Philosophy of Psychology: Adlerian Therapy

Abstract

Adlerian therapeutic approaches are discussed in the context of the author’s philosophy of psychology. Citing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as a significant part of her early childhood, the author acknowledges a sense of control over her life in opposition to deterministic psychological philosophies. Expressing a kindred belief, the author names Adlerian therapy as the choice approach moving forward in her career. A brief history of Alfred Adler is discussed and specific aspects of the Adlerian therapeutic approach such as the importance of the therapeutic relationship, early childhood experiences, birth order, and family constellation. The application of the Adlerian therapeutic approach is also discussed. Finally, the four phases of Adlerian therapy are summarized, and the importance of authenticity, encouragement, and reorientation is discussed in the therapeutic relationship.

Keyword: Adlerian, early childhood, therapy, birth order

Philosophy of Psychology: Adlerian Therapy

For this assignment, this student has been asked to explain her philosophy of psychology. Within her academic career, she has been exposed to many different philosophies regarding the psychological approach, with none resonating more deeply than the Adlerian therapeutic philosophy. Specifically, the student has experienced several adverse childhood traumatic experiences (ACEs), including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and as a young adult, sexual assault. Instead of these defining her, assuming that events were deterministic, she strengthened herself and created goals, lifting herself from the ashes of these experiences. This student has seen that individuals can determine their outcome, so the Adlerian approach is the philosophy of choice.

Alfred Adler

Alfred Adler was a significant contributor to the development of the psychodynamic approach and contemporaries such as Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung. In 1912, Adler founded the Society for Individual Psychology which was dedicated to the psychotherapeutic approaches he had developed. Adlerian therapy is focused on the individual's experience and perception of reality and how those beliefs translate into behavior. There is no set formula to cure a person or even treat them in this therapeutic approach. Much of the therapeutic connection is based on developing a trusting relationship between the therapist and the client to create a healthy environment for further work to be done. Adlerian therapy focuses much attention on early experiences, birth order, family constellation, and relationships, as it is believed that these early experiences influence a tremendous amount of personality development.

After Adler departed from the traditional psychoanalytic approach proposed by Freud, many of his contemporaries also parted ways from what was seen as an ultra-orthodox position.

Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, and Harry Stack Sullivan became what is known today as neo- Freudians, although it has been suggested by Heinz Ansbacher (1991) that it would be more accurate to refer to them as neo-Adlerians because they chose to adopt a more social- psychological view of human nature.

Adler believed that the personality is made up of many different factors and that our past experiences are just as meaningful as whom we intend to become. Adler saw each person as possessing the ability to create their outcomes and design their lives by their chosen behaviors. In other words, Adler believed that we created ourselves instead of being a helpless product of our childhood; this has been the author's experience.

Adlerian Philosophy

Early Childhood

Adler believed that an individual began to develop an approach to life throughout the first six years. Thus, the experiences during these first six years are instrumental in forming the child’s perception of reality and future social and relational interactions. According to Adler, social relatedness rather than sexual urge is the motivating factor behind human behavior; it was on this subject that Adler and Freud differed to the point of estrangement. Informed by different experiences throughout their childhoods, personal struggles, and differences in the populations they studied, they developed vividly diverse beliefs about human nature (Sperry, 2020). 

Inferiority

One of the fundamental concepts of Adlerian therapy is the concept of inferiority. Adler believed that the feeling of inferiority was familiar to all men and that it could be viewed as a source for striving and motivation (Scott & Kelly, 1995). In fact, from these feelings, many creative expressions can arise to become a better version of who we are. Adler believed that this valuable attribute leads to the first formation of life goals that unify the personality and become a future source of motivation. Feeling inferior drives us to strive for perfection, not only for ourselves but also for the greater common good of all men (Bitter, 2009; Ferguson, 2020). 

Temperament

The Adlerian perspective asserts that behavior is a balance of temperament and environmental factors. Until recently, this has been nothing more than a theory, but now we know that biology and the environment are symbiotic (Guo, 2005). Recent twin studies have confirmed that temperament and the environment play significant roles in gene expression and subsequent behavior (Guo and Stearns, 2002). Because genetics does not define our behavior, we can influence and create events in our lives; thus, we are not preprogrammed robots but living beings who can change through social learning. For these reasons, Adler believed and taught that people needed to be understood within the systems they live in to be helped.

Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler developed the concept of individual psychology. The term refers to a holistic approach to the human being rather than considering the person's distinct parts. Adler believed that a person could only be understood when considered the sum of their contexts regarding their role in the family, culture, school, and work (Johnson-Migalski & Vo, 2019). By combining these contexts, the Adlerian therapist can perceive the complete picture of the client's experience. Furthermore, Adler believed that each person was a creative, social being with a purpose behind their behavior that could not be understood outside of these contexts (Rocco & Cottone, 2017). Due to these beliefs, Adler supposed that the therapeutic approach might change to better adapt to each individual; thus, individual psychology was born.

Social Interest

Adler believed that one of the most profound influences on a person’s belief system is the social context in which they experience life. Adler’s term, social interest, refers to a person’s activities toward the greater community and being concerned with others and oneself. This concept is essential as it measures the ability of a person to contribute to something greater than oneself (Robey et al., 2017). Adler believed that this process began in childhood and evolved throughout adulthood. This process aimed to assist the child in finding their place in society and gaining a sense of purpose (Dickinson & Daly, 2020). Adler believed that this sense of social connectedness was integral to our contentment and that childhood events could help or hinder these processes. If childhood events hinder these processes, the person ends up seemingly drifting without purpose and fulfillment.

