Adlerian Psychology: Theory of Human Behavior

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An Adlerian is any person who applies the ideals and principles of Alfred Adler into their work; this does not restrict to just psychologists or counsellors, but instead applies to several occupations such as teachers or doctors. I’m an Adlerian because studying at Adler School of Professional Psychology I can rest assured knowing that once my degree is complete I will have a deep understanding of bringing together Adlerian principles into my counselling profession. Adlerian principles according to NASAP's (2004) newsletter “Adlerian Psychology-Theory of Human Behavior” can divide into different components: lifestyle, social embeddedness, phenomenology, teleology, creativity uniqueness, inferiority feelings, striving for superiority, vertical and level striving, and holism entrenched within all these components. As one notices, Adler had various principles and ideals, therefore if I was to pick just one that I hold dearly, it would be difficult to choose. Yet, in this paper, I will narrow my focus on addressing a few special components that are dear to me and finally select one that is most meaningful. I hope to use this as a base representation of the ideals I will apply in my work as an Adlerian practitioner.

As an Adlerian practitioner, one of the ideals I envision myself applying in counselling sessions would be lifestyle analysis. A lifestyle explains a client’s personality; it incorporates upon the belief system that a client develops as a child through their early years and within his/her family systems. Once a practitioner understands a client’s lifestyle it can assist in explaining worldviews, goals, and how a client deals with challenges. Personally, I have always considered that lifestyle analysis is important,...

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...life style analysis directly and indirectly to better understand the background and past of my clients, thus helping reshape and encourage them to think about their future.

In conclusion, it is important to realize that all the constructs connect with each other through holism. Holism explains each of Adler’s principles as they are about understanding people based on the whole environment or systems. I feel that we should respect holism; it is definitely a principle that applies to different fields as well, such as medicine. In our generation, holism and health care is currently an emerging trend, with research proving the benefits, so having Alfred Adler created his psychology based on holism is reason to believe that he was well beyond his caliber, as a result many people can benefit from practicing or acknowledging the Adlerian principles in their work.

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