Running Head: FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER Final Integrative Paper: Adlerian and Solution Focused Theories Jennifer Monaghan Winona State University 1 FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 2 Distinct Elements of Each Theory Adlerian theory focuses on the person as a whole. It emphasizes the unity of thinking, feeling, acting, attitudes, values and the conscious mind (J. Sommers-Flanagan & R. SommersFlanagan, 2004). Bitter and Nicoll (2000) state that the relationship is the foundation for facilitating change in someone. The counselor and the client are first to develop a relationship. The counselor lets the client tell their particular story by empathically listening to them. I think that this helps people feel as if they have someone on their side. Adlerian theorists believe that people strive to belong (J. Sommers-Flanagan & R. Sommers-Flanagan, 2004). I find this to be true with everyone that I come in contact with. Adlerian theorists think whether a person is considered an introvert or an extrovert, they all want to belong to something. It is my personal belief that people strive to have at least one connection with someone. Adlerian theorists also believe that people strive with purpose. J. Sommers-Flanagan & R. Sommers-Flanagan (2004) affirms that humans actively shape ourselves to the environment around us. I find this to be true in my personal life. Depending on what I am doing, and who I am with, I will change myself to fit my surroundings. One thing I personally like the most about this theory is how it incorporates the family constellation. During the session, the therapist is asking questions about family lifestyle and early childhood memories. I think this is important to understanding the whole person. The way they grew up influences the way a person lives their life in the future. Solution-focused therapy key points are to look for exceptions to problems that the client is experiencing. The theory emphasizes that client do not need to know why their FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 3 problem exists or how it began (J. Sommers-Flanagan & R. Sommers-Flanagan, 2004). This theory looks at that is already working rather than focusing on the problem in itself (Hanton, 2009). I like how solution-focused theory utilizes scaling as a technique. I believe that this helps clients and counselors see exactly where they are on a continuum. The thing that I found to be most interesting, with this theory, is the therapist compliments the clients on their achievements and strengths (Kahn, 2000). I often times do this in my tapings because I feel that it shows my unconditional positive regard for the client. I think by pointing out what the client is doing right rather than focusing on the problem will build a good rapport with the client. This essentially provides a strong foundation for a positive relationship with the client and the counselor. The Meshing of the Two Theories The two theories have a lot in common and they provide an effective complement of techniques to use in the session. Both theories explore the idea of having goals. Solutionfocused therapy has the clients set attainable goals with meaningful outcomes. Both Adlerian and Solution-focused theories embrace the concept of encouragement to the help the client reach their goals that they set for themselves. Both theories emphasize effort and outcome (McCurdy, 2006). Masaster and Corsini (1982) believe that people not as psychological sick, but discouraged (as cited in Watts and Pietrzak, 2000). Drieikus (1967) also believed that encouragement was a necessity of counseling. He thought that problems are based on discouragement (as cited in Watts & Pietrzak, 2000). Both theories provide encouragement for clients to work through issues and problems. FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 4 Another commonality that these theories have that they identify positive perceptions of mental health and the client’s willingness to move towards goals (LaFountain, 1996). Both theories provide a framework for an effective counseling session. Adlerian techniques are very nurture oriented and provide an optimistic outlook for the client. The theory allows for time to reflect on the past and present concerns. Counseling often times provides clients with the skills to cope with their issues leaving them to feel a sense of relief. Both theories combines gives a client a full picture of their life and what may come from their choices. Solution-Focused techniques are very future orientated. By looking for the future, it gives the client hope that their problems will be manageable. I feel by looking at the past with Adlerian therapy and the present and future with solution-focused therapy that it gives you a whole picture of an individual. Combining the Philosophies and Techniques According to Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, and Paisley (2008) Adlerian theory uses five philosophical stances. They are responsibility and creativity, teleology, phenomenology, holism, and social embeddedness (Fall et al., n.d. as cited in Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). Responsibility and creativity refers to Adler’s belief that humans are creative beings who have free will (Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). To embrace this philosophy, I will use creative techniques like writing a future autobiography. This allows clients to get creative with how their future will play out. I think that clients can be creative when finding solutions to problems in the solution-focused theory. The second philosophical stance is teleology. The teleology philosophical idea is that humans are goal oriented (Ziomek-Daigle, FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 5 McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). Solution-focused and Adlerian theories go together on this idea. Both theories have individual create attainable goals for the client to work on. As a counselor, I will help the client create the goals. I will also help the set up a plan of action to work towards their desired outcome. Phenomenology is part of the third philosophy that Adlerian believes in. This is a belief that each individual perceives their environment in subjective manner. This creates an assortment of different understandings of the environment surrounding the clients (ZiomekDaigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). A technique that I think will work well for this philosophy is using paradoxical strategies or acting “as if”. If the