Adlerian Therapy The basic goal of the Adlerian approach is to help clients identify
and change their mistaken beliefs about self, others, and life and thus participate more fully in a social world. The therapeutic process helps clients make some basic changes in their style of living, which lead to changes in the way they feel and behave. From the Adlerian perspective, therapy is a cooperative venture. Therapy is geared toward challenging clients to translate their insights into action in the real world.
One of the strengths of the Adlerian approach is its relationship to technical eclecticism. The Alderian model lends itself to versatility in meeting the needs of a diverse range of clients. Adlerians are not bound to follow a specific set of procedures, which gives them a great deal of freedom in working with clients. Adlerian therapists are resourceful in drawing upon a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and experiential techniques that they think will work best for a particular client.
One of Adler’s most important contributions is his influence on other therapy systems. Many of his basic ideas have found their way into other psychological schools, such as family systems approaches, Gestalt therapy, learning theory, reality therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, person-centered therapy, and existentialism. All these approaches are based on a similar concept of the person as purposive and self-determining and as striving for growth and meaning in life.