Adlerian Psychotherapy

Adlerian model is future oriented growth model and is optimistic unlike Freudian model.

I find Adler did not espouse medical model but growth model. Adler did not care for the past. He

saw people are capable of changes and for me that is very important aspect of this model.

Adlerian psychotherapy is individual psychology and Adler was concerned about social world. I

believe the cultural component is very important and Adler was very concerned with social

interest and caring. Adlerian approach is social focus and individual is very important in the

social context. Dr. Carlson implied that it can apply to couples, parents, anybody including

schools and groups. Adler has been very cognizant of feminist movement.One thing I like most

is Adlerians put lot of stock in assessment and life styles, birth order, family constellations and

believe once life styles are of individual is assessed, treatment can be initiated, even though there

is no formal life style assessment. They tend to get essence of a person and then tailor the model

to serve the patient’s requirements.

This DVD has 3 components. I learned the importance of Adlerian model. Three

components of Adlerian psychology are 1. Birth order 2. Life styles 3. Focus on individual. I

do believe Adlerian model is successfully used for schools, groups and couples. Family therapy

is used along with spectator therapy and usually client is in the audience in spectator therapy. In

my opinion Adlerian model can have profound effect on therapy like a biopsychosocial model.

In Adlerian model, birth order plays an important role. First born tend to be conservative and in

a psychological position of always trying to achieve things and trying to be right to fill the inbuilt

insecurities. Second born try to create their own niche. Middle children are the middle and

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youngest are more pampered. Early recollections, life styles and dream analysis. Dreams are

rehearsals for present andfuture. Social interest is another concept Adlerians espouse

Dr. Carlson with his expertize on this therapy implied that it can apply to couples,

parents, anybody including schools and groups. Adler has been very cognizant of feminist

movement. Dr. Carlson could recognize that Client had very good insight and capable. She had

very good expression. He recognized Gina in this video has histrionic tendencies and she has to

be careful. At one point interviewer asked Dr. Carlson about family constellations and he replied

actually that made the interview going and so assessment. Then interviewer asked Dr.Carlson

that client Gina said she felt she was not appreciated, was like family values and he confirmed

and said yes. He continued that it is important for people to realize people have choices. Her

early recollections showed that she withdrew when tensionbuilt up. He highlighted her ability

and he asked how successfully she not do things so much and asked this question in an aesthetic

way. Most important was he asked Gina about her position and feeling in the scale of 1 to 10 and

she said 9.5, He said the client was engaged all the way and she was very verbal. One student

asked what if the client is not so verbal. He replied they can do structured approach and if there

is an anxiety that would go away. When asked about transference and countertransference in

Adlerian method, he was affirmative. He said he used modified life style case which including

lot of family constellation questions that gives individual how to find their place. She was also

asked about early recollections in the scale as well. She said early recollections are below 8

because usually memory is more continuous afterwards. When asked it was deterministic, he

disagreed and said Adlerians believe they have choices and not deterministic. When asked where

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is discouragement in this case. He said Gina was of the opinion her father was very critical and

had no kind word and said the same thing about her ex-husband as well. He said we need to

encourage the clients and it is believing in somebody and giving ourage to somebody. When

asked Adler believed people in the same family do not grow at the same level and for that Dr.

Carlson agreed and said that was true. Adlerians believe each person belongs and find their place

and being significant and cooperative. Each person finds their niche in the family. In the

interview clients are asked to do more and as much as possible focus on individual. He thinks

Gina had to take care of herself and her younger brother and still did not develop empathy as he

understood. But according to him, she did not develop empathy at all on the family and

relationships were broker and she did what she thought best for other people.

That is very difficult concept to understand and treat as she is very successful in what she does.

But Gina felt change was important as her children are growing up is another factor to be

considered. Early recollections can predict the career choices with reasonable accuracy. I think I

realling learned these concepts with considerable depth.

DVD emphasized the Interview Process: there are four steps of interview process discussed .

1. Establish strong relationship, cooperation and friendly relationship

2. Assessment- family constellation and some questions of early recollections

3. Aha experience and insight

4. Reorientation –Commitment to make the difference

Whereas the texts emphasize the following points

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 1. A phenomenological approach

2. Social interest is stressed

3. Birth order and sibling relationships

4. Therapy as teaching, informing and encouraging

5. Basic mistakes in the client’s private logic

6. The therapeutic relationship — a collaborative partnership

Adler stated five tasks of life, like you, getting along with others, do well in work,

meaning in life, recreation. Dr. Carlson said in the DVD interview, Gina’s work is satisfied to

her but she needed to work on her relationships to others and the important questions about

purpose according to Adler, he said Gina had been vague. When asked how Adlerians work with

children, Dr. Carlson said Adlerians believe the context has lot of impact and usually work with

the parents and teachers rather than children and learn children’s goals and texts emphasize the

concept. When children are discouraged, encouragement is the best way. About faulty beliefs, he

said, Adlerians will try to develop courage to face imperfect. When asked about the term

assessment,

Dr. Carlson said traditional assessment is external and Adlerian view to find how to

help others rather than judging others with a label. He said Adlerians look into choice to find

their place in this world and they believe everyone is unique and private logic according to texts

is based on birth order, family constellations, and some are based on genes and some beyond our

thinking. Private logic determines how you come into the world. This is a well structured

program DVD on Adlerian Psychotherapy.

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