Adlerian Case Study Examples

Ryan is the presented client in this case at twenty-five years old. He identifies himself as a heroin addict and first started using substances at the age of twelve years old. This was around the time that Ryan reports his parents got divorced. His substance use first began with occasional alcohol and marijuana use that became daily use by the age of fifteen. Ryan shares that he then began to experiment with a variety of drugs including opiates which became his drug of choice. His use of opiates escalated from pills to intravenous heroin use that he was supporting through dealing, stealing, and pawning. The client has made attempts at sobriety previously including detox, inpatient, intensive outpatient treatment, and one-on-one therapy. His girlfriend recently entered treatment for her heroin use and Ryan is able to report numerous consequences of his drug use over the past several years including pending legal issues that have driven him to

The Adlerian approach encourages individuals to take steps and develop goals to change their lives. Also, the Adlerian approach encourages a more productive and positive way of life through developing new skills, insights, and behaviors (Sharf, 2012). Specific skills from the Adlerian approach I would like to implement with Ryan would include life tasks and therapy along with task setting and commitment. In these skills we would work on testing Ryan’s satisfaction in five areas of his life including occupation, society, love, self-development, and spiritual development. This would assist in identifying issues to be addressed in counseling and can be used throughout to measure his progress. With the issues identified task setting and commitment may be used to develop small attainable tasks that reach positive goals of changing one’s life (Sharf,