Alfred Adler: A Classic Theorist

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Pillars of Adler’s individual psychology
Attractions of Adler individual psychology
Applications of Adler Theory to mental health
Conclusion
References

Abstract

The basic notion of Adler’s personality studies collectively named the individual psychology is the human beings struggle to achieve superiority. The theory resulted in significant changes in psychotherapy mainly introducing the view of prevention. This essay aims to present, in brief, the basic ideas of Adler’s individual psychology theory, and how it applies to mental health.

Introduction

Alfred Adler born 1870 in Vienna, died in Aberdeen Scotland, 1937 was the first president of Freud’s analytic society in 1910. Adler worked with Freud and Jung on personality until Adler denied Freud’s highlighting on sex and adopted the view describing the root of personality problems in an inferiority feeling developed from constraints on the needs for self-beliefs. After few changes in theory, Adler eventually underlined that individuals’ center of attention is to continue control over their lives. Adler also believed in a single force behind individuals’ behavior that is the urge to fulfill individual’s prospective. Adler called this theory the individual psychology (Hoffman, 1996). The aim of this essay is to present, in brief, the basic ideas of Adler’s individual psychology theory, and how it applies to mental health.

Pillars of Adler’s individual psychology

There are five main pillars for Adler’s individual psychology, first is all individuals are social beings, their main aim is to belong that is to find one’s place in the group. This Alder called social embedding, second is since life are progressively advancing incidents (movements), therefore we act and react to produce change, this Adler called self-determining. Third is since individuals cannot change causes, causes do not push the human dynamic struggle in life, rather aims pull it, as aims once identified one has the choice to change. This Adler called individuals are goal-directed. Fourth is subjectivity, which is humans recognize reality the way they feel it not the way it happens, thus, there is no utter truth. The fifth principle is individuals are holistic that is analyzing the scheme of beliefs as a whole rather than separate units (Dewey, 1978). Besides these five principles, the term inferiority complex emerged from Adler’s personality studies, which Adler explained as feeling of defective merit (Hoffman, 1996).

Attractions of Adler individual psychology

The attractions of Adler’s theory are 1- the stress on humans’ struggle for superiority. 2- The notion of compensation, as every individual feels inferior at times; the reaction to compensate that feeling is what shapes the individual’s personality. 3- Contrary to Freud’s ideas, Adler believed that both conscious and unconscious worked jointly to produce the perfect-self image specific for each individual (fictional finalism). Adler did not study big groups of individuals and suggested there are four personalities, three are negative and the fourth is positive. The negative personalities suggested by Adler are the avoiding, the getting, and the socially useful personalities, while the ruling personality is the positive one. Finally, the interesting notion of birth order as a part of power dynamics decides the feeling of power or weakness in the family. (Dewey, 2007).

Applications of Adler Theory to mental health

Adler’s psychology contributed significantly to mental health intervention. Adler identified prevention as the first intervention level, starting with parents’ training Adler realized that to reach most of the children he had to train teachers displaying how to communicate and affect children. Thus, Adler’s theories had a mass impact on education. The next level in Adler’s mental health intervention is counseling in the form of encouraging therapy concentrating on specific problems. Counseling aims to help the individual to become a fully functioning member of the community rather than fulfilling the patient’s expectation, although it is important. To reach this aim the person should recognize the best self and work to achieve this image (Stein and Edwards, 2006).

Conclusion

The principal ideas of Adler’s theory are social feeling, self-determination, aim orientation, subjectivity, and the holistic nature of human beings. The cornerstones in Adler’s mental health application of the theory are prevention and achieving the best-self image.

References

Dewey, E. A. (1978). Basic Applications of Alderian Psychology: For Self-Understanding and Human Relationships. Coral Springs, Fl.: CMTI Press.
Dewey, R. A. (2007). Psychology: An Introduction.
Hoffman, E. (1996). The Drive for Self: Alfred Adler and the Founding of Individual Psychology. Cambridge, Ma: Perseus Books.
Stein, H. T., and Edwards, M. E. (2006). Classical Adlerian Theory and Practice. In Stein, H. T. (Ed.), The Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler (Volume 12: The General System of Individual Psychology: Overview and Summary of Classical Adlerian Theory & Current Practice).

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