Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung are both well-known pioneers who have dominated the field of psychology with their theories. However, a lot of people overlook their colleague who also took his theory to a different perspective to find the school of Individual Psychology, Alfred Adler.
Who is Alfred Adler?
Alfred Adler was a physician, psychotherapist, and the founder of Adlerian Psychology. He is actually considered the first community psychologist as his work focuses on the aspect of community life and population health. Adlerian psychology has a major focus on human needs and having the ability to be able to create a positive social impact. One of his most well-known concepts are the Inferiority and Superiority Complex.
What are the Inferiority and Superiority Complex?
The inferiority complex is caused due to overcompensation. This, in turn, develops a lack of self-esteem, and a person usually finds themselves striving for a position in which they excel. The superiority complex occurs when a person feels the need to prove themselves more superior than they actually are. Adler claims that the superiority complex is born out of the inferiority complex and uses the superiority as a means to escape difficulties.
Goals of Adlerian Psychology
The main goal of Adlerian Psychology is to help the patient feel competent and connected and the overachieving goal being to reduce the feelings of inferiority. The process consists of three sub-goals –
- Reduce feelings of inferiority to a normal, helpful size
- Reduce feelings of the superiority complex and striving constant superiority over other people
- Help promote feelings of community and equality
The phases of the treatment are as follow –
- Phase 1: Establishing the therapeutic relationship
- Phase 2: Assessment
- Phase 3: Encouragement and clarification
- Phase 4: Interpretation
- Phase 5: Lifestyle redirection
- Phase 6: Meta-therapy
These phases and treatment align with the critical ideas of Adlerian Psychology.
Seven Critical Ideas of Adlerian Psychology
- Unity of the individual
- Goal orientation
- Self-determination and uniqueness
- Social context
- The feeling of community
- Mental health
- Treatment
With that, I leave you with one last quote from Adler himself, “Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give situations.”