client can change their perception of the environment around them, then they may be able to change their behavior. I also think that the technique reframing would work well for clients. The fourth of the philosophy roots is holism. To better understand the individual needs to be viewed at as a whole rather than a sum of their individual parts (Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). As for as technique, I think that having a rapport with the client will help understand the person as a whole. Incorporating the family constellation would be a good point to bring up to discuss any early memories of a learned lifestyle. This is useful in helping clients gain insight. The three lifestyle questions have the clients explore their lifestyle. The last of the philosophical roots is social embeddedness. This refers to the belief that humans strive to belong and have a sense of social connectedness (Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). Developing the rapport with clients, group counseling, and reframing can all be positive techniques to use with a client. The philosophy with techniques for each theory provides an effective framework for a counseling session. FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 6 Integrating Multiculturalism Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, and Paisley (2008) sited that Adlerian based interventions work extremely well in the school system. Using this theory tied with group therapy has been reported to be effective for many students (McChurdy, 2006). This helps students feel a sense of social connectedness with others that may be facing similar problems. These theories focus on understanding each student from their unique perspective coming from diverse backgrounds (Ziomek-Daigle, McHahon, & Paisley, 2008). This also means understanding that each problem is different for every client. I feel that both Adlerian and solution-focused therapy would work well for children of all ages and with a diverse population. I feel that the social connectedness of this therapy and focusing on solutions to problems would work well for any one that is at any age in their life. I believe that people are shaped by their environment and past experiences. The general goal in this therapy is increase the client’s awareness of what is going right in their life and finding solutions or exceptions to problems (McChurdy, 2006). I like that fact that you and your client set specific goals that you work towards during the sessions. I also like that this is a very individualist plan, since each client that I will see is different. I see myself using this when I am a school counselor. My students will come to me with a concern that they feel is problematic. I will work with them to look solutions in their environment, their thinking, and their self concept to help them develop skills to cope with their problems. I think that reframing the problem would be beneficial for a client. Providing them another way of looking at the problem and thinking about a problem may be the only solution for them. FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 7 I believe that exploring social injustice with clients can be beneficial to their healing. Watts and Pietrzak (2000) report that Adlerian focused counselors address social equality issues and emphasize the social embeddedness of humans. Validating their concerns and acknowledging their problems is helpful for clients during therapy (Hanton, 2009). The challenges I will face working with a diverse population is to not normalize everyone or their experiences. Both Adlerian and solution-focused therapies celebrate an individual’s uniqueness (Flanagan, Flanagan, 2004). It is vital that I don’t generalize people’s behaviors and assume that everyone is doing it or feeling that way. I am comfortable working with people from different ethnic, religious, and race from me. To maintain my skills, I will be constantly learning by taking classes, going to work shops, and learning something new with each client that walks into my office. I will also keep up on different cultures beliefs and traditions. I will treat each client with the kindness and respect. Remembering that they are all unique individuals is something that I find to be valuable in developing a positive rapport with each client. Myself as a Tool in Counseling The first thing that I am going to do when I get a client in my office is to be welcoming. I want to encourage the client to enter into counseling as their complete self. It is important for me to convey the message to the client that they are in a safe space. This will be done through going over the informed consent with the client. The initial interview with the client is imperative in learning about the client. This is a time to get to know the important information including thoughts, feelings, and actions taken by the client. By getting this information, I can better assist the client by knowing what to focus on. This will provide better and more effective FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 8 sessions. Also, by gathering information the client and counselor can establish the first stage of the helping process: establishing a working relationship. This is a very important step in my eyes. I believe that by creating this relationship with clients, you are building a foundation of trust with them. If you don’t have this, it may be hard for the client to open completely up to you as the helper. The goal of therapy is to gain insight and redirect behavior that the client feels is troubling (Linden, 1984.). As the counselor, my part in the session is to help guide the client in the direction the want to take. I think of myself as the wind behind lost waves in an ocean. I don’t want to push the clients into doing that doesn’t fit with their lifestyle. I think the miracle question from the solution-focused theory enables the client to focus on what their future would look like without their problems present. As a counselor, I can provide guidance to the client about where to focus their efforts to attain their goals. I can provide them questions to reflect on while they are working towards developing their skills to cope with problems. I will always provide a non-judgmental environment for the client to explore their inner self. I am also available to answer questions and present psycho education for the client and families. I plan to do all of this while providing unconditional positive regard and encouragement. The career path I am currently having an interest in is school