ADLERIAN PSYCHOTHERAPY

"Meanings are not determined by

situations. We determine ourselves by
the meanings we ascribe to situations."
~ Alfred Adler.
 ALFRED ADLER BIOGRAPHY
• Born: February 7, 1870
near Vienna
– Third child of seven
– Apparent physical comfort, but
miserable childhood (Adler
struggled with rickets; and at
the age of 5, he nearly died of
pneumonia)
– Known for his efforts at
outdoing his older brother
 ALFRED ADLER BIOGRAPHY
• Received a medical degree in
1895
• Married in 1897
– Eventually had four children
– Only son became a psychiatrist
and continued Adler’s work
– He took his family and moved to
the U.S. Austrian psychiatrist,
Alfred Adler died of a heart
attack while doing a series of
lectures at Aberdeen University
in Scotland.
 Brief history of Adlerian therapy
• Alfred Adler is one of the three major
contributors to psychodynamic
therapies. He began his work with
Sigmund Freud as part of the
psychoanalytic movement. However,
Adler disagreed with Freud’s principles in
many ways.
 FREUD ADLER
 Man is motivated by  Man is motivated by
Sex and Aggression. social influences &
striving for superiority.
 People have no  People are largely
choice in shaping their responsible for who
personality. they are.
 Present behavior is  Present behavior is
caused by the past. shaped by the future.

 Emphasis on the  People are usually

unconscious. aware of what they
are doing and why.
 HISTORY
• In 1912, Adler formed the Society for
Individual Psychology.
• Under his method of individual psychology,
the uniqueness of the person was stressed
as well as the holism of the personality.
• Adler did not prove as influential as Freud
or Jung to psychotherapy. However, his
methods are still commonly used today and
his concept of the inferiority complex is
readily recognized.
 VIEWS OF HUMAN NATURE
• Believed that we form an approach to our life
in the first 6 years of living
• Humans are motivated by social relatedness
not sexual urges
• Consciousness, rather than the unconscious is
the focus of therapy
• Adler was the forerunner to a subjective
approach to psychology
 VIEWS OF HUMAN NATURE

•It is not genes

•It is not environment
•It is not genes and environment
•It is how we choose to respond
to our genes and environment
 IMPORTANT CONCEPT OF ADLERIAN THEORY

I. Subjective perception of reality

II. Unity and patterns of human personality
III. Striving for superiority and significance
IV. Behavior is purposeful and goal-directed
V. Lifestyle
VI. Social Interest
VII.Birth order and sibling relationship
I. SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION OF REALITY

PHENOMENOLOGY
– A Person’s Perceptions are based on His or Her
View of Reality

• Adlerians attempt to view the world from

the client’s subjective frame of reference

• Adler believed that we “construct” our

reality according to our own way of looking
at the world.
I. SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION OF REALITY

• SUBJECTIVE REALITY
– Individuals perceptions, thoughts, feelings,
values, beliefs and conclusions

• Objective reality is less important than how

the individual perceives and believes life to
be

• Unconscious instincts and our past do not

determine our behaviour
 II. UNITY AND PATTERNS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY

A. Every person is unique and

indivisible

B. All actions are directed at a single

goal and serve a single purpose.
 II. UNITY AND PATTERNS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY

C. HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE

–In his view, understanding the whole

person is different than understanding
different aspects of his life or
personality.
 II. UNITY AND PATTERNS OF HUMAN PERSONALITY

C. HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE

– Adler suggested that dividing the person up into

parts or forces (i.e., id, ego, and superego) was
counterproductive because it was mechanistic and
missed the individual essence of each person.

– Understanding the whole individual within their

socially embedded context of family, culture,
school and work.
 III. STRIVING FOR SUPERIORITY AND SIGNIFICANCE

Striving for superiority to overcome basic

inferiority is a normal part of life.

Mosak (2000) reports that Adler and others

have referred to this central human striving in a
number of ways: completion, perfection,
superiority, self-realization, self-actualization,
competence, and mastery
 III. STRIVING FOR SUPERIORITY AND SIGNIFICANCE

Superiority: The drive to become superior allows

individuals to become skilled, competent, and
creative.

