Comparing Adlerian Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy

a.a. power struggling, irresponsibility, lack of adequate value system and birth order in the family.

The current essay focuses on two different therapeutic techniques, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution Focused Brief Therapy. The initial component of the essay outlines the therapeutic orientations of both approaches; then, the different approaches are related to a case study of a young lady called Linda who is seeking counseling due to feelings of hopelessness. The essay is then finished with some of the author’s personal opinions on the two therapeutic approaches.

I particularly enjoy communicating program progression, behavior changes and therapeutic interventions with Senior Therapists and parents to discuses the next steps in the children’s treatment plan. While working to meet the needs of the children for whom I provide therapy, I realized that each of them had an interesting story and a need for personalized interaction, education and compassion. I am enthusiastic about working hard to help meet students’ psychological needs, and I feel the best way to do this is to pursue an education in School Psychology.

If the Adlerian therapy is summarized, it can be added here that the therapy is more of a growth plan. One of the main facts that is stressed by the theory is that human beings are in control of their own nature and that there should be a positive view towards the nature. Views that an individual has towards his nature leads him in having a good or bad faith. Being a child, a certain kind of lifestyle is adopted by an individual and this kind of lifestyle goes on in a consistent manner throughout his life (Carlson, Watts, and Maniacci, 2006, p. 45).

My educational goal is focused on becoming a school counselor and developing a theoretical orientation that will provide a framework for me to choose and direct therapeutic interventions with students. My theoretical orientation will guide me as I provide resources and services to students, staff and parents. Also, I want to be able to work with students so they are able to identify, understand and appropriately display the feeling they experience.

This paper identifies the three major counseling theories that have been the most influential in the development of my ideas on counseling. The major points of Person-Centered Therapy, Adlerian Therapy, and Behavioral Therapy are looked at in brief. Each theory is then shown how a school counselor can apply them into their work with students. While one theory does not work for every situation in the school setting, each theory brings something beneficial to the school counselor.

Adlerian theory and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) may be thought to have many similarities. This may be because CBT is rooted in Adlerian theory (Sperry, 2017). This paper discusses Adlerian theory, then Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Both of these sections include the theoretical basis for, and interventions or techniques used, within each approach. Also discussed are key points specific to counseling in schools pertaining to, and skills necessary for counselors utilizing, each approach. This paper then explains the similarities and differences between Adlerian theory and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Adlerian, Cognitive Behavioral, and Solution Focused Brief Therapy are three major theories that are used today. All three theories have things that make them similar as well as different.

When comparing and contrasting the differences in the three approaches, I will review the relationship between client and counsellor. I will attempt to discover how the relationship is formed and how it is maintained during the therapeutic process. Once this has been established, I will then look at how the changes occur in the therapeutic relationship and which techniques will be used. I will compare and contrast the approaches of Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud and Albert Ellis. I will look at how their theories have impacted on the counselling processes in modern times and throughout history.

According to the psychoanalytic perspective, people move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. How these conflicts are resolved determines the person’s ability to learn, to get along with others, and cope with anxiety. Erik Erikson has been a very influential contributor to the psychoanalytic perspective (Berk, 2010). Erikson proposed that an individual moves through a series of stages which resolve in either positive or negative outcomes and determine healthy or maladaptive behavior. (Berk, 2010).

Like all therapies it is assumed that the individual's present way of living may accord safety but not happiness, and because there are not any guarantees in life, one must risk some ‘safety' for the possibility of greater happiness and self-fulfillment. How each therapy goes about moving the client from a place of ‘safety' to a place of relative ‘risk taking' may differ. Adlerian psychology addresses the complete range of human experience, from optimal to pathological, and sees the ‘therapeutic' relationship as a friendly one between equals (Stein, 1996). At the foundation of Adlerian theory and practice is an optimism about human nature and the premise that the primacy of a feeling of community (connectedness) is an index and goal of mental health (Stein, 1996).

Utilizing Adlerian therapy for adolescents has been beneficial for S.H. she has gained knowledge from psychoeducation, gained insight into her life style, learned about her purpose in life, and implemented new techniques to help her heal. Though our work was not yet done, the time I had with S.H. was a wonderful learning experience. I was able to watch S.H. grow and change with each new skill or technique. I feel that I left S.H. with hope because she recognizes if she continues therapy with a new clinician she will be give herself the gift of personal healing and growth. S.H.’s goal was to alleviate the depression and anxiety she experienced, and I feel she did much more than that. She now has knowledge, tools, and hope to move

Creating goals and striving to obtain those goals, Adler believed that human beings were social creatures by nature. Having healthy values that affect what goals individuals strive for, is what Adler thought was good mental health. Believing inferiority complexes affected self-esteem, it was the belief of Adler that an adverse effect would present in an individual's health and mental state. Dynamics of compensation and power go well beyond sexuality, and gender and politics are far more important than the libido. Adler was a socialist and a realist who emphasized the role of empathy in individuals.

Alder believed within the first six years of a person’s life is when you form your approach to life. The early events in life influence how someone acts in the present. “Adler stressed choice and responsibly, meaning in life, and the striving for success, completion, and perfection” (Corey, 2013 p. 103). Inferiority feelings are normal conditions that everyone has and they can bring out creativity in people. If we did not have inferiority feelings, than we would not be driven to overcome them and we would not reach a higher level of development. When someone reaches around the age of 6, how we view ourselves creates a life goal. “The life goal unifies the personality and becomes the source of human motivation” (Corey, 2013 p. 104). Objective reality does not have a lot of weight in this theory, it is how we interpret and place meaning on our experiences that is important.

The Adlerian therapy is a basic goal to help clients identify and change their beliefs about self, others, life and to participate in the social world. This counseling session will be approached by using the Adlerian perspective, to proceed with helping Javier’s and Alice’s family issues. The responsibility of being Javier’s and Alice’s counselor is coming to a solution how they could understand each other morals. During the counseling session, I would apply the lifestyle questionnaire to get a better understanding of each individual point of view in their marriage. However, I would question each individual at different duration of time. Then bring the two together to discuss their differences about each question I provide them with. To emphasize with this questionnaire, it could amplify with advantages and disadvantages with Javier and Alice’s marriage. The advantage with this procedure is Javier and Alice could benefit from this exercise, in a way of helping their marriage and family. The disadvantage of this procedure is when Javier and Alice hear each other, answers about the questionnaire that was provided to them. However, this could raise other issues within the marriage.