This paper is covering the application of the Adlerian theory of psychoanalysis to the problems that John a patient is suffering from. The paper is focusing on describing the key issues and treatment needs of the patient in relation to the key concepts, processes, techniques, and procedures according to the theory. By doing this, it’s addressing the major issues in psychotherapy, the crisis these problems pose and the means that a therapist would use to address the problems then lastly account for the strengths and weaknesses of working under this theory. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
According to Alder, human beings live based on socially constructed meanings which are majorly based on the undervaluation of females and overvaluation of males. According to him, human behavior is based on a final goal that pulls all activities towards the same direction and emphasizes it as the source of the creative power, freedom, and ability to choose the direction the individuals’ life takes. He takes up a humanistic view of life that contributes to the levels of cooperation, interconnectivity, self-fulfillment, self-development, contribution to the common welfare, and appreciation of what others do towards nature and other people. (Kirwan, 1984)
He emphasizes the role of parenting and schooling in personality development that can either result in psychopathology or a good sense of community and interconnectedness depending on the care given by these institutions. According to this theory, a mother is a primary factor in socialization, and the father together with other caregivers are influencers to personality development. He argues that this process takes place through the level of care or neglect that a child is subjected to in the early stages of consciousness that raise feelings of insufficiency and inferiority.
These feelings develop with reference to the sense of cooperation, help, significance, stimulation, and encouragement to develop courage and personal capacity from parents, another family, and community members. The final results of this personality development process are the conscious feelings of social interest, community, interdependence, personal importance, and sense of being needed. (Kirwan, 1984)
From the patients’ description, the key issues that need special treatment include the problem of chronic stress, the difficulty to adjust to changes in life, and the possibility of shock from the loss of his wife and job. He also has the problem of exercising authority over others to make up for the inferiority, the problem of feeling general boredom, and the lack of commitment to what he likes and enjoys doing. Other problems that he has included those of being over-demanding, setting unachievable goals, distancing himself from others, and having an underdeveloped sense of community. (Kirwan, 1984)
The causes of these problems include the deficient upbringing by Nannies who could leave him alone at times and the lack of motherly and fatherly support. This problem led to the development of a lack of interconnectedness with others and the feelings of lack of community. This deficiency in lack of interconnectedness has led to the over-demanding nature of other people and not reciprocating to them so as to satisfy the deficiency and inferiority.
Another factor to take into account is that he was born a middle child after two elder brothers that implies being less appreciated as the last of the three. The high expectations and goals set for him by the parents led to criticisms, feelings of incapability, and lack of support that in turn led to a lowly developed sense of being needed by others and inferiority. The overly pampered school-going time resulted in the development of being over demanding on others like going to live with his mother and living under the support of his wife. The fact that his parents did not allow him to mess means that he had poor development in the oral, anal and phallic stages of development that led to his improper personality development. (Kirwan, 1984)
The key concepts that can be argued to be the cause for these problems include those of repression, projection, and unconscious deprivation. Other key concepts that may have contributed to the same include resistance, transference, interpretation, and the effect of oedipal attachment. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
The therapeutic processes that can be used in an attempt to solve the problems that John is experiencing include the use of expressive arts therapy that seeks to bring back the trust and openness in creativity in connecting the personality to the self. This can be done through the use of primary integration therapy that tries to impose emotional healing from what was to what is. Psychodrama that seeks to heal the past using liberating talk and startling insight from a past scene to resolve and integrate the person into reality can also be employed. Other processes that can be used include Jungian sand play and gestalt therapy that use dialogue and symbols to bridge the past and the present. (Kirwan, 1984)
On the other hand, the techniques that can be used to address John’s problems include the involvement in celebrations, emotional discharge, target practicing and target switching that are the tools that can be used to deviate his thinking from the current problems. The procedures of the theory that can be applied to correct John’s problems that majorly deal with the symptoms include the use of implantable devices like the use of catheters and ablation procedures. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
The major issues in John’s case include the feelings of inferiority that results to attempts of pursuing superiority rather than success, the lack of feeling of community that results to lack of sense of interdependence and inability to work cooperatively and the problem of setting unattainable goals. Other major problems include the problem of deficient in choice making like not being able to go back to his job, the problem of having a high discrepancy between reality and its perception and that of being over demanding on others. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
In Johns case there is potential crisis in that having lost his house, wife and job the level of psychological loss must be high. Taking note that he has a problem with choice making, adapting to changing situations and an underdeveloped sense of community he may choose to distance himself from the tasks of life and other people. The major ways that he may use include substance use and abuse or suicide among other risky ways. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
A therapist using this theory to address John’s problems will need to establish a close relationship with him so as to win his cooperation. After being psychologically close to him to be able to feel his problem then he should take the opportunity to encourage, reassure and give him hope for change by giving him genuine warmth, understanding and acceptance. After that then he withdraws neutrality so as to discover helpful ideas then combine these with the historical information about him to understand the meaning he gives to love, work and community so as to help change these views.
He should then practice encouragement skills through cultivating courage and self esteem in him then engages him in goal evaluation and formation so as to help him resolve attainable goals in life. At this stage the therapist knows enough to take him to the missing experience track that will induce different actions and thinking in him. After this he engages in enforcement of the new thoughts and experiences that makes the individual develop the feelings of community that will help in goal redirection. After goal redirection the individual can be let on his own with a little intervention to practice the new resolutions, pursue the new goals and practice the new thinking that is free from the past experiences. (Kirwan, 1984)
The ethical issues that need to be dealt with in helping John improve his life include the religious and cultural formations and value that he upholds. These include the acts of cooperation with others and reciprocating to those who help him. Other ethical issues that may need to be addressed in him are the ethical issues of respect, courtesy and patience that may be less developed in him taking into account the underdeveloped personality. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
The strengths and weaknesses of working with this theory is that it’s one of the most socially accountable psychologies, it creates for the unique development and problems of individuals and that it gives enough contribution to the individual and the society. However, it has weaknesses in that it is a very optimistic model and gives so much emphasis to the feeling of community as an indicator and goal to mental health. (7th Ed. Corey, 2005)
The Alderian theory of psychoanalysis is a model which argues that human personality develops from the intimate attachment or neglect of an individual by the mother, who is the primary socialization agent and the father together with other people close to a child. However this process is subjective to the reference of other people around the child like parents, brothers, sisters and other adults.
Reference list
Corey, G. (7th Ed) (2005) Theory of Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy.
Corey, G. (7th Ed.) (2005) Manual for Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy.
Kirwan, W. (1984) Biblical Concepts for Christian Counseling: A Case for Integrating Psychology and Theology. Baker Academic.