Office in Walnut Creek, California CA
Jay Slupesky, M.A., MFT
Alfred Adler departed from Freud's school of thought and founded the Individual Psychology movement. Adler thought that Freud overemphasized the effect of biological and instinctual drives upon personality development and that Freud's deterministic view of human nature was incorrect. Instead, Adler believed that humans are active participants in the creation of their own personalities and that people are goal-oriented. Key aspects of Adlerian therapy include treating the client as an equal to the therapist, trying to see the world through the client's eyes, and encouraging the client to behave in ways that lead to growth.
As described in Corey (2001), Alfred Adler's belief was that human beings are social beings, not sexual beings as Freud had taught. A social being is very interested in how he or she fits into society and family. A person wants to be socially active, to interact with others as equals, to like people and to be liked by people. In general, a social being wants to be a productive member of society and family, which includes being a contributor. In return, a social being hopes to feel accepted and worthwhile. The relation among siblings was important to Adler, and he paid particular attention to the effect of birth order on human development.
Adler also believed the human beings are primarily goal-oriented. An individual may or may not be aware of his or her goal, but the goal is there nonetheless. Adler spoke of a life goal, the guiding objective of one's existence. In striving to achieve his or her goal, a person plays an active role in shaping his or her own personality. Instead of being merely being a creation of outside forces, a person is also a creator and shaper of his or her own psyche. One's lifestyle can be defined as how one strives to overcome perceived inferiorities and proceeds toward success in meeting his or her life goal.
Whereas Freud emphasized the unconscious, Adler leaned toward the conscious as the more important side of the mind. Adler thought that a person is able to understand the workings of his or her conscious mind and is also able to make changes in their conscious thoughts, possibly with the help of a therapist. Adler was so keen on the conscious that he made the astute and highly influential discovery that it's not so important to objectively focus on how good one's life actually is; instead, what it is important is the subjective: how good does one believe that his or her life is?
Recalling that Adler taught that human beings are social beings, dysfunction occurs when a person does not feel social enough. Feelings of community and belonging are lacking. The dysfunctional person feels discouraged and useless because he or she is not socially connected. Thus, Adler taught that anxieties result when the need to belong is unfulfilled.
It's important to note that Adler would not label a person as sick or dysfunctional. He preferred to say that a person was discouraged. A person without courage is not able to take corrective action to overcome fears and perceived weaknesses. Discouragement can result from a lack of confidence, selfishness, unrealistic ambitions, or a mistrust of others. Recent Adlerian theorists have compiled lists of "mistakes" that may inform one's choice of a life goal. Examples of mistakes are unrealistic goals, faulty perceptions of life, and feelings of worthlessness. Adler thought that the life goal was frequently based on overcoming an imaginary and incorrect inferiority (for example, "I am stupid"); he used the words fictional finalism to describe this succinctly.
A well person feels connected socially and feels as if he or she belongs within the family. The results are a concern for the welfare of others, an ability to share feelings easily, and the capacity to understand the feelings of others. Well people are social people, creative, and able to make decisions. They have the courage to take corrective action when necessary, even if they are fearful. A well person has a healthy family life, knows his or her place in the family, and fulfills that role in the highest and best possible way. In the noblest form, a social being wants to make important contributions to the betterment of the human race.
The primary goal of the Adlerian therapist is to view the world through the client's eyes (phenomenology) and to re-educate the individual towards healthier beliefs and goals. Instead of focusing on internal psychodynamics and things that have happened in the past, attention is paid to interpersonal relationships and how things can be made better in the future. By gaining an understanding of the discouraged client's mistaken goals and faulty assumptions, the Adlerian counselor helps the client discover the reasons for their behavior. By correcting the mistakes and incorrect assumptions, the therapist guides the client toward developing a strong sense of social connectedness and belonging. Knowledge of the client's family dynamics (or family constellation) and position in the birth order informs the therapist's understanding of the patient's thought processes.
The Adlerian therapist considers the client to be his or her equal. The therapist endeavors to build a strong and trusting relationship with the patient, and they work together to gain insight into the reasons for the client's behavior. Once these reasons are understood, the therapist educates the client by pointing out faulty assumptions and encourages the client to bravely work on changing the faulty assumptions into healthy assumptions.
Early in the counseling process, the client and therapist may execute a contract to explicitly lay out the agreed-upon goals of psychology. Then the therapist will proceed with assessing the priorities and goals of the client. Finally, the therapist helps the client to understand their mistakes and suggests corrective action.
2004 Sep 23