Adlerian Therapy Summary

Assignment 1

1.1 Defining the Core Constructs of Adlerian Therapy. When Gina says she is determined, Dr. Carlson asks her where her determination is directed. What is his intent? Gina responds with happiness. Her own and her two boys. His intent is to get her to focus on the good and the progress made. He trying to scaffold the sessions questioning to determine more information and to promote client self awareness. His intent is as well for her to see the goal setting nature she internally is projecting. He is demonstrating a life style assessment and the ability for one to control where they want or see themselves. The use of open ended questions allow Gina to elaborate to gather more information. Why would Dr.
Carlson tie Gina 's motivations back to her parents? Dr. Carlson is following Adlerian’s theory that our future choices are driven by past experiences. By tying Gina’s motivations to her parents he is to showing her future behavior decisions were molded by mother and father through actions that she witnessed as a child. What basic life tasks does Gina describe in this footage? Gina describes the life tasks of occupation,love and social interests.
Happiness,eventually a committed relationship and that her boys grow up to be happy and make good choices. Gina is demonstrating achievement of HIs intent is to scaffold the sessions questioning to determine more information and to promote client self awareness. He is also trying to activating the goal setting nature she internally is projecting. He is demonstrating a life style assessment and the ability for one to control where they want or see themselves. The use of open ended questions allow Gina to elaborate to gather more information.,competence and mastery. Theses are three of the lifestyle components Alder speaks about in his
theory. 1.2 Conceptualizing Clients Using Adler’s Holistic Approach Dr. Carlson identifies patterns in Gina 's early recollections. What do these patterns tell us about Gina 's private logic? Gina’s private logic depends on what she viewed in her surroundings that she remembered. The lifestyle she was exposed to allowed her to develop her own compass to live by. It is hard to remember for her but Gina realized she had been doing things for herself to make herself happy rather than anyone else. Such as her obtaining the top ten in her class.

Dr. Carlson suggests that Gina is almost "selfish to a fault." What part does selfishness play in wellness and pathology, according to Adler? According to Alder, being selfish in regards to wellness and pathology, is natural.
We are to become a contributing part of a larger social system. Gina is adapting to basically meet her needs and the needs she thinks are qualities of a “good” parent. Her feeling that is her responsibility to raise her children and a home is all on her and not letting her husband help is not really a good thing but a coping mechanism she has developed to handle situations.

1.3 Assessment and Treatment in Adlerian Theory In his clip, Dr. Carlson focuses on Gina 's early recollections. What important assessment information is he seeking through his questions? Dr Carlson is seeking through his questioning the understanding of her lifestyles and how she viewed the world through asking her to elicit her memories of her siblings. He can also be trying to get a view of the family dynamic through using these types of questions.

What elements of the treatment process can you identify in this clip? I can identify phase two, lifestyle assessment as a child, understanding of the person and the problem. Family constellation,birth order and earliest recollections priorities and ways of behaving are indicators of this phase. 1.4 Adlerian Therapeutic Techniques (Written case
study) In what ways might an Adlerian therapist ask Steve to "Act As If’"?
An Adlerian therapists’s may as Steve to “Act as if “ as follows;
• Open questioning
• Purposeful questioning
By using questions being with “what” and “how” a counselor can elicit a response leading toward understanding or self awareness,self motivation and a level of self disclosure.

References

Seligman, L., & Reichenberg, L. W. (2014). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: Systems, strategies, and skills / Linda Seligman, late professor emeritus, George Mason University, Lourie W. Reichenberg, licensed professional counselor, Falls Church, Virginia.