Adler & Social Interest

1. Adler & Social Interest Commentary by Tom Strong, PhD Division of Applied Psychology University of Calgary 2002 Adlerian Counselling

2. Introduction • Adler now reads like a behind the scenes player in the development of modern counselling and psychotherapy. • His ideas, however, will feel remarkably familiar, a tribute to their practicality and the values they embrace. • That he was Freud’s lieutenant and then went on to develop such a strikingly different theory is a measure of his originality and integrity. Adlerian Counselling

3. Agenda • Here we will consider Adler’s major departure from Freud, for the very different focus his theory took on. • We will also focus on some developments and themes that Adler and his followers have left as a legacy to all of counselling. • Finally, we will consider where Adler’s ideas fit into mainstream counselling. Adlerian Counselling

4. Overview • What does it mean to consider oneself and “Adlerian” when it comes to counselling? • In today’s terms, being an Adlerian is not as in vogue as it was a generation ago, even though there remain Adlerian training and therapy centres. • So, what is it that continues to inspire many to use Adler’s ideas? Adlerian Counselling

5. Origins • Adler quickly became Freud’s seeming heir apparent but he broke with Freud over a number of key issues. • Adler’s view of humans was a striking contrast to Freud’s: he saw them as essentially goal-oriented beings where Freud saw instincts and societal demands as deterministic of human behaviour/health • The big jump-off point related to Adler’s view that people were primarily socially motivated where Freud saw our motivations as essentially sexual in nature. Adlerian Counselling

6. Similarities to Psychoanalysis • Both Freud & Adler saw early life experiences as the primary shaper of later psychological life. • People are guided by thoughts and beliefs outside their conscious awareness. • Therapy focuses on bringing to awareness earlier-developed beliefs that shape present behaviour. • Both he and Freud began as medical doctors. Adlerian Counselling

7. Differences from Freud • Social not intrapsychic focus • Humans are goal-oriented, not merely determined by ids and culture. • Problems relate to early “mistakes” in “lifestyle” not a failure to reconcile instincts/drives & cultural demands. • Counsellor as collaborator, not as expert who correctly interprets client. Adlerian Counselling

8. Social interest • Our primary motivations are social, to be accepted and valued in our most important relationships. Simultaneously, we must achieve this through the way we individuate (or develop our private logic and lifestyle). • Adler’s saw our lives as guided by efforts to acquire social significance. Where we fail in this regard our strivings continue in misguided goals and discouragement that result from early “mistaken beliefs”. • Fostering social interest serves as a goal of Adlerian counselling. Adlerian Counselling

9. Social interest continued • Our personalities are in part developed according to our position within our “family constellation”: our birth order, early experiences, and sense of social significance all develop there. We want to belong, & family is where we develop our “belonging behaviours, thoughts and feelings”. It is also where we make the “mistakes” that we can carry forward into our adult lives as a “lifestyle”, believing that our early family experiences are generalizable to the entire social world. Adlerian Counselling

10. Social interest continued • “Women are depreciated regarding competence and performance. Figures of speech, anecdotes, proverbs and jokes of all peoples are full of depreciating criticism of women. . . . The low esteem of women is also expressed in lower pay for women than for men, even when their work is equal in value to men’s work.” Alfred Adler Adlerian Counselling

11. Social interest continued • Where Freud saw (male) anatomy as destiny, Adler saw women (along with men) contributing to the cooperative relationships that promote psychologically healthy individuals. • Overall Adler saw his primary role as assisting families and educators to help children become competent adults. To this end, his work has been influential in North American Child Guidance Centres, the STEP parenting movement (check out the books and websites), and in Adlerian books on discipline by Rudolf Dreikurs (e.g., Discipline without tears). Adlerian Counselling

12. Holism and Private logic • Adler rejected psychoanalysis’ individualistic focus for a view of human behaviour related to contextual factors, primarily in how individuals pursue goals in their social environment. • “Private logic” refers to the idiosyncratic ways we perceive and come to understand ourselves and our place in the social/physical world. • Individuals develop a “lifestyle” in accordance with their private logic and interactions with social and physical reality. All human behaviour, in this respect, is goal-oriented, though the goal- orientation can be outside of human awareness. Adlerian Counselling

13. Private logic • We strive for some measure of “superiority”, or ways to be valued for our unique abilities by significant others. • Some of our private logic develops as a response to perceived “inferiorities” (in meeting social goals) for which we compensate in other ways. • “Mistakes” are usually early life conclusions about our apparent inabilities to be valued socially. These are usually coupled with discouragement and influence our adult thinking and behaviour until corrected. Adlerian Counselling

14. Private logic & goals of misbehaviour cont’d. • When our strivings for social significance are unsuccessful we often turn to misbehaviours: attention, power, revenge or inadequacy. • Counselling can help us understand the motivations behind these misbehaviours, motivations often rooted in “mistakes” in private logic. These mistakes and motivations are usually not within a person’s conscious awareness. • See the following slide for more on this. Adlerian Counselling

15. Corrections of Misbehaviour Adlerian Counselling

16. Correcting Misbehaviour cont’d • The preceding figure encapsulates nicely Dreikur’s adaptation of some of Adler’s ideas. The 4 goals of misbehaviour result from lifestyle “mistakes” requiring ‘correction’ in Adlerian counselling or education. Please note that the chart runs right to left. • Please make careful note of the identifying features and corrective measures for each “mistake”, or “misbehaviour”. Also recognize the social strivings shown here. Adlerian Counselling

