Influence of Childhood Experiences on Adler and Horney's Theories, Slides of Psychotherapy

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Adler and Horney

 He grew up in a Vienna family of six boys and two girls. His brother died as a very young boy in the bed next to Adler.  Adler was sickly and was very much aware of death. At age 4 Adler almost died of pneumonia. He overheard the doctor tell his father that “Alfred is lost.” This is when Adler decided to become a physician.  Adler felt dethroned after the birth of his brother.  He developed a trusting relationship with his father but he did not feel very close to his mother. Adler was extremely jealous of his older brother, Sigmund.  Adler’s early years were characterized by struggling to overcome illnesses and feelings of inferiority. He felt inferior to his brother and peers; which made him determined to compensate for his physical limitations, and gradually he overcame many of his limitations.  His early childhood had an impact on the formation of his theory. Adler is an example of a person who shaped his own life as opposed to having it determined by fate. His teacher advised his father to prepare Adler to be a shoemaker but not much else.

 Adler abandoned Freud’s basic theories because he believed Freud was excessively narrow in his stress on biological and instinctual determination.  Adler holds that the individual begins to form an approach to life somewhere in their first 6 months.  Focuses on how the person’s perception of the past and his or her interpretation of earl events has a continuing influence.  According to Adler, humans are motivated primarily by social relatedness rather than by sexual urges.  Behavior is purposeful and goal-directed  Consciousness; more than unconsciousness, which is the focus of therapy

 Choice and responsibility, meaning in life  The striving for success, completion and perfection  Freud and Adler created contrasting theories  Their individual and very different childhood experiences in their families were the key factor that shaped their distinctly different views of human nature.

 Every striving and every effort to overcome inferiority is now in line with this goal.  From the Adlerian perspective, human behavior is not determined solely by heredity and environment.

 Instead, we have the capacity to interpret, influence,

and create events.

 Adler asserts that what we were born with is not as important as what we choose to do with the abilities and limitations we possess.  Adlerian recognize that biological and environmental conditions limit our capacity to choose and to create.

 Adler stresses that striving for perfection and coping with inferiority by seeking mastery are innate.  An individual core beliefs and assumptions through which the person organizes his or her reality and finds meaning in life events constitutes the individual’s lifestyle.  In striving for goals that have meaning to us, we develop a unique style of life.  In striving for the goal of superiority, Adlerian believe some individuals develop their intellect , other, their artistic, talent; others, athletic skill; and so on.

 Adler came to believe in the importance of “feelings of inferiority” in motivating human behavior  To be a human being," he wrote, "means to feel oneself inferior." Adler believed that inferiority feelings are the source of all human striving. All individual progress, growth and development result from the attempt to compensate for one's inferiorities.  Our goal in life is to overcome feelings of inferiority and strive for superiority

 Birth order and the interpretation of one’s position in the family have a great deal to do with how adults interact in the world.  Although it is important to avoid stereotyping individuals, it does help to see how certain personality trends that began in childhood as a result of sibling rivalry influence individuals throughout life.

 Individual Psychology assumes that people are:  motivated by social factors  responsible for their own thoughts, feelings, and actions  the creators of their own lives  are impelled by purposes and goals

 The goal is to help clients identify and change their mistaken beliefs about self, others, and life and thus participate more fully in a social world.  Clients are not seen as mentally sick but as discouraged.  The client and therapist work collaboratively to challenge the client to translate the client’s insights into action in the real world.  Major contributions include elementary education, consultation groups with teachers, parent education groups, marriage and family therapy, and group counseling.

 Born Germany-of Norwegian parents

 Problems with dominant father-but

supportive mother

 Perceived self-homely

 Since I cannot be beautiful I will be smart.”

 Pressed to go to medical school

 Married Oscar Horney in Med School-

depressed & suicide attempt while in Med

School

 1932 came to USA

 Women’s Rights Advocate for her time

Agreed with Adler that our inherent nature

is constructive and that personality is

strongly influenced by cultural factors

Shared Freud’s views about psychic

determinism and the importance of

unconscious processes

Said little about the structure and

development of personality

 Basic Anxiety: child’s fear of being alone, helpless, & insecure  Children are powerless-unable to gain their place in society immediately-so must repress feelings of hostility & anger towards powerful adults, instead they need to strive to please them to get their needs met  Arises from social conflicts in family and larger conflicts within society  As a result, the child gives up the healthy quest for self-realization, and strives instead for safety

 Affection & approval

 Having a “partner”

 Narrowly restricting one’s life

 Power

 Exploiting others

 Social recognition & prestige

 Personal achievement

 Personal admiration

 Self-sufficiency & Independence

 Perfection & Unassailability