Major Concepts of Adlerian Psychology - Essay Example

Adlerian believe that the holistic approach automatically follows, in that if a counselor can help individuals, society as a whole will benefit. Major Concepts Holistic and Existentialist Alder’s theory will be integrated into my student counseling because it directs greater attention to the student as an individual. Alder’s approach is individualistic and as such departs from the Freudian concept that everyone can be viewed as having the same mannerisms and motivations for coping with human demands.

For Alder, the individual’s response system is influenced by individual factors such as “social history” which “fashions his or her personality in a unique way” (Day 2008, p. 176). In this regard, Alerian psychology is holistic and appropriate for counseling students who are developing as individuals. Students can also be influenced by peers and in this regard, Algerian psychology as an integrated part of my student development counseling approaches can help the student to develop independence.

Algerian psychology takes the position that “personal choice” is very important (Day 2008, p. 176). In addition to providing potential for change, personal choice or the freedom to make choices also emphasizes that the individual is responsible for his or her conduct although we may not always be comfortable accepting this burden. Therefore Alderian psychology is also referred to as “existential” since it targets complexities of being such as “freedom, choice, responsibility and the meaning of life” (Day 2008, p. 176). The student will therefore learn that only he/she can take responsibility for his/her conduct.

Style of Life The style of life theory will be integrated into my counseling program to help the students build character. The style of life theory features prominently in Adlerian psychology. It refers to those elements that direct the character and are established by the time the individual is 6 years old. These elements are virtually static and unchanging during the individual’s lifetime. They include the “internal sources of” an individual’s “values, beliefs, goals, and interests'” (Day 2008, p. 177). Style of life will therefore play a significant role in how the individual interprets his or her own experiences.

Style of life is thus not unlike the individual personality in that it is constant and influential throughout the lifespan (Day 2008, p. 177). Birth Order To help me understand my client student’s difficulties, I will integrate the Alerian birth order approach to student counseling. The family’s “psychological make-up” influences the child’s style of life (Day 2008, p. 177). For Alder, birth order depicts the child’s “chronological place in the family” (Day 2008, p. 179). For instance, the eldest child could be “dominant” and could be the “most responsible, most conservative” and most driven to achieve (Day 2008, p. 179). This could occur as a result of feelings of inferiority after the birth of a second child.

These feelings of inferiority could drive the eldest child to reassert his place throughout his lifespan. The youngest child tends to be “more dependent, less responsible and socially apprehensive” (Day 2008, 179). Likewise, the second eldest child is not as conservative as the eldest child this can be a result of the fact that parenting is looser upon the birth of a second child.