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Alfred adler known for9/28/2023 ![]() The counselor might ask the client, “What purpose does the nausea have?” or “If your stomach could talk to you about dating, what would it say?” (For more information on Adler’s concept of organ jargon, see the 2006 book Readings in the Theory of Individual Psychology, edited by Steve Slavik and Jon Carlson.) ![]() Through the course of a therapy session or sessions, a counselor can use questions and other methods to help the client gain insight into the purpose of the symptom. In this instance, it may be that feeling nauseous keeps the client safe from possible rejection. So, as the client narrates his or her story, the counselor is listening for the purpose behind the symptom - the “benefit” the client experiences in continuing the behavior.įor instance, a client discussing a struggle with anxiety states, “I would love to go on a date with this person, but every time I get the chance to ask, I get nauseous and feel like I’m going to be sick, so then I don’t ask.” An Adlerian counselor will explore and listen for the reason behind the symptom. The only way for a client to truly understand the problem and bring about lasting change is to see the deeper meaning of the situation. We, as Adlerians, do not focus on the symptoms and behaviors that a client experiences, but rather on what underlying purpose those symptoms serve in that client’s life. Rather, it is a philosophy about the root of the problems clients present with in counseling. This isn’t necessarily a true technique that one needs to rehearse or practice, like learning how to collect early recollections. In my opinion, what distinguishes Adlerian practitioners from other counselors is the emphasis on the purposefulness of behavior. Instead, I’d like to share some of those Adlerian ideas and strategies that counselors can use with clients in a variety of settings. The purpose of this article, however, is not to provide a thorough review of the theory (for that, counselors should read Adlerian Therapy: Theory and Practice by Jon Carlson, Richard Watts and Michael Maniacci, published in 2005). What they really appreciated was revisiting the theory behind these techniques because they said it reminded them of how to conceptualize their clients from a holistic perspective. Many of the participants shared that they had always believed in the importance of personality traits, sibling relationships, early memories and using a strengths-based model. The strategies I covered in the workshop included life style interpretation, early recollections and social interest. Adlerian psychology, or individual psychology as it is also known, refers to the theory that Alfred Adler developed at the turn of the 20th century. I presented a workshop at the 2011 American Counseling Association Annual Conference in New Orleans at which I demonstrated some of the main theoretically based techniques that Adlerian counselors use with clients.
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