9-1 final project integrated personal approach

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1 Final 9-1 Integrated Personal Approach to Counseling Dillon A. Rodriguez District of Columbia, U.S. COU-520: Diversity in Counseling Sarah E. Campbell, Ph.D June 17 th , 2023

2 Final Critical Elements Theories The theory that most influence my integrated personal approach to counseling is the Adlerian Theory. Adlerian Theorists believe that “Individuals act within a social context and according to their subjective experience of themselves within the world. Individuals view their experience through the use of imagined (fictional) goals that act as a template for an adopted style of life” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 110). Lifestyle is not seen as good or bad, right, or wrong, but rather a developmental pattern to accomplish one’s “fictional” goal. According to Adlerian theory, “There are no mistakes in style of life. One’s habits and symptoms are precisely right for attaining goals determined by one’s style of life. Every person experiencing alcoholism, neuroticism, and criminal behavior makes goal-directed decisions based on his or her chosen style of life and aim to attain unmet needs” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 114). Adlerian Theory appeals to me because it promotes a concept of understanding that people are “whole individuals”, rather than a “collection of parts” which is similar to the rehabilitative perspective of holism (Drout et al., pg. 206). This understanding of individuals as a “whole” appeals to me because I think that understanding all aspects of an individual’s life, such as past experiences, social influences, and environmental factors is fundamental in recognizing and shaping behavior. Another aspect of Adlerian Theory that appeals to me is the concept of “family constellations, including birth order and family atmosphere” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 114). I think family dynamics and concepts like birth order are good indicators of how individuals view themselves and are taught to interact with the world. Life-span Human Development

3 Final Adlerian Theory, developed by Alfred Adler, as well as my integrated personal approach believe that “Starting in childhood, people develop beliefs about themselves, others, and the world based on early perceptions of their experiences in their environment” (Trippany- Simmons et al, pg 114). Individuals can understand, predict, and control life through these beliefs, making them “their truth”. An individuals lifestyle is developed through the feelings and behaviors associated with these beliefs. Lifestyles aren’t viewed through a good or bad lense, but rather as a way to navigate challenges in life and obtain these “fictional” goals. One important aspect of Adlerian Theory, and what gravitates me toward this theory, is the family system. Family is viewed as the “first social relationship” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 116), and children can develop an understanding of the family unit as a component of society, “learning to transfer trust, knowledge, and feelings to others outside of the family” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 116). As a middle child myself, I can recognize Adler’s belief on typical behaviors that can be identified based on birth order. I constantly felt like I was “catching up” to my older brother, having to find ways to out preform him. While he went into theater and developed knowledge of art and literature. I found myself choosing a path for sports and athleticism. I attempted to find my own ways to express talent and excel. Personality Development Adlerian Theory recognizes three main tasks as essential for individuals to fully develop. These tasks include; “coping with problems of social relationships (community), coping with problems of work, and coping with the problems of love.” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 118) Later Adlerian’s, like work from Rudolf Dreikurs, established two other tasks, “coping with the self and understanding existence” (Drout et al., pg. 210). These concepts are integrated into my personal approach to counseling because as I continue to advance my knowledge and

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4 Final education into the counseling field, I can recognize that most of the issues individuals seem to experience, are related to one of these five tasks. As a counselor in training, I can see how utilizing this theory as a lens to view our clients behaviors and feelings can result in a better understanding of the presenting problems. Additionally the concept of “whole” individuals, in that “One cannot “dissect” parts of the personality without losing some understanding of the main pattern or theme that runs through a person’s life, which is necessary for understanding the behavior of the person” (Drout et al., pg. 207). Each of the tasks that are seen as important in Adlerian Theory, also do not stand independent of each other, but are instead inseparable in conscious and unconscious ways that affect and are effected by their social environment. Problem or Issue Development Problems and issues, I believe, are seen to arise in development, when the tasks identified in Adlerian Theory are not met or individuals experience percieved “failures” in these tasks. According to Adlerians, “if one of the tasks is evaded, difficulties may ultimately unfold in the other tasks as well, or the pattern that works well in one or two of the tasks may not serve as well in the others” (Drout et al., pg. 210). Failing in the tasks of coping with self can cause disruptions in the development of understanding existence which can in turn affect coping with problems of work, or coping with problems of social relationships. As well as coping with problems at work can affect the understanding of coping with self, for example, A father who is the only financial support for his family, may lose the job that they felt secure in, leading them to question their role in the family dynamic and their function as a member of society. Developmental Impacts

