Alfred Adler's Four Basic Lifestyles

First in a series on Alfred Adler’s Counseling Theories

Adler describes four basic life styles: The first type is well adjusted and does not strive for personal superiority but seeks to solve problems in ways that are useful to others as well as himself. The second type wants to prove his personal superiority by ruling others. The third type wants to get everything through others without an effort or struggle on his part. The fourth type avoids every decision.

Adler believed that an almost radical change in character and behavior would take place when the individual adopts new goals.  The way to help a person with any negative responsive life style is to help the person move from reacting wrongly to life by changing his way of viewing it.  People can change; the past can be released so the individual is free to be happy in the present and future.

According to Adlerian counseling, the counselor explores the current life situation as the client views it, to include his complaint, problems and symptoms.  The client's early life and position in the family constellation are discussed.  Adler believed that the order of birth is an important determiner of personality.  The first-born is given a great deal of attention until the second child is born and the first is dethroned.  The dethroning experience may affect the child in a number of ways such as hatred for the second child, conservatism, insecurity, or it may cause a striving to protect the other and be a helper.  The second child is in a different situation for he shares attention from the beginning, which may cause him to be more cooperative or competitive.  He may strive to surpass the older child.  All other children are dethroned but never the youngest, which is often spoiled.  The youngest child may seek to be taken care of by others or strive to overcome all others.

Some favorite questions of Adler were: And why do you feel like that? What purpose does your illness serve? What do you think is the reason for your reacting that way? The interpretation puts an emphasis on the individual's goal and life style.  The Mirror Technique is used whereby the individual looks at himself.  Adler compares the client with a person who is caught in a dark room and cannot find an exit.  The therapist helps the client illuminate the room so they may find a way out to a new way of dealing with the problem.  Adler wrote, Every individual represents both a unity of personality and the individual fashions that unity.  The individual is thus both the picture and the artist.  Therefore if one can change ones concept of self, they can change the picture they are painting.

Adler had very little to say about hypnosis, but what little he did say indicates that he did not understand the clinical possibilities of hypnosis.  He recognized that no one could be hypnotized against his or her will.  He did believe however, that the individual who allowed himself to be hypnotized placed himself under the power of the hypnotist.  In spite of this misunderstanding of hypnosis, he offers a great deal to the hypnotherapist with his Fictional Finalism, Mirror Technique, Family Constellation, and his understanding of Inferiority Feelings and Inferiority Complex.

By Chaplain Paul G. Durbin, PhD, IMDHA Diplomat is Director of Clinical Hypnotherapy MHSF, affiliated with Methodist Hospital, New Orleans, LA - www.durbinhypnosis.com