Adlerian Theory: Multiracial Clients

Individuals of different multiracial backgrounds make up a significant portion of the population in many parts of the world. It is a very diverse group. There are a number of different ethnic backgrounds that consider themselves to be multiracial. Researchers have noted that there is little literature within the counseling field to address the topic of working with multiracial clients, but Adlerian therapy has been found to be effective for working with multiracial clients because this theory examines the social environment of an individual. One of the goals of this type of therapy is for a client to make decisions and define themselves, instead of being put into a generalized category. Adlerian theory recognizes that people are part of larger
Adlerian therapy is a positive psychology and approach to therapy that emphasizes prevention, optimism and hope, resilience and growth, competence, creativity and resourcefulness, social consciousness, and finding meaning and a sense of community in relationships. It is mentioned that Adlerian theory addresses social equality issues and emphasizes the social embeddedness of humans and human knowledge. With this type of therapy the counselor makes it flexible to work with clients and their family networks. This makes it appropriate for multiracial groups. Also, this type of therapy addresses religious and spiritual issues. In this article, Arciniega and Newlon (1999) are referred to by saying that they noted that the characteristics and assumptions of Adlerian psychology are congruent with the cultural values of many minority racial and ethnic groups and affirmed that the Adlerian therapeutic process is respectful of cultural diversity. Adlerian therapy goals are not aimed at deciding for clients what they should change about themselves. This type of therapy is open to all aspects of a multiracial individual’s
Adler believed a person’s behavior could be understood by determining what they valued or what they wanted to achieve. In addition, Adler identified that people are social beings that strive to belong; from birth a child is cared for by others, and as a child develops this need for social belonging increases. The ways in which people are cared for helps them to develop an understanding of their environment and ways in which they can manage this environment. Every person has their own subjective view of their environment which leads a person to develop their own way of acting and reacting in their environment, this is called a person’s life style. There are four stages in the Adlerian counseling process within Adler’s theory of personality. These include developing a respectful and trusting relationship, and assessing client’s problems through analysis of early recollections, dreams, and family constellations. The last two stages of the counseling process are interpreting what clients are saying so they can develop insight into their thoughts and behaviors as related to their goals for counseling, and then reorienting the client to finding solutions and alternatives to unhealthy behaviors and beliefs. To assist the client in moving through these stages of counseling, the counselor utilizes multiple techniques including active listening,