Superiority Complex:
a means of masking feelings of inferiority by
displaying boastful, self-centered, or arrogant
superiority in order to overcome feelings of
inferiority.
 III. STRIVING FOR SUPERIORITY AND SIGNIFICANCE

Inferiority:
Feelings of inadequacy and incompetence that
develop during infancy and serve as the basis to
strive for superiority in order to overcome feelings
of inferiority

Inferiority complex:
A strong and pervasive belief that one is not as
good as other people. It is usually an exaggerated
sense of feelings of inadequacy and insecurity that
may result in being defensive or anxious.
 FEELINGS OF INFERIORITY

Primary or Secondary

Serves as motivation to
strive for superiority strive for sucess
 COMPENSATION

A process through which

individuals attempt to
rid themselves of
feelings of inferiority.
 Compensation
Healthy Unhealthy

as response to
Secondary feelings of
Primary feelings of inferiority
inferiority

leads toward
Development of natural abilities Development of maladaptive,
and talents and social interest neurotic, and narcissistic behaviors.
IV. BEHAVIOR IS PURPOSEFUL AND GOAL-DIRECTED

A. Humans set goals for themselves,

and behavior becomes unified in
the contexts of these goals

B. Behavior is related to the drive to

attain the image held in our
subjective final goal
IV. BEHAVIOR IS PURPOSEFUL AND GOAL-DIRECTED

Subjective final goal - It is the person’s

unique image of what he or she want to
be, and the person imagines that
attainment of this image will lead to a
sense of completion and wholeness.

–Because of subjective final goal, we have the

creative power to choose what we will
accept as truth, how we will behave, and
how we will interpret events
IV. BEHAVIOR IS PURPOSEFUL AND GOAL-DIRECTED

• Creative power- Implies

movement toward a goal, and
direction.
–Enables people to be in control of
their lives.
–It makes each person a free
individual.
 IMPORTANT CONCEPT OF ADLERIAN THEORY

I. Subjective perception of reality

II. Unity and patterns of human personality
III. Striving for superiority and significance
IV. Behavior is purposeful and goal-directed
V. Lifestyle
VI. Social Interest
VII.Birth order and sibling relationship
 V. Lifestyle
 Our perception regarding our self,
others and the world

A way of seeking to fulfill particular

goals that individuals set in their lives.

unique repertoire of behaviors,

cognitions, and values.
HOW DO WE PORTRAY OUR LIFESTYLE?

–Individuals use their own

patterns of beliefs, cognitive
styles, and behaviors as a way
of expressing their style of life.
Often style of life or lifestyle is
a means for overcoming
feeling of inferiority.
 •

STYLE OF LIFE
Unique

Is reflected from the response to

Early feelings of Individual’s Private Compensatory
inferiority Logic behaviors

towards his/her
Subjective Final Goal
LIFESTYLE accounts for why
all of our behaviors fit
together to provide
consistency to our actions
 VI. Social Interest
– All behavior occurs in a social context.
Humans are born into an environment with
which they must engage in reciprocal
relations.

– Adler believed that social interest was

innate but that it needed to be nurtured in
a family where cooperation and trust were
important values.
 Social Interest

Become adults who build love and

Children who have not work relationships marked by
been burdened by empathy, caring acceptance, and
feelings of inferiority concern for the common good as
they strive to reach their goals in life

Become adults who

compensate for
their feelings
Children who feel Develop poor inferiority and
badly about empathy skills and develop subjective
themselves social interest final goals that are
not in the interest
of the common
good
VII. BIRTH ORDER AND SIBLING RELATIONSHIP

• Among the factors that lead to different

life-styles are the ordinal positions of
birth and different experiences in
childhood.

