My Social Work Companion: Adlerian Family Therapy

Background

Alfred Adler (1870–1937), though an early collaborator with Sigmund Freud, was one of the first major figures to break away from Freudian psychoanalysis to establish an independent school of personality and psychotherapy. Adler’s formulations challenged Freudian theory, which understood human motivation as being biologically and instinctually driven. For Adler, individuals were social beings and were motivated by the drive to overcome feelings of inferiority and to achieve a sense of self-esteem, adequacy, and power within their social and relational worlds. A person’s character and personality including behaviors, perceptions, feelings, and thoughts illuminate how he or she fits into the social milieu (Sherman & Dinkmeyer, 1987).Alder and laterAdlerians viewed the family as the primary social matrix that exerts an influence on the formation of personality. A person’s sense of self-esteem, self-worth, and ability to establish healthy human
relations emerges from observing and interacting with parental models. With a focus on relationships and parenting strategies, Adlerian psychology clearly formed the basis for the child guidance movement. Most important,Alder with his emphasis on understanding the self within the social context provided a conceptual
framework for understanding human motivation as relational and social rather than individualistic and autonomous.

concepts :

Family atmosphere :

each family has a unique family atmosphere which consists of the climate of relationships that exists between family members. because the family is a system according to adlerians and each member influence others in the family/system. this is unique to each family and differs from one family to other. Parents serve as a role model for defining relationships, work and participation in the world also they act as emotional role model for children.

Family constellation and birth order :

Adler often noted that the family system or constellation consisted of the parents, children, and even extended family members, but then he would immediately shift to a discussion of birth order. Adler made reference to essentially fi ve birth positions: only, oldest, second of only two, middle, and youngest.

Mistaken goals

There are two goals as described by adlerians. Life goals for the development of lifestyle and immediate goals for everyday behavior. for children who are misbehaving in family dreikurs lists four goals as motivational typology they are attention getting, power struggle, revenge and demonstration of inadequacy. additional goals include getting (attitude that they should get whatever they want) avoidance and self elevation. There is similar goals for adults as well. mistaken goals of parents when dealing with children include trying to demonstrate adequacy, attempting to display control, acting with revenge and responding with display of inadequacy .By keeping these interactive goal patterns in mind, Adlerians are able to make sense of both the children’s behaviors and the parental actions and reactions reported in family process. Goal recognition and disclosure is central to Adlerian family counseling and therapy.

Therapy goals : establish and support parents as effective leaders of the family

Techniques : goal disclosure, motivation modification

Therapist role : collaborator who seeks to join the family working with both the children and parent in an open forum counselling.

Limitation : process relies of changes effected by family members outside therapeutic setting which is not observable and more emphasis of therapists ability to assess family interaction and make assumptions on mistaken goals. the democratic nature of the approach may not suit across all cultures and even all euro american families.

the following videos should help you guys in quick recall or to refresh your memory when you want to come back again after detailed study of the source given in reference section.