Adlerian Group Counseling and Therapy: Step-by-Step

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Adlerian Group Counseling and Therapy
Step-by-Step

• James Robert Bitter, Ed.D.
• Adlerian Training Institute
• East Tennessee State University

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Adlerian Group Therapy

• Is a form of Adlerian Brief Therapy
• Parallels effective living in everyday life
• Engages peers in the process and support of
  change within individuals and the group.

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Five who influenced me and the development of
this model

• Alfred Adler (1870 1937)
• Rudolf Dreikurs (1897 1972)
• Virginia Satir (1916 1988)
• Erv Miriam Polster

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Alfred Adler

• Adler was the first systemic therapist he
  developed the first social psychology based on
  the idea that all human behavior is purposeful
  and must be understood in context.

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Rudolf Dreikurs

• Dreikurs was a colleague of Alfred Adler he is
  responsible for the extension of Adlers work
  into the North South America, Europe, and the
  Middle East.

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Virginia Satir

• Satir is considered in the United States to have
  been the mother of family therapy her systemic
  approach focused on the development of
  self-esteem, communica-tion, human process,
  validation.

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Erv Miriam PolsterThe Heart of Gestalt Therapy
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Groups require and support democracy

• Groups encourage the development of voice
• Groups are experiential learning
• Groups provide support encouragement
• Groups engage in values-clarification
• Groups initiate develop what Adler called a
  community feeling and its implementation in
  social interest.

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Qualities of Group Leadership

• Presence
• Assertiveness and confidence
• Courage and risk
• Acceptance, interest, caring
• Modeling collaboration
• Adaptability a sense of humor
• Holism Listening teleologically working in
  patterns
• Tending the group process

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Initial Steps

• Meeting group members
• Adlerians do not pre-screen members
• Democracy requires acceptance of all
• Establishing group agreements rather than laying
  down ground rules or imposing structure
• Facilitating a subjective interview

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Psychological Investigations

• Family Constellation
• The Tasks of Life
• Early Recollections
• The Question

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Re-orientation Change

• Psychological Disclosure
• Experiment (Engaging in a Safe Emergency)
  Experience
• Group Problem-Solving
• Group Commitment Group Support