• Birth order can greatly affect how one

feels about oneself
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

OLDEST CHILD
Nurturing and Highly anxious;
protective of others; exaggerated feelings
good organizer of power;
unconscious hostility;
fights for acceptance;
must always be
“right”; highly critical
of others;
uncooperative
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

SECOND CHILD
Highly motivated; Highly
cooperative; competitive; easily
moderately discouraged
competitive
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

YOUNGEST CHILD
Realistically Pampered style of
ambitious life; dependent on
others; wants to
excel in everything;
unrealistically
ambitious
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS
OLDEST CHILD
Nurturing and protective of Highly anxious; exaggerated
others; good organizer feelings of power; unconscious
hostility; fights for acceptance;
must always be “right”; highly
critical of others; uncooperative
SECOND CHILD
Highly motivated; cooperative; Highly competitive; easily
moderately competitive discouraged

YOUNGEST CHILD
Realistically ambitious Pampered style of life; dependent
on others; wants to excel in
everything; unrealistically
ambitious
ONLY CHILD
Socially mature Exaggerated feelings of
superiority; low feelings of
cooperation; inflated sense of
self; pampered style of life
POSITIVE TRAITS NEGATIVE TRAITS

ONLY CHILD
Socially mature Exaggerated feelings
of superiority; low
feelings of
cooperation; inflated
sense of self;
pampered style of life
 Therapeutic Goals

1. Primary purpose of therapy is to encourage the client

to develop healthier ways of living out who they are.

2. Encourage clients to develop social interest, which is a

measurement of health.

3. Encouragement is used throughout therapy to help

the client build self-confidence and stimulate courage.
 Therapist’s Function and Role

1. To provide encouragement

2. To help the client increase his/her self-

awareness

3. To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the

client’s lifestyle by looking at his/her birth order,
family constellation, and earliest recognitions.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERAPIST AND CLIENT

1. A good therapeutic relationship in Adlerian

therapy is collaborative in nature.

2. The relationship is based on cooperation,

mutual trust, respect, confidence and
alignment of goals.
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERAPIST AND CLIENT

3. Goals of therapy are decided

collaboratively.

4. Clients are considered as active

participants in a relationship between
equals.
 APPLICATION:
THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES & PROCEDURES

• Therapy is structured around four

central objectives, which
correspond with four phases of
the therapeutic process.
 Four Phases of the Therapeutic Process:

• Phase 1: Establishing a relationship

• Therapy is collaborative
– Goals established together prior to start
– Supportive, caring human connection
• Faith
• Hope
• Love
• empathy
 Phase 1: Establishing a relationship

• Initial focus of session is on the person, not

the problem
• The therapist seeks to build a positive
relationship with the client through active
listening, responding, demonstrating respect
for his/her capacity to understand purpose
and seek change
• Therapist attempts to understand the client’s
world from his/her subjective perspective.
Phase 2: exploring individual’s dynamic operating in the client-
assessment (exploring individual’s dynamic or assessment)

• Assist with overcoming the ‘Five basic mistakes’:

1. Overgeneralizations- “There is no fairness in the

world”

2. False of impossible goals of security- “I must please

everyone if I am to feel loved”
Phase 2: exploring individual’s dynamic operating in the client-
assessment (exploring individual’s dynamic or assessment)

• Assist with overcoming the ‘Five basic mistakes’:

3. Misperceptions of life and life’s demand- “life is so

difficult for me”

4. Minimization of denial of one’s basic worth- “I’m

basically stupid so why would anyone like me”

5. Faulty values- “I must get to the top, regardless of who

gets hurt in the process”
Phase 2: exploring individual’s dynamic operating in the client-
assessment (exploring individual’s dynamic or assessment)

• Involves a subjective interview and an

objective interview, which are
intertwined.

– The subjective interview involves

facilitating the client to share his/her story
as completely as possible by showing
empathic listening, interest, and response.
Phase 2: exploring individual’s dynamic operating in the client-
assessment (exploring individual’s dynamic or assessment)

Objective interview which involves specific questions

designed to assess:

1. family constellation and atmosphere

• The number and birth order, as well as the personality

characteristics of members of a family. Important in
determining lifestyle.

