Adlerian

This is my paper that started my graduate school education that started with learning to be a counselor and ended up achieving a doctorate in Education, but more specifically in Reading and literacy leading to research and writing. I found out there are a lot of correlations between education and counseling in various areas. I am still interested in writing and sharing my ideas using various counseling theories. This is actually a 15 page paper that was handed in a few weeks before the end of the semester to see what particular theory that we would probably use in our practice or whatever we were planning to do in the future.

Adlerian Counseling Theory

The definition of Adlerian therapy is one of becoming and leading to a feeling of superiority of life tasks, goals, and idiographic principles. Adlerian therapy is where family constellations and birth order may come into play in the family. According to this therapy form one must strive to please, comfort, control and be superior. People must learn from their early recollections and dreams to form ideas of what they are and may be in the world. Adlerian therapy is about re-education and reorientation and giving encouragement to them (James, 2003).

Being a very quiet type of person I still think I will be a good counselor, since one of the basic skills of counseling is listening actively. I mainly work with geriatric patients as a Licensed Practical Nurse with all the trappings of the job. I work with them helping with ADL's (activities of daily living) and their medications for the day and evenings. The position is in a Behavioral Health Unit so we also work doing Activity groups. These group activities are primarily dealing with Reality Orientation, Resocialization, Didactic Education and Relaxation, when working with the elderly population you usually do not get a lot of conversation at times and you have to try other avenues to see what level the patients or clients are, so they will to open up to you. I usually use games, art, music and literature to start activities and get a general idea of cognition of the group members. When they do participate in the sessions I encourage them and their peers and slowly they begin to trust me and the others. When trust forms they may even answer questions and share ideas about the topic of the activity or why they may be there in the hospital.

The problems are usually dealing with Major Depression, Anxiety, Bi-polar disease and Schizophrenia, but mainly we deal with Dementia/Alzheimer's disease (impaired cognition). After working with these problems and types of patients the group sessions give me a chance to be creative and build motivation and have fun with the patients. Also, in working with the elderly I have done various art projects like drawing, painting, sculpture, which at times have brought out frustration that lead to the patient admitting that they need help in getting things completed. These art projects have brought out emotions that they needed to express so they can feel better. I have also lead activities using physical exercise to improve Range of Motion and flexibility and to increase their knowledge of nutrition. These activities will improve physical motivation and hopefully improve their quality of life. Teaching the Didactic Education sessions the topics that are covered are decision-making skills, memory skills, coping, and thinking skills to help them solve their own problems. During some teaching sessions if the patients are able to understand they will learn about their medications from what they are called to possible side-effects to even the doses whether they happen to be increased or decreased and how they are progressing in the mileau.

I feel I am definitely an Adlerian because I like to be creative and have fun, but as a quiet type of person it helps me improve my skills and be more inventive and open to situations that may happen in therapy. I like doing and leading activity groups pertaining to art, music, and exercise activities. All of these activities for the most part do increase motivation for the leaders and the participants. Adlerian ideas fit me mainly because I like to encourage others to try to share ideas that may improve their understanding of what is happening to them. This may lead to a discussion about their medications or whatever they may be willing to discuss to promote wellness and improve thought processes and how current behaviors are not working the way they want them to in their lives.

To be continued