counseling. I know that I will be doing a lot of referrals. I want to make sure they are getting the best care possible. I want them to know that it isn’t as if I am ditching them or that I don’t want to do it, it’s just that I may not be the best suited for it. I feel very comfortable asking other professionals with advice FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 9 or thoughts on my current client. Seeking a supervisor will also help my competence, and I know that I will be at ease asking for it. This will make me a better tool for my clients. My Self Care Plan In the field of counseling, you see people all day that are having problems in their lives. I think that not bringing everyone’s problems home with me at night will be my biggest challenge in this career. I have a feeling that I will always be wondering how my clients are doing, and if I said or did the right thing to them during the session. Some things that I have been currently working on in my life are telling people “no.” I have a hard time with that, because I want to be able to help everyone that I can. Another thing that challenges me is being a perfectionist. When I am given a job or a task, I feel that I must be the best for them because that is why they chose me. I think that they chose me because I am the best, and that I must live up to their standards. I am still working on making some tasks good enough to be done. I think this will be a constant goal to work on for myself. A skill that I need to work on is to take time for myself to avoid becoming burnt out. I do take a vacation every year with my mother to a different location. I plan to continue this as many years as I can. I feel that this is highly beneficial, but I may need to take more time than once a year. I find this to not only be relaxing but a time for me to do a mental check-in with myself about where I am in life and if I am happy. I do try to reward myself once I get a large project or paper done and hope to continue this in the work place. These are skills that will carry me through my career. While in my time in graduate school, I have learned how to tell if I am starting to become burnt out. I can feel it both physically and mentally. I notice that I start to feel FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 10 compassion fatigue. I start to not care about people like I usually do, and begin think about my own sorrows. If I become impaired I will immediately refer my clients to other counselors such as my coworkers for a short time period. I would feel as if I was letting them down if I would continue to counsel them not at my best. I would know if I were becoming impaired if I wasn’t providing the best care possible that I could. My hope is that I will catch myself getting burnt out before I become impaired. I will survey my self-care habits, and checking in with my goals often to avoid becoming useless to clients. I will know when I am burnt out when I start thinking about my own problems during a session with a client. It is as this time that I should be devoting my full attention to them, rather than thinking about myself. Many of the students that I will see in my office will be stressed from school or family life, and I need to make sure I am not comparing stress levels with them internally. Once I discover that I am burnt out, I will work on helping myself get back to good health. I will go on vacations, do some soul searching, and regain a new perspective. I will also look at what caused me to become burnt out and work on changing this before I let it happen to me again. This will help me provide the best care possible to my clients. I do plan activities with the people that I enjoy being with. I find this to be the most beneficial to me. I also see that I try to make new and positive relationships every day. When I can feel my faith in life slipping away from my priorities, I will call friends and family and talk to them about the important aspects of my life. They are usually a good reminder to me to make sure I am not loosing track of the influence of my social support system. For my physical aspects in my life, I love to go on walks almost every day, when the weather is nice. I am very FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 11 excited to move to a state with mountains in the near future. This allows me to go hiking and the weather should be consistent. I find this to be so relaxing and will give me time to catch up with the person I am spending time with. I think it’s important to survey the self care habits you do. This can be done every couple of months to ensure that you are providing quality self care. It is important for people to check their happiness level. By checking in every so often, this would avoid the beginnings feelings of becoming burnt out. I think it is also important to make sure that I am not bored with my job. It is important to challenge yourself. Doing assessments or inventory can help you look at the big picture of that year in your career. It will allow you to make changes as you see fit. This will help you better yourself, which in turn will make you a better helper. FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER 12 References Bitter, J. R., & Nicoll, W. G. (2000). Adlerian brief therapy with individuals: Process and practice. Journal of Individual Psychology, 56(1), 31. Hanton, P. (2009). Solution-focused therapy in a problem-focused world. Healthcare Counselling & Psychotherapy Journal, 9(2), 22-25. Kahn, B. B. (2000). A model of solution-focused consultation for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 3(4), 248. LaFountain, R. M. (1996). Social interest: A key to solutions. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 52(2), 150. Linden, G. W. (1984). Some philosophical roots of adlerian psychology. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 40(3), 254. McCurdy, K. G. (2006). Adlerian supervision: A new perspective with a solution focus. Journal of Individual Psychology, 62(2), 141-153. Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2004). Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley. Watts, R. E., & Pietrzak, D. (2000). Adlerian 'encouragement' and the therapeutic process of solution-focused brief therapy. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(4), 442-447. FINAL INTEGRATIVE PAPER Ziomek-Daigle, J., McMahon, H. G., & Paisley, P. O. (2008). Adlerian-based interventions for professional school counselors: Serving as both counselors and educational leaders. Journal of Individual Psychology, 64(4), 450-467. 13