Push button technique adlerian therapy

Counseling Theory Assignment

Individual Psychology and
Adlerian Therapy

Chapter Three

Welcome

Today we’ll be focusing on individual psychology which is a theory and therapy approach developed by Alfred Adler.
This approach is typically referred to as Adlerian therapy.
Although some people still refer to Adler as one of Freud’s students, he was Freud’s contemporary and developed his own, very different, approach to counseling and psychotherapy.
Adler’s Way of Thinking

Most contemporary writers consider Adler to have been far ahead of his time. In the following quote, he captures much of the essence of cognitive theory and therapy.
“In a word, I am convinced that a person’s behavior springs from his [or her] idea. . . As a matter of fact, it has the same effect on one whether a poisonous snake is actually approaching my foot or whether I merely believe it is a poisonous snake” (Adler, 1964, pp. 19–20).

Biographical Information: Alfred Adler

The second eldest of six children born to a Jewish family outside Vienna.
He was sickly and experienced a challenging childhood.
His father was very supportive of him and believed in him.
He married Raissa Timofeyewna Epstein, an early socialist and feminist.
Historical Context

He defended Freud’s “Interpretation of Dreams” and then was invited to what became the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society.
He had already published the Healthbook for the Tailor’s Trade.
Historical Context II

In 1896, he presented a paper on “The Masculine Protest,” which was a social perspective on gender-related behaviors.
He and a few colleagues left the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society and formed the Society for Free Psychoanalytic Research, later called the Society for Individual Psychology.
“Their response to human problems was characteristically ethical and practical–an orientation that stood in dramatic contrast to the biological and theoretical focus of psychoanalysis.” (p. 130)

Theoretical Principles

The Whole Person
Unity of thinking, feeling, acting, attitudes, and values
Striving with Purpose
Biological traits
Environment
Attitude toward life
Theoretical Principles II

Social Interest and Community Feeling
Adler emphasized the interpersonal nature of humans and the importance of striving beyond self-interest and toward social interest or community feeling.
Social Interest, or Gemeinschaftsgefühl
Community feeling in action.
This is also a therapeutic goal.
Theoretical Principles III

Striving for Superiority
People naturally strive toward creating a positive for themselves and in themselves.
But too much self-interest is pathological.
This is also translated as a striving toward completeness.
Overcome their deficiencies
With an attitude of social interest
Complete or perfect themselves
Theoretical Principles IV

Phenomenology
An Idiographic Approach
Adler was generally against generalizing about individuals from group data or information. He stated: “A human being cannot be typified or classified.” (Adler, 1935, p. 6)
Soft Determinism
Individual psychology is not a deterministic approach.
Behavior is multidetermined.
Every individual is responsible for his or her behavior.
Theoretical Principles V

Style of Life (Lifestyle): The Biopsychosocial Map
Like Vaihinger (1911), Adler believed we each create our own world and live by the rules we’ve created.
We’re pulled forward by our guiding self-ideal.
But we also create and live by “basic mistakes” that cause us problems and which therapy can help address.
Theoretical Principles VI

The Adlerian Tasks of Life
Work or occupation
Social Relationships
Love and marriage
Self
Spirituality
Parenting and family
Theoretical Principles VII

Work or Occupation: This is a life demand that we all must face and work through.
Social Relationships: Humans need to belong and are interdependent and must also face the life task of dealing with relationships.
Love and Marriage: Adler viewed marriage as a partnership.
Theoretical Principles VIII

The Self Task
Survival of self
Body image
Opinion
Evaluation
The Spirituality Task
Relationship to God
Religion
Relationship to the universe
Metaphysical issues
Meaning of life
Theoretical Principles IX

Parenting and Family
Democratic-authoritative
Autocratic/authoritarian or permissive
Responsive
Problem-solving
Encouragement
Punishment
Contemporary parenting authorities
Theoretical Principles X

Theory of Psychopathology
Psychopathology is often defined as discouragement.
Although feelings of inferiority are natural, they can also become pathological.
Objective inferiority
Inferiority feelings
Inferiority complexes
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy

In the practice of Adlerian therapy, there are four phases:
1. Forming the therapeutic relationship

2. Lifestyle assessment and analysis

3. Interpretation and insight

4. Reorientation

The Practice of Adlerian Therapy II

Forming the therapeutic relationship
The relationship is egalitarian and characterized by listening and caring.
The therapist is like a friendly teacher or business consultant.
Clients are encourged to be active participants in therapy.
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy III

Therapist-client goal alignment is important; sample goals include:
Fostering client social interest or community feeling
Helping clients overcome feelings of inferiority and discouragement.
Helping clients change the basic mistakes embedded in their lifestyle.
Shifting client motivation from self-focused superiority to a community focus.
Helping clients believe and feel as equals in their relationships.
Helping clients become contributing members to society.
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy IV

The therapist focuses mostly on positives and not pathology.
Focus on client strengths.
There is also sometimes a focus on client problems.
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy V

Initial Lifestyle Interpretations
“Near the end of your first session, you should be able to share with your client a few important things you’ve learned about them.” (H. A. Walters, 1983)

The Practice of Adlerian Therapy VI

Lifestyle Assessment and Analysis Approaches
The family constellation interview
The question
Earliest recollections
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy VII

The Family Constellation Interview
Early childhood experiences
Description of each family member
Interaction of family members
Psychological birth order
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy VIII

The Question
How would your life be different if you were well?
What would you be doing in your life if you no longer had your symptoms?
This question is a method to look for underlying motivations or secondary gain (remember: all behavior is purposeful).
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy IX

Earliest Recollections
This is a method for understanding the client’s lifestyle.
It helps clarify the self ideal.
“Early recollections are not a reflection of the past but a forecast of the future” (Sweeney, 2009, p. 105).

The Practice of Adlerian Therapy X

Reorientation is the final phase of Adlerian therapy.
This is where many specific teaching and learning strategies are employed, including:
The future autobiography
Creating new images
Acting “as if.”
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy XI

Reflecting As If
Reflecting
Planning
Implementing
The Push-Button Technique
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy XI

Spitting in the Client’s Soup

Develop a friendly and supportive relationship with the client characterized by good listening and encouragement.
Identify a repeating and unhelpful behavior or thinking pattern (basic mistake) that the client uses repeatedly and plans to use in the future.
Ask and get the client’s permission to share an insight.
Succinctly share the repeating and unhelpful pattern that the client is planning to continue using.
Be open to discussing the client’s reaction to having his/her soup spat in.
The Practice of Adlerian Therapy XII

Catching Oneself
Self-awareness and self-control
Help clients become aware of their maladaptive behaviors and goals.
Help clients to catch themselves when they slip into old unhelpful behaviors.
Task Setting and Indirect Suggestion
Paradoxical Strategies
Advice, Suggestion, and Direction
Cultural and Gender Considerations

Adlerian theory and therapy is not value-free.
His feminist perspective is, of course, welcomed by feminists.
His emphasis on family and family dynamics as influencing the individual also plays well in multicultural counseling.
Evidence-Based Status

Early research reviews, based on only four empirical studies of Adlerian psychotherapy, indicate that the procedures are slightly more effective than placebo treatment and efficacy similar to psychoanalytic and person-centered therapy (Smith et al., 1980).
Despite the prominent use of Adler’s concepts, direct empirical research attesting to the efficacy of Adlerian therapy is sparse. Perhaps the greatest reason for this is the fact that Adler found nomothetic research that compares group outcomes to be relatively useless. Consequently, the Adlerian focus has been and primarily continues to be idiographic case studies.