Alderian Flashcards
Basic Mistakes
Self defeating aspects of an individuals lifestyle derived from early recollections
Analytic Aspect
Adlerian counseling is neoanalytic model. Most behavior is driven beyond our awareness. Inner reality directs actions.
Sources of Inferiority
Systems of cultural oppressions, unresolved physical disability, family dynamics
Telological Aspect
People have a n need for meaning, all behavior is goal driven. What is the goal beneath the behavior?
Acting as if
Patient is asked to act as if the action will work. Prominent Alderian theory
Creating images
a therapist suggests and imagine to a patient that can be used to help them accomplish something. Adler believed a mental picture could have a larger impact that reminding oneself to do something
Assessing Discouragement
- How strong is the feeling of inferiority
- How low is the social interest
- how exaggerated is the final goal
Basic Mistakes: Overgeneralizations
“all, never, everyone, anything” EX “Everyone should like me. I can never do anything right”
Lifestyle Assessment (used early on in Alderian therapy)
- Family Consellaion Interview, early relationships and their importance
2) The question… how the person views what their life would be like after the symptom is gone
3) Ask about earliest memories, no historical truth but narrative truth
Avoiding the tar baby
a tar baby is a sticky trap laid by the patient to confirm something they internally believe is true
Immediacy
Expressing your experiences of what is happening at this very moment
encouragement
important alderian concept that builds rapport and strengthens patient esteem
life tasks and therapy
asking patients to rate their feeling in the five main tasks of life (love, occupation, society, self development, spiritual development). Can be used to identify things to work on and how therapy is progressing
Factors that hamper development of self confidence and social interest
physical disabilities, pampering, neglect
superiority complex
inflate one’s self importance in over o overcome feelings of inferiority
task setting and commitment
Focusing on smaller goals and giving encouragement when it’s completed than the larger goal
homework
small take home tasks the patient can complete
Style of Life
Determines how a person adapts to his life and ways in which they create solutions and means of achieving goals. Often means overcoming inferiority. Your way of living in the world Adler believed this is developed in early childhood 6-8 years old and operates in the background unless we make an effort to change it.
Discouragement
Being persistently demanding, antagonistic, complaining, blaming, making excuses and fearful all reveal discouragement, Shows low social interest or community/exagerated sense of inferiority. Anticipate failure, avoid life tasks, or result to fictional means
Birthorder
how do we find our place in the family and how does it move into the world as we age.
Alderian’s lifestyle tasks
self development, spiritual development, occupations, cosset and love
Spiting in a clients soup
the act of making an action appear less appealing to a client. EX a mother who says she sacrifices all her time for her children the therapist may point out how unfortunate it is she has no time for her personal life and care. It makes the behavior seems less attractive
distinction between psychotherapy/counseling
psychotherapy required if changes in lifestyle need to be made. Counseling appropriate if changes could be made within a lifestyle
Basic Mistakes: “Faulty values”
primarily to do with behavior “You have to cheat to get your way” or “take advantage of others before they take advantage of you”
Three Stages of Social Interest
Aptitude, ability, secondary dynamic characteristics
Inferiority complex
the presentation of the person to himself and others that he is not strong enough to solve a given problem in a socially useful way
Basic Mistakes: False or impossible goals of security
Individual sees the society as working against him or her and is likely to experience anxiety.
EX: People want to take advantage of me or I’ll never succeed
3 Factors of Person in Alderian Counseling
Sociological, Teleoglogical
terminating and summarizing the interview
Algerians believe time limits should be clear and the end of the session used to summarize and get the clients view of the session
Basic Mistakes: Misperceptions of Life and LIfe’s demands
“Life is too hard” and “I never get a break”
Adlerian optimism
Eschew labeling difficulties as pathology, reframe struggling with life’s tasks and discouragement. Extend goals to move to optimal well being
Basic Mistakes: Minimization or denial of one’s worth
These include expressions of worthlessness such as “I am stupid” or “No one can ever like me”
Low Social Interest
Behaviors that are useless or self defeating because it moves against or away from people. Focus on outwards measures of success… possessions/power.
Four pampering types
overindulgent, over domineering, overpermissive, overprotective
Sources of Inferiority
Systems of cultural oppressions (gender), unresolved physical disability, family dynamics (neglect or overindulgence)
Discouragement
Being persistently demanding, antagonistic, complaining, blaming, making excuses and fearful all reveal discouragement, Shows low social interest
Universal Life Tasks
Work, Friendship, Love
Categories of basic mistakes
Overgeneralizations, false goals of security, misperceptions of life, minimization of one’s worth, faulty values
Adlerrian optimism
Eschew labeling difficulties as pathology, reframe struggling with life’s tasks and discouragement. Extend goals to move to optimal well being
Life Task: Work
From School to adult work. Failure at the work task means somebody is discouraged not lazy. Those struggling with work task have strong discouragement but the work task is the least demanding. The others require more courage and cooperation from other people
paradoxical intention
Patient are encouraged to develop their symptoms even more… suck their thumb more, wash their hands more. By accepting their patient’s inappropriate behavior Alderians believe it becomes less attractive to the client.
Push-button technique
developed by Mosak in 1985 patients are asked to close their eyes and remember a pleasant incident, then an unpleasant one, then the pleasant. Alderans show the patient scan create whatever feeling they want by deciding the subject of their thinking. Patients have power to change their own feelings
Inferiority
infant is exposed at birth. Not a weakness unless develops into an inferiority complex. Opposite is superiority (excellence)
Striving for Superiority
seeking completeness, wholeness, overcoming of deficiencies, developing social interest
Catching oneself
As at patient improves they “catch themselves” doing the unhealthy behavior and prompt themselves to change
Sociological Aspect
People are best understood in the context of the social. People are by natural social. Developed first in the family unit. A well developed social interest results in making contributions to the larger community
Three Alderian Takeaways
1) very optimistic
2) Geared toward understanding goals people have
3) social connection is critical for well being
Dreikur’s four processes of Pscyhotherapty
1) cooperative relationship
2) assessment and analysis of client problems include analysis of early recollections, family constellation and dreams. Examine lifestyle
3) interpretations of the comments of the client
4) reorientation - helps individuals to find alternatives to previously ineffective beliefs
“Aha!” Response
Developing sudden insight into a solution to a problem as one becomes aware of one’s beliefs and behaviors
Assets (Adler)
Assessing the strengths of individuals lifestyle, important part of lifestyle assessment, assessment of early recollections and basic mistakes
early recollections (Adler)
Memories of actual incidents (not family lore) that patient’s recall from their childhood. Used to make inferences about current behavior in adults or children
family constellations
number and birth well as well as personality characertisti of members of a family; important in determining lifestyle
interpretation (Adler)
Adlerians express insights to their patients that relate to patients’ goals. Interpretations often focus not elf family constellation and social interests
masculine protest (Adler)
A desire in women to reject limits put on women by society. In men it appears as a superiority complex
social interest (Adler)
caring and concern for the welfare of others which can serve to guide people’s behavior throughout their lives. It is a sense of being part of society and taking some responsibly to improve it