5 Final My integrated personal approach is to look at an individual through an understanding that the beginning stages of their life are most influential to the outcomes of their adult life. The Adlerian Theory most exemplifies this belief because Adler believed that the first six to eight years of life are critical, as evidence by their behaviors and reactions to situations in life. “Adlerian theory assumes that individuals’ decisions are based on past experiences that impact current behaviors” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 114). Adler recognized that early memories were significant in revealing an individuals lifestyle. “These memories a person carries serve as reminders of limitations and meanings of events” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 116). Object of Change As a counselor in training, I am realizing, I try to be a problem solver. I look to understand and identify a specific issue that can be worked on until resolution. The Adlerian Theory appears to align with this belief. Adlerian Theory’s immediate goal is to identify the presenting problem and resolve it, with the primary goal of treatment being to increase social interest (Dreikurs, 1963). Adlerian theory “aims to assist the client in developing a perspective toward life that is more fully functioning, identifying and addressing fears, thoughts, and patterns that interfere with adaptive functioning in life’s main task” (Drout et al., pg. 214). This is something that I have recognized as something I would like to adapt. A client’s need to belong and contribute are where change and positive actions can be undertaken to enhance the overall wellness of clients. “Adlerian therapists assist clients in understanding the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that influence their lifestyle” (Dreikurs, 1963). Time Frames used to Evoke Change

6 Final The time frames that I think are important to use in counseling to evoke change are the present behaviors that are developed from past experiences. I think that identifying and understanding the past experiences that shape our current individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can assist with developing appropriate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during times of challenge or failures in tasks of life. Adlerian Theory “focuses on the current behavior and situation of the client, using awareness developed from the assessment, to clarify the client’s underlying goals and beliefs and to better understand what may be contributing to present problems and what one can do to change this” (Drout et al., pg. 214). Adlerians work to help individuals recognize mistaken beliefs that they hold that contribute to their presenting problem. Two main goals of Adlerian Theory that I would adapt into my personal approach is “(1) to identify that an error exists in the style of life and how the error developed, and (2) to replace the error with goals in harmony with social interest” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 121). Counseling Approach Approach to Healing The client-counselor relationship that I would like to integrate into my personal approach to counseling is that of a collaborative and educational one. I’d like to foster and enhance social interest by assisting clients with recognizing their lifestyle patterns that would be targets for change. I’d like to understand a clients lifestyle by collecting and interpreting information the client provides. Adlerian Theory would fit this view best because in Adlerian Therapy, the counselor, “begins to develop a picture of the client’s way of navigating through life, he or she makes soft interpretations and relays that information back to the client so the client can become aware of some of his or her out-of-consciousness processes” (Trippany- Simmons et al, pg 120). An Adlerian counselor looks to “educate clients about their personal

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7 Final freedom to make decisions about their lives, help them create alternate goals, and encourage them to become autonomous” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 120). Models for Helping The models for helping that would integrate into my personal approach to counseling would be the four phases of individual psychology in Adlerian Theory. The four phases are “building a collaborative relationship, investigating the lifestyle, gaining insight, and reorientation” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 125). I think these phases would integrate into my personal approach because they would provide a structured approach to the counseling session. In each phase I can explore aspects of the client and structure the session to build off of each phase. In the building a collaborative relationship phase, I as a counselor would enhance the relationship through “collaboration, cooperation, and mutuality, the client experiences a balanced relationship, witnesses social interest, and is encouraged to make their own decisions in the process” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 125). In the investigating the lifestyle phase we can explore the clients lifestyle, “including goals of behavior, mistaken beliefs, feelings of inferiority, fictional goals, and deficits in social interest” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 126). Building off the investigating phase We can gain further insight through the next phase by “facilitating client’s awareness about the client’s created lifestyle” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 126). I believe that when a client is aware of the reasons behind behaviors and their goals, they can effectively and consciously make decisions on what they would like to change. In the final phase, reorientation, Clients can intentionally decide which behaviors they can change or not change. Interventions for Helping

8 Final Some interventions that are going to be integrated into my personal approach to counseling is “Early Childhood recollection”, “The Question”, and “Spitting in the clients soup”. I think early childhood recollections are important, because similar to Adlerian theory, I think lifestyle choices are developed in childhood and that “the details in the memories provide a window into patterns of beliefs the person holds” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 128). “The question seeks an answer to what would be different in the client’s life if the identified problems no longer existed” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 129). “The Question” can serve as a “light bulb” for the client, as an “I never thought of that” moment. “Spitting in the clients soup” draws attention to motives behind useless behaviors. Allowing the client to “gain conscious awareness of the goals of their misbehaviors, those behaviors become less useful and less attractive” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 129). I would like to integrate these models, because they appear to me, to be effective models of bringing unconscious thoughts to conscious awareness, and gives the client control of deciding if the behavior, that is now conscious, needs to change. Techniques for Helping The techniques that are integrated into my personal approach to counseling are those of the Adlerian Theory of Relationships, Subjective/Objective interviewing, and facilitating self-understanding. I find these techniques to be important to my personal approach to counseling because they will help to foster connections with the client, provide more insight and knowledge on the client and their presenting problem, and encourage the client to continue development even after the termination of the counseling process. I know that I am not an expert, especially in the aspects of the clients life, as a counselor I would look to foster a relationship similar to the Adlerian approach that looks for the counselor to “maintain an active, optimistic, and supportive partnership with the client throughout the process of learning and change. The