On the other hand, if childhood experiences help with social connectedness, the individual has better chances of feeling empathy, compassion, and engagement in a cooperative community (Bitter, 2009). For this reason, Adler believed that it is only when a person feels united with their social world that they will feel the courage they need to deal with their problems (Adler, 1938/1964). It is essential to mention that Adler did not believe in determination but that an individual could adapt and change their personality in the context of a safe and loving therapeutic environment.

Birth Order

Any author describing Adlerian philosophy would be remiss if they did not mention the infamous birth order concept. Adler developed an approach that identified a person’s birth order as a high indicator of the type of personality they would develop later in life, solidifying that the early years of life are significant. The relationship between siblings and birth position in the family helped Adler identify five psychological positions from which a person may view their life. The first of these roles is the oldest, followed by the second of two, middle child, youngest, and finally, the oldest child. Each of these positions aligns with specific personality traits. It is essential to keep in mind that Adler’s birth order is not evidenced in deterministic psychology but does describe a similar set of circumstances between children in the same birth order. What is more important than the actual birth order is the child’s perception of birth order; for example, if a child was the oldest of several siblings by ten years, their experience might be closer to that of an only child than an oldest since the age gap was so extreme.

Adler asserted that a person’s experience in their family dynamic, hence, their birth order had a lot to do with their interpretation of the world as an adult. For example, if a child is the only child to divorced parents and then each parent remarries and has other children, the first child may feel unwanted and replaced. These feelings may follow the adult into their social environment as an adult, hindering their relationships with friends and family. Adlerian therapy takes this into account and works to decipher the individual observations of the client, perceived birth order, effects and then challenges those beliefs in favor of more productive thought patterns.

Adlerian Therapeutic Approach

Phase One

The most critical phase in the Adlerian therapeutic approach is the initial phase of the therapeutic relationship. The relationship between the therapist and the client is based on a collaborative approach to defining goals based on mutual respect and friendship. The success of this phase determines the efficacy of later phases of Adlerian therapy (Watts, 2018). Because the patient’s perception of their world and experiences is vital to the therapeutic process, the therapist takes special care to get to know the person first, rather than focusing on the problem.

Adlerian therapists pay special attention to the client’s perception of events rather than proposing alternate explanations. In focusing on empathy and building on the client’s strengths, the therapeutic relationship builds on this initial experience leading to phase two.

Phase Two

The second phase of Adlerian therapy is a series of assessments, including subjective and objective assessments (Dreikurs, 1997). The subjective assessment consists of the therapist helping the client tell a complete as possible life summary. From this summary, the therapist creates a hypothesis from which to continue. The objective assessment focuses on the specific problem the client entered therapy to address; therefore, this section of the interview process focuses on the family constellation and the client’s specific childhood history (Powers & Griffith, 2012; Slavik & Carlson, 1993). Phase two ends with a summary compiled from all the information shared from the client during the assessment phase and the initial phase. A summary is presented to the client and discussed during a therapy session. The client and the counselor collaborate to refine the summary and ask questions. The goal here is to ensure that there is an understanding between the two parties before moving forward.

Phase Three

Phase three focuses on applying insight to the client’s behavior in a non-threatening way. The therapist makes gentle suggestions based on the information gathered in phases one and two of therapy. Because the therapist and the client have an established empathetic relationship, they can be vulnerable and open to suggestions. This phase's goal is to offer new insight to the client through how they may view their problems. Adlerian philosophy teaches that when presented with new information, people have the power to create a new outcome for themselves.

Phase Four

The final phase of therapy centers on reorienting processes and motivations to change the client’s awareness and initiate action outside of therapy (Bitter & Nicoll, 2004). Encouragement is the most important aspect during this phase of therapy of Adlerian therapy. To encourage the client means to build courage up in them so that they may face their difficulties (Johnson- Migalski & Vo, 2019). Adlerian therapists believe that encouragement helps people focus on their strengths and believe that they have the resources to change their outcome. In addition, it is believed that this encouragement is key to the social engagement these clients need to become whole (Rocco & Cottone, 2017).

Conclusion

Alfred Adler was ahead of his time and even today, many therapies have drawn from his philosophy. Individual Psychology asserts that people are propelled by their social context, can take responsibility for their thoughts, and are the creators of their own lives. Adlerian therapy teaches that there are no helpless victims but rather soldiers that are absent of armor and the weapons needed to fight for themselves. The goals of Adlerian therapeutic approaches are to shed light on a person’s errant beliefs to help reorient their perception about themselves and others. By collaborating with one another the client and the therapist discover new facets of truth which can be applied to reality to make a different outcome possible.

It has been this author’s experience that once a person can view their life objectively, be encouraged, and take control of their choices, those positive outcomes are possible. Therefore, Adlerian therapy focuses on the individual, context, and perception of events while using empathy, compassion, and encouragement to promote an improved result. In addition, this philosophy promotes an authentic relationship between the client and the therapist in which a person is safe to feel, explore, question, and determine their own goals. These are the same ingredients this author needed; therefore, it has become her philosophy to provide others with them.

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