The Case of Sally and Mid-Life Transition: An Adlerian Perspective in Therapy

Title: The Case of Sally: An Adlerian Perspective in Therapy

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Document Type: Article

Subject Terms: Psychology; Adler; Adlerian

Abstract: Examines the counseling case of Sally in perspective of an Adlerian view. Sally’s somatic complaints and mistaken beliefs allows Adlerian technique to help her to experience a full life including career and social connections. Adlerian assumptions: Interpreting Sally’s record; Effect of Sally’s Birth order; Tasks for the counselor.
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Sally’s predominant reason for coming to counseling is to alleviate a number of somatic complaints such as panic, anxiety, and
How can taking care of yourself help your marriage and your relationship with your children? What kind of role model does this give to your children? Is the goal of creating dependency in others really the healthiest aim?

The following are some possible issues a therapist could go over in terms of Sally’s “private logic” or mistaken beliefs: 1. I should adhere to my parents’ morals and rules and not my own. 2. If I find out who I really am, I’ll not only find nothing or I could be worse off than before. 3. I am socially awkward and weird and noone will want to be my friend. 4. My purpose in life is to take care of others. 5. I believe I should share my parents religious beliefs or I might go to hell or lose their approval. 6. My husband will leave me if I make changes in myself, such as work outside the home. 7. Life is boring and should not be fun, not even sexually fun. 8. I am afraid of confrontation and not doing the right thing. 9. The world is a scary place.

The goal of the second phase with Sally would be to utilize her autobiography, and the Life Style Assessment and interview which includes information regarding family constellation, early recollections, and birth order. By utilizing a Life Style Assessment, the therapist works on modifying Sally’s mistaken attitudes, and not just eliminating symptoms. At this point the therapist can make use of what Dreikurs (1997) calls “The Question.” The