Case Approach to Adlerian Theory/Therapy

Basic Assumptions
The Adlerian theory suggests that humans are goal-oriented and motivated by social connectedness, not sexual urges as Freud suggested. Adler focused on individual psychology, or understanding an individual in his/her entirety, including all different components that work together to create the whole person. However, instead of focusing on the internal psychodynamics of the individual, there is an emphasis on interpersonal dynamics. A person’s social connectedness is something that can ultimately lead to personal destruction or personal fulfillment. Nevertheless, a client is not seen as ill should he or she be unsuccessful in this arena; instead, personal growth is sought over being “cured.”

Assessment Methods
The Adlerian theory offers several seemingly accurate explanations for my personality and struggles in life. One of those explanations that can be found in the assessment period is birth order. According to Adler, learning my birth order and family constellation in an initial assessment may help us to reach a better understanding of where I come from. I fit the description for the second child of only two pretty accurately. With a brother who is four years older than me, I sought the praise and attention of my parents and found achievement in activities that my brother did not excel in, such as music and academics. Though we are very similar, my personality is a lot more high-strung and I am certainly a “Type A” personality, whereas my brother is mostly a “Type B”. I strived to be more like my mom, getting good grades and earning trophies for taking piano lessons. As for my family constellation, I was always an anxious child and very much a perfectionist as compared with my parents and brother. One of my first memories is being three or four years old and my mom would put me in the backseat of her car and take me to a friend’s house so that she could go to work. I always remember waking up and seeing the Kudzu on the side of the road out the car window. My mom would leave me at her friend’s house while she worked, and we would play and attend pre-school before she picked me up and took me back home. I suppose it is possible that this was a very early form of abandonment in my perception/interpretation. An Adlerian therapist may see this as a theme in my early memories that has transcended into my current perception and beliefs. However, it may also be just one of the many faulty interpretations I have created. Other common themes in my memories are feeling regret, busyness, and the belief that everyone was happy-- something that I learned over the years has often been a façade to cover up truth and hurt, even in my extended family.
A second piece in the assessment process might involve recognizing some basic mistakes in my thought process. This may include bringing to light some faulty interpretations that I have made based on others’ words and actions. Some mistaken generalizations that I have made include questions such as, Do people really care about me? and Who will be willing to accept me and all of my baggage?, and Is life really worth the struggle? Recognizing these mistaken generalizations can lead to later rectifying them in therapy.
Social interest is a huge part of the Adlerian theory. Learning about my feelings of belonging may also provide reasons for the anxiety that I experience. For me, a sense of belongingness is lacking in my current lifestyle and has somewhat in the past, as well. This has lead to a lack of self-confidence, as well as a good deal of anxiety. Something that has also caused me anxiety is the self-doubt regarding my ability to help others successfully. What if I’m not good at what I do? This is a question I am constantly asking myself. The fear of not making a difference in the lives of others has been a predominant theme in my thought process lately. Adler suggested that this difficulty in making a difference for humankind is also a possible source of anxiety.

Long- and Short-Term Goals
After recognizing a few mistaken generalizations or thought processes, an Adlerian therapist may challenge me to modify these thoughts by making them more positive. This would likely take time, as it does anything that involves changing one’s thoughts. The therapist would focus on my conscious thoughts surrounding my social interest and how I relate to others. After bringing these thoughts to light, he or she may suggest setting both short- and long-term goals related to connecting better with others. I might start with connecting with one particular person in my cohort, and a long-term goal may include strengthening that relationship over time and/or doing something to make a difference in that one individual’s life.

Intervention Techniques/Methods
Among all of the intervention techniques in my case, the most important in Adlerian therapy would be that of encouragement. An Adlerian therapist would encourage me to recognize faulty interpretations and thought processes, and to work on modifying them to become more positive ones. In addition, I would be encouraged to connect with others and perhaps to do some things that result in making a difference in the lives of others and recognizing that I have the ability to do so. Recognizing this would help me to have more confidence and see that there are things that I am good at doing and that I can make a difference in society. In this collaborative relationship, we would work together to better understand me as a whole person, and which aspects of my self that I can modify to reduce the anxiety and also the fear of my mortality that I spoke of in my autobiography.