9 Final relationship provides the basis for the development of the subsequent phases, as well as providing a secure context for helping the client explore himself or herself in relationship to the disability and providing for the exchange of information needed for the rehabilitation process” (Drout et al., pg. 212). Interviewing will be a useful tool to gain information on the client and their presenting problem. With subjective interviews “clients are very actively helped to tell their stories, with follow-up questions to understand client functioning in the five tasks of life and to help reveal their approaches toward life’s tasks, their unique strengths in coping, their blind spots, and what may account for their concerns” (Drout et al., pg. 212). Where as objective interviews include “gathering information about current concerns and how they began, social history, and coping efforts with life tasks, in addition to a lifestyle assessment” (Drout et al., pg. 212). These processes can lead to the facilitation of self understanding, which puts the focus on “interpreting the assessment findings to promote insight, in a sense a confrontation, in which the client examines the beliefs and goals the behavior may be serving” (Drout et al., pg. 213). I would look to relate lifestyle patters that are grounded in childhood experiences, to how a person relates to others and feels significant. Considerations and Limitations Cultural Competence My personal approach to counseling will manage cultural sensitivity/competence by widing my view of family systems and recognizing their divergence from past perceptions of family. “Family constellations can include nuclear or blended families, same-sex parents, single parents, and multiple-generational households” (Trippany-Simmons et al, pg 116). I am bias to this way of thinking, because my own otherness includes a blended family. When my father remarried, I was introduced to 4 new kids into my family. Learning how to get along and work

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10 Final together has been fundimental in how my family has developed and the close bond we now share. Incorporating this into my personal approach can hopefully enhance a clients view of their family system. Additionally, “the therapeutic goal of increasing social interest and redirecting selfish manifestations of striving for superiority is conducive to working with marginalized and oppressed populations, and offers a productive alternative for societal participation” (Trippany- Simmons et al, pg 118). I think that my personal approach will be acceptable for the marginalized and oppressed populations because it factors in the social oppression and marginalization that the clients are affected by as part of their “whole” identity. Ethical and Legal Considerations Ethical and legal considerations will be made using my personal appraoch to counseling by considering the aspects of the Adlerian Theory and how best to utilize them without causing ethical or legal issues with my clients. For example, the Adlerian Theory puts emphasis on early childhood experiences and family systems to view a clients development. The ACA code of ethics identifies A.1.d- Support network involvement as an ethical code to consider. Working within the Adlerian Theory, if a client needed a family member involved in the session, I would look to work within the code to make sure the utilization of that support network as a positive resource. Additionally, as a counselor in training I have a duty to recognize the vulnerability of clients in the counseling session and I have a duty to not lead the client during their sharing of life stories and memories. Leading or helping a client to remember, can be unethical and can lead to serious harm for the client. Rationale

11 Final These elements of the Adlerian Theory will complement each other and help structure my personal integrated counseling approach by giving me a base knowledge of information to scaffold from as I continue to develop myself as a counselor in training. Utilizing the Adlerian Theory, I can structure my counseling sessions to fit within the 4 phases of individual psychology and enhance the client-counselor relationship. Adlerian Theory can provide me a map to guide me through sessions with clients. Approaching each session from the perspective of Identifying the presenting problem and the focus of sessions, gathering the clients information, including early childhood experiences, and the current behaviors that may result from it. “Style of life and “Subjective perception of reality” are concepts that I have acknowledged as personal beliefs I have about how individuals develop personality characteristics, behaviors, and thought patterns. The characteristics and assumptions regarding birth order, are some concepts I have witnessed first hand, in my own family, as well as in families of individuals I have previously worked with. I have notices birth order characteristics have been perpetuated in my family as well. Trippany-Simmons et al (2014) describes the second child finding a unique way to make meaning and stand out in the family. For example, if the firstborn is academically talented, the second child may choose to excel athletically. This was a similar result in my family, as my brother went into medical education classes, and I gravitated to sports growing up.

12 Final References ACA Code of Ethics. (2006). Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(2), 235–254. Dreikurs, R. (1963). Individual Psychology: The Adlerian Point Of View. In J. M. Wepman & R. W. Heine (Eds.), Concepts of personality. (pp. 234–256). Aldine Publishing Co. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1037/11175-009 Drout, M. O., Habeck, R. V., & Rule, W. R. (2015). Adlerian Therapy [Review of Adlerian Therapy]. In Title: Counseling Theories and Techniques for Rehabilitation and Mental Health Professionals: Vol. Second Edition (pp. 205–226). Springer . Trippany-Simmons, R. L., Buckley, M. R., Meany-Walen, K., & Rush-Wilson, T. (2014). Indvidual Psychology [Review of Indvidual Psychology]. In Counseling Theory: Guiding Reflective Practice (pp. 109–140). Sage.

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