Substance Abuse Case Study: Adlerian Therapy

10) Which counseling philosophy or practice is being used when you use fables as analogies to the child's situation?

The Adlerian therapist, on the other hand with his orientation of depth psychology, would approach the session with a priori convictions and perceptions about the client's situation. These beliefs would then format the way that he constructs and directs the session as well as the way that he interprets response and reaction of Daniel.

This paper will carry out a comparative analysis of the two most important psychological therapies, the Adlerian Therapy and the Gestalt Therapy.

It is my goal to become a school counselor in a local high school. As a school counselor, it is also important to try and understand the different experiences that children go through in order to get through to them. After studying the different counseling theories, I have discovered that each theory is valid and there are ideas and techniques that I would use out of each of them. However, there are some theories more than others that I would use to guide me daily as a school counselor. Modern day counseling is equipped with a wide variety of therapies, techniques and approaches. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast three approaches of therapy. Also in this essay the views of the person and the Therapeutic process will be

Following this study Watkins (1992) analyzed the research activity with Adlerian theory appearing in the Journal of Individual Psychology during the years 1982 to 1990. 103 studies appeared during this nine-year period. This was a significant increase over the previous 12 years that he had reported on earlier (Watkins, 1983). Although he did not attempt to evaluate the quality of the studies reported, Watkins (1992) does conclude by stating that the research into Adler's theory is still on the increase and suggests it is a vital theory that lends itself to empirical inquiry. Since 1990, the reported research has continued to grow with the Journal of Individual Psychology publishing additional studies on marriage, children, substance abuse, class room management, behavioral problems in children and youth, and offenders. A number of other professional journals have included research articles on Adlerian theory as well.

Wood, A. (2004). Alfred Adler’s treatment as a form of brief therapy. The Journal of contemporary psychotherapy. 33 (4), 287-301.

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.

D.D. is a 50-year-old, African American male presenting with a number of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The client reports that he came to counseling for “extra support and someone to talk to.” D.D. has been struggling with mental health issues since he was young. Since the age of 15 he has been hospitalized on and off for “hearing voices.” In the early 1980’s he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed Risperdal to treat the symptoms. Since then, D.D. has been in a variety of mental health settings, including hospitals, day programs, and outpatient treatment. The client has an extensive alcohol and drug use history that he believes impacted his Schizophrenia. In the early 1980’s the client would use alcohol every day “to avoid the voices,” drinking “anything he could get his hands on.” He was also heavily involved with drugs at that time and regularly used marijuana, PCP, cocaine, and heroine. In 2000, the client was sentenced to eight years in jail for four bank robberies. While in jail, D.D. received mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment, which was greatly beneficial. When the client was released from jail in 2008, he was drug and alcohol free and was taken off of Risperdal.

The desired outcomes for reality therapy groups and Adlerian therapy groups are both similar and dissimilar to one another in varying ways. Reality theory groups seek to change a members“…being stuck in repetitive and nonproductive activities” and that failing to achieve their goals should not bring self-deprecation (Gladding, 2016, p. 334). Adlerian groups “emphasize social cooperation and teamwork…focusing primarily on the growth and actions of the individual within the group rather than the group itself” (p.

This final phase also enables people to solidify the gains they have made and move forward with their lives in healthier and more fulfilling ways. The clinician and client determine when the client is ready to complete treatment and agree on follow-up procedures to make sure clients stay focused and continue positive growth. I feel that this therapy could be used on anyone, from a child experiencing issues to an adult with difficulties in their life. A child could be experiencing a horrible ordeal with a step-parent, a rocky relationship with the child’s parents arguing or fighting all the time, or even a child watching their parents go through a divorce. All of these examples could stay with a child up until adulthood, and the clinician would have to dig deep in the past to see where the issues stemmed from. I like this therapy a lot because I feel that people do have some underlying issues that they are battling with from growing up or in the past that are causing them to feel the way they are today.

This approach to therapy utilizes the framework of Individual Psychology, which ascertains that people should be understood holistically and human behavior is purposeful. Adlerian

a 32-year old, DAAM, who appears anxious and guarded. Reports that he was brought to the crisis center by police because his father kicked him out of the family home and when he was still sitting on the curb several hours later, the police were contacted. Client reports feeling anxious and depressed. Says that he has been suicidal for "at least the past ten years" and thinks he is at his worst right now. Says he is hopeless, helpless and doesn't think he can change his lifestyle right now.

After watching and analyzing the theories presented in class, the Adlerian Theory resonated with me the most. This theory focuses on the impact of birth order, accepts viewpoints from the clients’ prospective, and also helps with clients’ confidence. Because this theory focuses on multiple life tasks: social interaction, work, sex, spirituality, and coping with oneself, it opens up a broad space for the client to be able and comfortable with speaking to you about many different events in life.

I feel that our perception of the past influences the way we act in the present. However, I do think that it should be taken into account that I, nor my client, will be able to change the past. Early experiences play a significant role in who we are but do not determine us as a whole. I believe Adler’s idea of a subjective reality, individual to each person, is similar to how people operate. People create and interpret their own experience, which means that a sense of reality is individual to each person. It is my goal as a counselor to do my best to try and understand each of my client’s realities and cater to them that would seem fit, since we are not all molded the same in our thought processes. People have the capacity to interpret, influence and create events. In order to understand people we must first understand the systems of which they are part. Adler’s life style assessment is holistic and systemic. In any beginning counseling relationship, I would try and gather as much information as I can about their attitudes and come to find an understanding of the lives that they live through their own personal perspective. This subjective reality is described as phenomenological and includes the individual’s perceptions, thoughts, feelings, values,

Social embeddedness. One of the most important concepts of Adlerian therapy is the focus on the social importance of humanity. Adler viewed people as social