ADLERIAN THEORY

Understanding the
Individual
 Adlerian Theory
The practice and belief that people as
individuals should be validated, connected,
and made to feel significant.
It is important in discovering ways to help
the person move forward if they are seeking
to improve their lives.
As applied to therapy, it focuses on the entire
individual and embraces the personality as
the development of children and environmental
influences.
 Alfred Adler
Ophthalmologist Psychiatrist

Alfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor,

psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual
psychology.

His emphasis on the importance of feelings of inferiority, the

inferiority complex, is recognized as an isolating element
which plays a key role in personality development.
He believed that :
“ a misbehaving child is a discouraged child”

“discouraged individuals would act out when

they feel unloved or unsupported”
Adlerian Theory : A Sense of Belonging

People are their best selves when they

feel connected and loved by those
around them.
According to Adler, when we feel encouraged, we
feel capable and appreciated and will generally
act in a connected and cooperative way.
When we are discouraged, we may
act in unhealthy ways by competing,
withdrawing, or giving up.
This is especially important in family units that thrive
on help from each in the family. When someone in
the family feels like they are not appreciated, whether
it be a child or adult, they will act in ways that are not
healthy. This can include withdrawing, competing, or
giving up altogether. Feeling discouraged will only
further this behaviour and will cause the person to
become isolated from their family.
Accepting The Individual
The Adlerian theory accepts the person
as a whole individual instead of just as a
collection of behaviours, beliefs, and
influences.

...by highlighting the good qualities

and showing the person that they
are valued, their negative behaviors
and beliefs can slowly be replaced.
Therefore, the Adlerian Theory’s overall goal :

 To get rid of the feelings of inferiority

 To become stronger and more perfect

An inferiority complex
is a fundamental feeling of
inadequacy due to real
or imagined social,
psychological, intellectual,
or physical defects.
 Birth Order Effects : Myths
This is simply a quiz to see whether or not birth
order really does affect our personalities.
 What position are you in your family birth order?:
Oldest Middle Youngest Only Other

1. You have a very busy week ahead and need to get

organized so you:
A) Make a to-do list
B) Look over your calendar and make a mental note
C) Go with the flow, you’re not too worried

2. You are at a family gathering and you find yourself

squished between an aunt and an uncle , what happens
next?
A) You talk their ears off about anything and everything
B) They talk your ears off about anything and everything
C) You’re counting down the minutes until you can escape
3. Your best friend asks you if you want to go to karaoke
bar this Thursday, you say:
A) It sounds like fun, but I have a huge midterm Friday
B) Sure! My parents won’t even notice I’m gone
C) I’m there! What time do drinks start?!

4. Your bedroom is:

A) Fairly tidy, everything has its own place
B) A little on the messy side
C) A complete disaster

5. You’re going to join the school sports team, what

position do you want to fill?:
A) Starter and Captain
B) Doesn’t matter, I just want to make the team
C) Whatever position gets me in the headlines
6. You had to submit a piece of art work for your final
assignment in art class, how did it turn out?
A) You created a perfectly sculpted replica of the
Eiffel Tower
B) You won the award for Most Creativity, simply a
masterpiece
C) Your dog ate it

7. Your idea of an adventure would be:

A) A well-planned ski trip with a few close friends
B) A random road trip
C) Something risky (sky diving, bungee jumping etc.)
8. You’re working in a group on a major school project,
you:
A) Assign tasks to every group member and work hard
to ensure the quality of the project
B) Do your share of the work load, no more, no less
C) Wait for someone else to take the reigns and do your
share the night before the due date.

9. Every year at your family reunion you play a big game

of basketball together, during the game you:
A) Gather up your team in a huddle to talk about your
strategies
B) You wandered away and no one notices...you hate
basketball anyway
C) You’re the point guard, you can’t wait for all eyes to
be on you
10. Your superior left you a list of chores to do today,
you:
A) Complete the chores early so the rest of the day is
yours
B) Work on the chores off and on throughout the day
until they’re finished
C) It totally slips your mind, they don’t get done
If personality is affected by birth order and you scored:

Mostly A’s: You are most likely the oldest child or an only child.
You take on leadership roles and strive for perfection. You interact
well with adults and are not afraid to take on responsibility. You
are usually confident and laid back. People often have high
expectations from you.
Mostly B’s: You are most likely the middle child or "other". You
may feel inferior, unwanted and misunderstood. However you
tend to have great social skills and are very creative.
Mostly C’s: You are most likely the last born, or the baby. You tend
to be outgoing, a risk taker, with great social skills. You may enjoy
being in the spotlight. However, you may sometimes be a bit
absent minded.
How Can Adlerian Theory Help?
Adlerian therapy can help individuals gain
confidence in themselves to help them make
confident decisions.

The goal of this therapy is to replace long-held

negative beliefs, so the person becomes more
self-reliant, confident, and socially empowered.
Remember :
A child who develops positive self-esteem or
feelings of competence and self-worth during
childhood will become an adult with strong
sense of social interest.
ROGERIAN THEORY
Self-concept
Carl Ransom Rogers
(January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987)
was an American psychologist
and among the founders of the
humanistic approach (or client-
centered approach) to
psychology. Rogers is widely
considered to be one of the
founding fathers of psychotherapy
research .
Concept of
Central idea

People live in a world of constant change

... That the center of this world is a set of

Ideas a person develops about himself or
Herself : the self- concept.
how a person typically
responds to the
countless happenings
or events in the world
and how that person
feels about himself or
herself in relation to
these occurences.
 Rogers believes that humans
are ruled by conscious perception
of themselves and
The ever-changing world
in which they live.

Rogerian theorist firmly believe that

individuals possesses the ability to
control their own actions.
Rogerian theorist believe that perception
of one’s experience is private, personal
and highly subjective.

A person’s view of the world

Known only to him or her.
 Rogerian theorists believe that people
have the tendency to develop all of
their abilities, to move forward and
to realize their full potentials.

The ultimate goal for human

is to become a fully
Functioning person. Rogerians posit the
Existence of a force
That causes an
Individual to adapt
And to grow.
The positive regard, that is,
support, acceptance and approval
form others is present in all
people.
Rogerians believe that a child
who is not accepted by or who does not receive
the approval of adults freely and
fully is hampered in development.
CHARATERISTICS OF A FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON

1. Open to experience: both positive and

negative emotions accepted. Negative
feelings are not denied, but worked
through
(rather than resorting to ego defense
mechanisms).
2. Existential living: in touch with different
experiences as they occur in life, avoiding
prejudging and preconceptions. Being able
to live and fully appreciate the present, not
always looking back to the past or forward
to the future (i.e., living for the moment).
CHARATERISTICS OF A FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON

3. Trust feelings: feeling, instincts, and gut-

reactions are paid attention to and trusted.
People’s own decisions are the right ones,
and we should trust ourselves to make the
right choices.

4. Creativity: creative thinking and risk-taking are

features of a person’s life. A person does not
play safe all the time. This involves the ability
to adjust and change and seek new experiences.

5. Fulfilled life: a person is happy and satisfied

with life, and always looking for new
challenges and experiences.