Adlerian Theory

Theories of Counseling:
Adlerian Theory
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Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Adlerian Theory
History of Adlerian Theory
Inspired by Freudian psychoanalysis.
Founded by Alfred Adler, championed in America by Rudolf Dreikurs.
Dissemination throughout American elementary schools during the guidance

movement by Don Dinkmeyer.

Adlerian Theory
Basic Tenets of Adlerian Theory
Inferiority vs. superiority.
Humans are constantly becoming.
It is holistic and phenomenological .
Society is viewed as teleological.
Adlerians are considered to be technical eclectives.

Adlerian Theory
Theory of Personality
The person is viewed as a unified organism.
Humans are motivated by social interest.
People want to belong.
Life Tasks: Friendship, occupation, love, spirituality, understanding the

individual self ( I and the me).

Adlerian Theory
Theory of Personality (Continued)
Nomothetic Principles:
The basic dynamic force is striving for a fictional goalsuperiority.
Successful adaptation to life depends upon the degree of social

interest in goal striving.
Goal striving may be considered active and can be considered

according to type.

Adlerian Theory
Fictional Goals: The outcome of unconscious notions that have no

counterpart in reality.
The are concerned with the future.
They start early in life--as young as infancy.
Fictional conceptualizations become the first goals of what will
become lifestyle.
Fictional goals are our attempt to belong and be significant in the
eyes of others.

Adlerian Theory
Types of People
Ruling: IsIsdominant
Ruling: dominantininrelationships.
relationships.
Getting:IsIsexpectant
Getting: expectantandanddependent.
dependent.
Avoiding: Shies
Avoiding: Shiesaway
awayfrom
fromproblems.
problems.
Driving: IsIsachievement
Driving: achievementoriented.
oriented.
Controlling: Likes
Controlling: Likesorder
orderand
andcertainty.
certainty.
Beingvictimized
Being victimizedorormartyred:
martyred: Both
Bothlike
likesuffering.
suffering.
Beinggood:
Being good: Likes
Likesbeing
beingcompetent
competentand andbetter.
better.
Beingsocially
Being sociallyuseful:
useful: Cooperative
Cooperativeand andhumble.
humble.
Adlerian Theory
Idiographic Principles
Everyonehas
Everyone hashis
hisor
orher
herown
ownstyle
styleof
oflife.
life.
Style of life is the overall pattern that affects

a persons thinking, feeling and behaving.
Perceptionguides
Perception guidesbehavior.
behavior.

Adlerian Theory
Nature of Maladjustment
A person has a mistaken opinion of himself or herself and of the world.
A person engages in abnormal behavior to protect his or her opinion of self.
A person will do this when threatened with failure and insecurity.
The person becomes self-centered rather than other-centered.
The individual is unconscious of these events.

Adlerian Theory
Nature of Maladjustment (continued)
Inferiority complex: The individual is overwhelmed by a sense of

inadequacy.
Family constellation: Mediates the genetic and constitutional factors brought

by the child and the cultural factors that influence the child.
Safeguarding: Symptoms are developed for the purpose of safeguarding the

fictional goal.

Adlerian Theory
The Counseling Process
The Client-Counseling Relationship: Collaborative, egalitarian, respectful

and cooperative.
Understanding the Client: How is the client behaving? What does the
client gain from this behavior? Why does the client do this in this manner?
Assessment and Analysis: Family Atmosphere and Constellation, Birth

Order, Early Recollections, Dreams, and Priorities.

Adlerian Theory
The Counseling Process (continued)
Insight and Interpretation: Helps the client see his or her priority and ask
whether or not the price for achieving it is worth paying.
Reorientation: Counselor offers alternative ideas or beliefs for the clients

consideration.
Prescribing New Behavioral Rituals: The client is assigned homework that

engages him or her in repetitive acts to reinforce the clients new belief
system, behaviors and rules of interaction.

Adlerian Theory
Strategies for Helping Clients
Restatement: Restating the clients words to form clarity and convey

understanding.
Reflection: Restating the clients words to give deeper meaning regarding

the underlying feeling.
Guesses, Hunches, Hypotheses: Making statements to explain what is

happening.
Questioning: To get a better understanding but also reframe the symptoms

for the client.

Adlerian Theory
Strategies for Helping Clients (continued)
Interpretation: Takes guesses, hunches and hypotheses one step further.

Focuses on the whys of behavior.
Nonverbal Behavior: Adlerians bring the clients nonverbal behavior to the

attention of the client and interpret it.
Immediacy: Dealing with what is in the here and now.
Active Wondering: Proposes an alternative to the presenting problem.

