22 Most Effective Adlerian Therapy Techniques and Worksheets

Alfred Adler, a pivotal figure in the early development of psychotherapy, saw the importance of personal choice, cooperation, and connectedness in overcoming difficulties and making positive life changes (Carlson & Englar-Carlson, 2017).

Despite their age, Adler’s ideas remain as relevant as ever and in line with modern views that social relationships and self-actualization are crucial to human growth and wellness.

Adlerian therapy identifies human behavior as goal oriented and socially embedded and recognizes the importance of family groups (Sweeney, 2009).

This article explores Adlerian therapy and several techniques and tools that help people move forward in their lives.

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This Article Contains:

• What Is Adlerian Therapy? 10 Theoretical Principles
• 15+ Key Concepts & Goals of Adlerian Therapy
• Adlerian Therapy in Practice: 2 Examples
• How Does It Work? 10+ Techniques and Interventions
• 9 Worksheets, Activities, and Questions to Ask
• A Look at Adlerian Group Therapy Techniques
• 6 Limitations and Strengths of the Approach
• Training in Adlerian Therapy: 3 Opportunities
• 3 Fascinating Books on the Topic
• Resources From PositivePsychology.com
• A Take-Home Message
• References

What Is Adlerian Therapy? 10 Theoretical Principles

“Along with Freud and Jung, Alfred Adler was a major contributor to the initial development of the psychodynamic approach to therapy” (Corey, 2013, p. 102). After collaborating for 10 years, Adler deviated from Freud’s biological and deterministic point of view (which he believed was excessively narrow) to a social-psychological or goal-oriented view of human nature.

Crucially, “Adler envisioned a psychology of growth, where people could strive to overcome difficulties and actually change their lives” (Carlson & Englar-Carlson, 2017, p. 4).

The following points summarize some of the key theoretical principles of what became Adlerian therapy (modified from Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2015):

1. Holism
   Humans must be treated as a single unit rather than divided into separate parts.
2. Superiority striving
   Despite obstacles, we naturally strive (actively and creatively) toward excellence and task completion.
3. Purpose
   Humans work toward specific goals in life, driven by future hopes rather than past experiences.
4. Social interest and community feeling
   We strive to connect socially at an individual and community level. The absence of community would lead to arrogance and selfishness.
5. An idiographic approach
   While generalizations can be helpful, every human must be considered unique.
6. Phenomenology
   Everyone creates their own reality; experiences are based on individual perceptions and subjectivity.
7. Soft determinism
   Biology and environment influence, but do not determine, behavior.
8. Freedom to choose
   We are responsible for choosing our behavior from a limited number of options. Yet, we often make poor choices because of a lack of knowledge or education.
9. Lifestyle
   The schemas used for directing ourselves through our lives are established during childhood but can be changed later through education and therapy.
10. Optimism
    Adler was “hopeful that the pull toward social interest and community feeling and the drive toward completeness would help individuals live together peacefully and happily” (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2015, p. 88).

In summary, Adlerian therapy sees the individual as motivated by social relatedness, purpose, goals, and consciousness (Corey, 2013).

15+ Key Concepts & Goals of Adlerian Therapy

Collaboration between therapist and client is a crucial aspect of Adlerian therapy and rests on (Corey, 2013):

• Building mutual respect
• Performing a lifestyle assessment
• Identifying and disclosing faulty assumptions (mistaken goals) in the client’s lifestyle
• Reorientation of the client toward a more meaningful lifestyle

Adlerian therapy aims to develop “the client’s sense of belonging and to assist in the adoption of behaviors and processes characterized by community feeling and social interest” (Corey, 2013, p. 109).

The client is not considered sick or in need of healing. Instead, the therapist seeks to reeducate them and, where possible, reshape society. For the client to find a way of living with social interest, they must be given a new “cognitive map” – an alternative way of looking at themselves and the world around them.

The goals of Adlerian therapy are therefore educational, helping clients to (modified from Corey, 2013):

• Foster and grow social interest
• Overcome feelings of inferiority and discouragement
• Change their lifestyle by modifying their views and goals
• Challenge faulty motivation
• Recognize equality among people
• Become contributing members of society

Adlerian therapy is not only centered on the individual. Treatment recognizes the demands placed on the client by the world as six interrelated life challenges (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2015):

• Work or occupation
  Individuals must be able to work cooperatively through social relationships.
• Social relationships
  Establishing strong and healthy relationships is a vital outcome of therapy.
• Love and marriage
  Lifestyle changes, developing empathy, and thinking and acting to benefit relationships are also goals of Adlerian therapy.
• Self
  Our relationship with ourselves is formed during childhood but can be improved through good self-care and a reasonably positive yet accurate opinion of ourselves.
• Spirituality
  It is important and helpful to have a good understanding of our relationship with God, religion, and the universe.
• Parenting and family
  Family and parenting are essential life tasks and extensions of love and marriage.

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