Adlerian Theory
Adlerian Theory
Sabrina Morrell
University of Kentucky
Key Figure(s) Associated with Adlerian Theory
The key figure associated with the Adlerian theory, which emphasized the need to understand
that individuals need to feel like they belong, and they need to feel superior was Alfred Adler. Alfred
Adler believed, “we all have one basic desire and goal: to belong and to feel significant” (“About Alfred
Adler”, 2018).
He was born in 1870 in Austria and raised with a large family; he was a child with many siblings
(six boys-two girls). As a child he was very sick, he was not supposed to live, because he had many
different diseases. He heard a doctor tell his father that he was going to pass away, and that made him
want to help others, so he decided right then and there he would become a doctor. Being sick only
made him stronger because he needed to believe he was better than what he was going through.
His thoughts of how he grew up inspired his Adlerian theory because it made him more aware of
his surroundings and how he needed to remain positive, so he could succeed. It is funny to think, he at
first became an ophthalmologist, which was a doctor who worked with an individual eye. He then
became a general doctor, so he could help people with other aspects they were dealing with. He
worked with a lot of the circus performers because his practice was close to the circus. Working with
the circus performers opened his way of thinking because he saw how all their inferiorities did not affect
their lifestyles. He started working with Freud on his psychoanalytic theory and eventually became the
president of their organization. He had a falling out with Freud and did not believe the individuals are
developed through the sexual development but more about their environment and the positive
relationships they have.
He then went on to create the Society for Individual Psychology, the Adlerian theory,
group/family counseling, and he eventually he created the first school for psychology helping to use
education to bring about the issues people were facing. All his accomplishments provided a very
important role in helping to understand it was important for individuals to feel superior and to help
guide them by nurturing their thoughts and feelings. He believed all people needed to be treated
equally in every realm of life.
Key Points
The Adlerian theory was based upon his philosophy, “We are not determined by our
experiences, but are self-determined by the meaning we give to them; and when we take particular
experiences as the basis for our future life, we are almost certain to be misguided to some degree”
(“Top 25 Quotes by Alfred Adler (of 91). “Meanings are not determined by situations. We determine
ourselves by the meanings we ascribe to situations ~ Alfred Adler” (“Top 25 Quotes by Alfred Adler (of
91). Alder felt people are based upon what they do not by what has happened to them. We make our
Adlerian Theory
own future by the experiences we have and what we do with those experiences will determine our
future whether we let it be positive or make it negative. Individuals should take all the experiences and
learn from them to turn it into something that can benefit the individual.
Adler had a lot of problems with his older brother that caused a great strain on their
relationship. He always felt like he had to compete against his brother and this caused him to have an
inferior complex. Therefore, Adler thought, once he was older, the birth order of a child affected the
way the child thinks. The actual order really did not affect how successful or good the child would be,
but how the child perceived him/herself about the order of their birth. Fortunately, Adler was not
supposed to live, due to being sick all throughout his childhood, and it made him stronger because he
needed to believe he was better than what he had gone through. His thoughts of how he grew up
inspired his Adlerian theory because it made him more aware of his surroundings and how he needed to
remain positive, so he could succeed.
He believed individuals needed to feel superior or not feel someone else is better than them.
He found it to be in the best interest of the client, for the counselor to be on the same level as the client.
He did away with clients laying on a coach, and instead sitting in a chair next to the counselor. This way
the client is more at ease and does not feel like they are being judge. This helped the client relax and be
more open to sharing their thoughts and feelings.
The Adlerian theory was a positive approach to counseling, whereas, the counselor encourages