Adlerian Theory
Confrontation: Pointing out discrepancies between what the client says and
what the client does.
Paradoxical Intention: Asking the client to amplify target behavior to show

the client how ridiculous it is.
Creating Images: Asks the client to imagine a ridiculous scene as he or she

enters into a threatening situation.
Asking The Question: If your problem were to disappear overnight, how

would things be different?

Adlerian Theory
Catching Oneself: Having the client catch himself or herself when

engaging in irrational behavior.
Acting As If: Acting out a role that the client thought impossible.
Spitting in the Soup: Spoiling the game of the client.
Encouragement: Promotes client self-awareness. Clients arent sick but

only discouraged.

Adlerian Theory
Midas Technique: Exaggerating the clients neurotic demands.
Pleasing Someone: Helps put the client back into society. The client is
instructed to go out and do something nice for someone else.
Avoiding the Tar Baby: Acting contrary to what the client expects.

Adlerian Theory
Advantages
of Adlerian Theory
It can be used for numerous issues and disorders.
Uses encouragement.
It is phenomenological.
It does not consider people to be predisposed to anything.

Adlerian Theory
Disadvantages of Adlerian Theory
The amount of family and lifestyle information that is collected.
Sometimes difficult to do the interpretations, especially the dreams.
Adlerian therapy works best with highly verbal and intelligent clients. This
might leave out many people who do not fit that category.
Might be too lengthy for managed care.
Adlerians do not like to make diagnoses as it labels people.

Adlerian Theory
Adlerian Theory and Diversity
Adlerians were pioneers in multiculturalism.
Adlerian relationships are equitable, cooperative, and empathic.
Adlerian theorys focus on inferiority is understanding of the disenfranchised.
Adlerian theory can be used successful with many diverse groups.

Resources
Ivey, A. E., DAndrea, M., Ivey, M. B. and Morgan, L. S. (2002). Theories of counseling
and psychotherapy: A multicultural perspective, 5 th ed. Boston, MA.: Allyn &
Bacon.
James, R. K. & Gilliland, B. E. (2003). Theories and strategies in counseling and

psychotherapy, 5th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Kottler, J. A. (2002). Theories in counseling and therapy: An experiential approach.

Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Adlerian Theory

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Theories of Counseling:

PowerPoint produced by Melinda Haley, M.S., New Mexico State University.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

History of Adlerian Theory

Inspired by Freudian psychoanalysis.

Founded by Alfred Adler, championed in America by Rudolf Dreikurs.

Dissemination throughout American elementary schools during the guidance

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Basic Tenets of Adlerian Theory

Inferiority vs. superiority.

Humans are constantly becoming.

It is holistic and phenomenological .

Society is viewed as teleological.

Adlerians are considered to be technical eclectives.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

The person is viewed as a unified organism.

Humans are motivated by social interest.

People want to belong.

Life Tasks: Friendship, occupation, love, spirituality, understanding the

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Theory of Personality (Continued)

The basic dynamic force is striving for a fictional goalsuperiority.

Successful adaptation to life depends upon the degree of social

Goal striving may be considered active and can be considered

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Fictional Goals: The outcome of unconscious notions that have no

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Style of life is the overall pattern that affects

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

A person has a mistaken opinion of himself or herself and of the world.

A person engages in abnormal behavior to protect his or her opinion of self.

A person will do this when threatened with failure and insecurity.

The person becomes self-centered rather than other-centered.

The individual is unconscious of these events.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Inferiority complex: The individual is overwhelmed by a sense of

Family constellation: Mediates the genetic and constitutional factors brought

Safeguarding: Symptoms are developed for the purpose of safeguarding the

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

The Client-Counseling Relationship: Collaborative, egalitarian, respectful

Assessment and Analysis: Family Atmosphere and Constellation, Birth

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Reorientation: Counselor offers alternative ideas or beliefs for the clients

Prescribing New Behavioral Rituals: The client is assigned homework that

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Restatement: Restating the clients words to form clarity and convey

Reflection: Restating the clients words to give deeper meaning regarding

Guesses, Hunches, Hypotheses: Making statements to explain what is

Questioning: To get a better understanding but also reframe the symptoms

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Interpretation: Takes guesses, hunches and hypotheses one step further.

Nonverbal Behavior: Adlerians bring the clients nonverbal behavior to the

Immediacy: Dealing with what is in the here and now.

Active Wondering: Proposes an alternative to the presenting problem.

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Paradoxical Intention: Asking the client to amplify target behavior to show

Creating Images: Asks the client to imagine a ridiculous scene as he or she

Asking The Question: If your problem were to disappear overnight, how

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Catching Oneself: Having the client catch himself or herself when

Spitting in the Soup: Spoiling the game of the client.

Encouragement: Promotes client self-awareness. Clients arent sick but

Copyright Allyn & Bacon 2004

Midas Technique: Exaggerating the clients neurotic demands.