to note and normalize.
How do you think art therapy counsellors can make art therapy more approachable if a client
feels as though they are not artistic, but can benefit from art therapy?
References
American Art Therapy Association. (2013). What is art therapy?  Retrieved from
http://www.arttherapy.org/upload/whatisarttherapy.pdf 

Swan-Foster, N. (2020). C.G. Jung’s Influence on Art Therapy and the Making of the
Third.Psychological Perspectives. Jan-Mar, Vol. 63 Issue 1, p67-94. 28p. DOI:
10.1080/00332925.2020 https://discovery.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=cafb73f0-f633-3fd8-
9975-4e725ae9b9c5

1. What specific populations may benefit most from art and music therapy?
2. What are some of the challenges or limitations of art and music therapy?
3. How can art and music therapy be integrated into a larger treatment plan?
4. What is the role of the therapist in facilitating art and music therapy sessions?
5. How do art and music therapy align with current theories of mental health and
wellbeing?
6. How do different cultural perspectives influence the practice of art and music
therapy?
7. What are some emerging technologies and tools that can be used to enhance art
and music therapy sessions?
8. How might the field of art and music therapy evolve in the future?

The article discusses the influence of Carl Jung's analytical psychology on the field of art
therapy. It highlights how art therapy students are often taught from a Freudian-
oriented perspective and are not exposed to the benefits of Jungian methods. The
article explains how analytical psychology can demonstrate clinical evidence of change
and offer a profound way to live one's life. The author also talks about their personal
experience of straddling the tension between Freudian and Jungian theories and their
decision to study Jungian analysis with an art therapist. They wrote a book on Jungian
Art Therapy and taught a graduate-level transpersonal art therapy course, introducing
Jung's model of the psyche to students. The course required students to engage with
and experience the dynamic nature of their psyche through the creation of their own
"Red Books" and reflects upon where their inner process intersected with Jung's theory.

. He is known for his contributions to the field of analytical psychology, which is a theory
and approach to psychotherapy that emphasizes the exploration of the unconscious and
the integration of the individual's conscious and unconscious experiences.
Jung's theoretical framework builds upon some of the key tenets of Sigmund Freud's
psychoanalytic theory, but also diverges in important ways. Jung believed that the
psyche is composed of both the conscious and unconscious, with the unconscious being
a source of not just repressed memories and desires, but also a wellspring of creativity
and spiritual insight.

Jung identified a number of key archetypes that he believed were universal and present
in the collective unconscious of all human beings. These archetypes are universal
patterns or symbols that can be found in myths, dreams, and other cultural expressions.
Examples of archetypes include the hero, the mother, the trickster, and the shadow.

Jung also developed the concept of individuation, which is the process of integrating
the disparate elements of the psyche into a cohesive and unified whole. This involves
confronting and integrating aspects of the self that may have been repressed or
ignored, and ultimately achieving a state of wholeness and self-realization.

Overall, Jung's contributions to the field of psychology have had a lasting impact on our
understanding of the human psyche and the process of psychological healing and
growth.