17. Lifestyle • Our primary life challenges: striving for social belonging & significance, work, and sex. We also seek meaning and self-acceptance. • Lifestyle is fuelled by early decisions and their related behaviours that we continue until these are corrected. These are not always “mistaken”. • Lifestyle is best understood phenomenologically. That is, to appreciate how it shapes a person’s way of perceiving, acting and deciding we have to see it from their frame of reference. • Neuroses are related to lifestyles based on mistakes and social misbehaviours. Adlerian Counselling

18. Adlerian Counselling • Assessment involves investigating the origins of one’s “lifestyle” and private logic, an investigation that focuses on early recollections and a focus on the client’s position within the family constellation. • The counsellor is a co-researcher who educates, encourages, and models healthy living. • The focus is on identifying and correcting “early mistakes” as they relate to the present lifestyle. Adlerian Counselling

19. Adlerian Counselling • To a large extent Adlerian counselling is psychoeducational in its focus on learning about and correcting “early mistakes” that persist in a person’s lifestyle. • Like the social view it espouses Adlerian counselling focuses on cooperative relations based on client goals, and not on analyses of the relationship (transference).The counsellor models the authenticity & openness sought from clients. • The lifestyle is collaboratively investigated for mistakes as are revealed in early recollections. Adlerian Counselling

20. Adlerian counselling cont’d • Interpretations are offered as tools to insight, understandings that can lead to constructive and cooperative actions. • Uses early recollections, imagination exercises, “anti-suggestions” (spitting in the patient’s soup) , and trying on new behaviours in “as if” or “catching oneself” activities. • Parent training such as Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. • Counsellor encouragement of client key Adlerian Counselling

21. Change Principles • ·The primary counselling goal is to help the individual establish a sense of respect for self (i.e., self-worth) and for others. • ·Interventions are based on the assumption that people can only function effectively as equals. Often, interventions must be directed as much at social or systemic issues as at individual issues (see, for example, Adler’s discussion on gender equity). • ·Well-being depends on true cooperation. Adlerian Counselling

22. Change Principles • Perspectives and private logic need to be identified and challenged. • ·Alternative goals of behaviour need to be identified and set. • ·Alternative means of goal attainment need to be considered. • ·Regardless of circumstance, individuals need to learn to • - take responsibility for their part of the problem situation where warranted, and • - take responsibility for their part in problem resolution. Adlerian Counselling

23. Change Principles • Human relationships have a certain logic to them. Each individual controls his or her movements, but influences the activities of others. • Change is a general process of progressive encouragement. Adlerian Counselling

24. Adler & Contemporary Ideas • Consistent with systems theorists, Adler saw the individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours as inseparable from his/her social context. • Adler was an early constructivist who, like cognitive therapists today, focused on the role that cognitions play in influencing behaviour and feeling. • Adler and his disciples were highly focused on the importance of psycho-education as a tool to self-/family-improvement. Adlerian Counselling

25. Evaluating Adler • Adler’s ideas, like Freud’s are broad-brushed and very difficult to operationalize and research. • Mostly Adler served as an idea person and other models have extended his ideas constructively. • Adlerian counselling tends to be (like psychoanalysis) a longer term therapy focused on interpretation, education, and encouragement. • “Social interest” is difficult to conceptualize for people in oppressed or abusive situations. Adlerian Counselling

26. Evaluation • The focus on correcting early “mistakes” makes Adlerian counselling inordinately too past/family focused for many clients. • Adlerians are sometimes accused of being evangelists (witness Adler’s book title: “What life should mean to you”) or as people with a sociocultural agenda. • There is still too much of a focus on the individual as the locus of change and responsibility for some cultural groups. Adlerian Counselling

27. Summary • Adler based his therapy on two primary and related points: 1) how the individual developed a lifestyle to 2) achieve social significance. Problems develop when 1 & 2 are out of sync. • The primary goal of counselling is to increase social interest by helping clients identify & correct early mistakes guiding their lifestyle. • Adler focused on cooperative relationships as ways to overcome early mistakes and develop social interest. Adlerian Counselling

28. Where to Get More Information • http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/homepage.htm • http://www.adler.edu/ • http://www.alfredadler.edu/ • For nearby training (for a Masters degree in Adlerian counselling): Adlerian Psychology Association of British Columbia 1193 Kingsway, Suite 101 Vancouver, BC V5V 3C9 Canada (604) 874-4614 • List books, articles, electronic sources • Consulting services, other sources Adlerian Counselling

29. Bibliography  Adler, A. (1978). Cooperation between the sexes (H. L. Ansbacher & R. R. Ansbacher, Eds. & Trans.). New York: Norton.  Adler, A. (1979). Superiority and social interest(H. L. Ansbacher & R. R.Ansbacher, Eds.).New York: Norton. • Adler, A. (1998). What life should mean to you (C. Brett, Ed). Center City, MN: Hazelden. Adlerian Counselling

30. Bibliography • Dinkmeyer, D. C.; Pew, W.L. & Dinkmeyer, D.C. Jr. (1979) Adlerian counseling and psychotherapy. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing • Ansbacher, H. L., & Ansbacher, R. R. (1956). The individual psychology of Alfred Adler. New York: Harper & Row.  • Corsini, R. J., & Wedding, D. (2000). Current psychotherapies (6th ed.) Itasca, IL: Peacock.  Adlerian Counselling

31. Bibliography • Dinkmeyer, D. Jr., & Sperry, L. (2000). Counseling and psychotherapy: An integrated, individual psychology approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. • Dreikurs, R., & Cassel, P. (1972). Discipline without tears (2nd ed.). New York: Hawthorn. • Dreikurs, S. E. (1974). Family council. Chicago: Contemporary Books. Adlerian Counselling