• The family and reciprocal relationships with siblings and

parents determine how a person finds a place in the family
and what he learns about finding a place in the world.
Phase 2: exploring individual’s dynamic operating in the client-
assessment (exploring individual’s dynamic or assessment)

Objective interview which involves specific

questions designed to assess:

2. Early recollection

• Memories of actual incidents that clients recall from

their childhood. Adlerians use this information to make
inferences about current behavior of children or adults.
 Phase 3:
Encouraging Self-Understanding and Insight

• Insight
- understanding of motivations (the whys)
that operate in client’s life

• Self-understanding
- only possible when hidden purposes
and goals of behaviour are made
conscious
 Phase 4: Helping with
Reorientation and Reeducation
• Reorientation
– shifting rules of interaction, process and
motivation

• Reeducation
– Teach, guide, provide information and
encouragement
 Phase 4: Helping with
Reorientation and Reeducation
• Encouragement process

– Encouragement is the most powerful method

available for changing a person’s beliefs

– Courage will help individuals become aware of their

strengths, when they feel they belong and are not
alone, and when they have a sense of hope and can
see new possibilities for themselves and their daily
living.
 Phase 4: Helping with
Reorientation and Reeducation
• Change and search for new possibilities

– Allow to “catch themselves in the process of repeating

old patterns that have lead to ineffective behaviour.

– They must commit to change-willing to set task for

themselves in everyday life and do something specific
about their problems.
• Transfer new insights into concrete actions
 Phase 4: Helping with
Reorientation and Reeducation
• Making a difference
– Seek to make a difference in the lives
– Manifest a change in behaviour, attitude or
perception
 TECHNIQUES
1. Encouragement:
– Important in all phases of therapy. Involves
offering hope, empathy, and understanding to
client.

2. “Spitting in the Client’s soup”:

– Involves exposing the client’s intentions in such a
way as to make them unpalatable.
 TECHNIQUES
3. Acting “as if”:
– Asking the client to as “as if” for the next week in
response to their expression of “If only I could”.

4. Catching oneself:
– Once the client has made personal goals and
wants to change, they are instructed to catch
themselves “with their hands in the cookie jar”.
 TECHNIQUES
5. The Push-Button Technique:
– Helps clients realize that they create their own
emotions and are not merely victims to them.

6. Socratic method ;
• The ultimate aim of this dialogue is to
encourage the client to seek the underlying
reasons why the particular style of life has
been developed.
 TECHNIQUES
• Encouragement:
– Important in all phases of therapy. Involves offering hope, empathy, and understanding to client.
• “Spitting in the Client’s soup”:
– Involves exposing the client’s intentions in such a way as to make them unpalatable.
• Acting “as if”:
– Asking the client to as “as if” for the next week in response to their expression of “If only I could”.
• Catching oneself:
– Once the client has made personal goals and wants to change, they are instructed to catch themselves “with
their hands in the cookie jar”.
• The Push-Button Technique:
– Helps clients realize that they create their own emotions and are not merely victims to them.
•
• Socratic method ;
• The ultimate aim of this dialogue is to encourage the client to seek the underlying reasons why the
particular style of life has been developed.
• Avoiding the tar baby:
– By not falling into a trap that the client sets by using faulty assumptions, the therapist encourages new
behavior and "avoids the tar baby" (getting stuck in the client's perception of the problem).
• Homework:
– Specific behaviors or activities that clients are asked to do after a therapy session
 TECHNIQUES
7. Avoiding the tar baby:
– By not falling into a trap that the client sets by
using faulty assumptions, the therapist
encourages new behavior and "avoids the tar
baby" (getting stuck in the client's perception of
the problem).

8. Homework:
– Specific behaviors or activities that clients are
asked to do after a therapy session
 ADVANTAGES:
1. It can be used for numerous issues and
disorders.
2. Uses encouragement.
3. It is phenomenological.
4. It does not consider people to be
predisposed to anything.
5. Applicable to diverse populations and
presenting issues
 Disadvantages/limitation/Critiques
1. Difficult to learn (e.g., making dream
interpretations)
2. Works best with highly verbal and intelligent
clients.
3. This might leave out many people who do
not fit that category.
4. Might be too lengthy for managed care.
5. Adlerians do not like to make diagnoses