Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meanings we give to situations.

Alfred Adler

Adlerian Approach to Teaching

What are Major Adlerian Concepts?

• Oneness 
• Social embededness 
• Courage to risk imperfection  
• Law of movement 
• Equality/equity  
• Egalitarian relationships 
• Holism  

How are these concepts important for teaching?

The Adlerian concept of oneness is related to the idea of belongingness, and a concept of Gemeinschaftsgeful. is also related to social embeddedness. These concepts are important for teaching because they highlight the connection between mind and body, and between a person and society. The classroom is the mirror of the social field and so the idea of oneness relates to the classroom directly.  

Adlerian teaching holds the position that relationships are egalitarian, which means the relationships of social equals those that have equal values. That should explain the whole attitude of the teacher, how the classroom is structured, how the dialogue is held, and how the conflicts are being resolved.  

Courage to risk imperfection is perhaps the most motivating Adlerian concept applied to teaching and learning. This is what we encourage students to master. It is only when we have the courage to risk imperfection that we overcome our challenges and move from felt minus to felt plus in the socially useful way. 

How is Adlerian teaching different from other types of teaching?

It is much more egalitarian and conducted on a horizontal plane. It is also a form of social activity, with shared responsibility for the outcome owned by all participants. The Adlerian teacher walks the walk. The Adlerian teacher knows Adler’s theory, and their teaching shows the congruence between the walk and the talk. The Adlerian teacher is empathetic.

  

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Design Strategies: Adlerian Teaching

What is the Socratic Method?

In the Socratic method, you’re considering the consequences. The consequences of knowledge are always communal, relational, and social. The goals are to: 

• encourage the development of that knowledge  
• develop courage to build the knowledge  
• know the difference between knowledge and facts 

Why use the Socratic Method?

• It creates a learning space where everyone is equal in that space and when we’re equal space is considered a safe space. 
• It is the belief that people are safe and wise and have knowledge. 
• The learning space allows the nurturing of courage to be responsible for the consequences of possessing knowledge. 

How do is the Socratic Method used?

When designing Socratic questions, the goal is to create a learning environment that fosters critical thinking, deepens understanding, and promotes active engagement with course materials. You are also designing question for students to seek knowledge.

Examples of Socratic Questions:

• What do you mean when you say XYZ? What do you mean by that? 
• What is it like for you to [depress, worry all the time, feel angry, etc.]? 
• If this was true, what do you think would be the strongest evidence to support it? 
• What do you think might be causing this problem to continue for so long? 
• What is it like to believe this thought? 
• When do you tend to believe this more or less? 
• What do you typically do when thoughts like this come up for you? 
• What did you do right before XYZ? What was going through your mind right before you got real upset? What were you telling yourself? What were you thinking was going to happen? How will you make sense of what’s happening? 
• What would be different if you were well? 
• When you wake up what would be the first sign for you that a miracle has happened, or a change has happened? 
• What might happen next if you continue XYZ? How will you know it happens? 
• What needs to happen for the changes to keep happening? 
• What might get in the way of you achieving this? What problems might come up and what can you do to plan for success? How could you overcome these obstacles? 
• I remember you saying XYZ. Am I missing anything? 
• What just happened? (to ask at the end of productive dialogue, all right after an emotional moment)  
• What do you plan to do with what just happened? 
• How do you want to move forward from here?  
• Now that we see there are a few possibilities, what looks like the best plan? The blunder is right by you? How so? 
• Has it always been this way? Does it always have to be this way? 
• What beliefs are we evaluating? What alternative beliefs are we considering? (a two-column work) 
• What is another way of looking at the situation?  

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Facilitative Strategies: Adlerian Teaching

Framework for Instructor Response

Integrating both instructor response and peer response into the teaching and learning process, Adlerian educators create a balanced and inclusive approach that addresses students’ academic, social, and emotional needs while promoting collaborative learning and personal growth. Instructors can structure their responses using the “Formula 1-2-3” Approach. This approach is aimed at providing effective feedback and support to students. Here’s what each component represents:

Example:

Human Nature & Human Values Discussion

Instructor Prompt:

Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology often impresses people as either being very simple (“nothing new” kind of reaction) or very (at times, too) complex and confusing. The reality is that Individual Psychology is based on the philosophy of human nature and values, and that makes it both complex and simple, filled with deep philosophical arguments and practical everyday advice for human living at the same time. Please read the assigned reading and view the video presentation. As you are reading and viewing, pay attention to your own reactions to Adler’s fundamentals, to what might feel like a common sense (“I knew this all along” type of reaction), and what might impress you as an “Aha” moment, and what might seem too complex to grasp and relate to.

In your discussion post, please do the following:

• Briefly describe three experiences, one for each above category.
• Explain how you have made a choice.

Student #1 Response to Instructor Prompt:

Adler’s concepts are straightforward and simple. Although these concepts aren’t anything new, they are useful. They may be simple but not necessarily easy to implement. We are imperfect and our nature may go against these ideas (Bluvshtein, 2018). Individual psychology relates to human nature and understanding those values to improve ourselves for well-being and social contribution. Humans are complex creatures, and their behavior is often contradictory (Bluvshtein, 2019). What I appreciate about Adler’s philosophies is they are practical as well as applicable. I can see these teachings in my life. Despite my statement that his teachings are common sense, common sense is not common. This is clear in 2020 and our society. Adler’s deep teachings would help society, especially now when social interest is not clear.  

What impressed me was the idea that self-improvement involves both risk and courage (Bluvshtein, 2019). This makes sense to me and helped me develop a deep appreciate for Adler’s teachings because it is advice to improve our lives. I resonate with Adler’s idea of holism and considering every aspect of a person (Bluvshtein, 2018). I am interested in the connection between holistic healing practices with clinical psychology methods. When we consider the entire person, we can evaluate which direction to take to help them.  

What I find complex is the idea that all behavior is purposeful, even symptoms (Bluvshtein, 2018). I can see truth in this but believe many people would not find this relatable and may reject it. Humans often contradict themselves (Bluvshtein, 2019). An example is someone who experiences severe anxiety. They may be convinced anxiety is debilitating. They might be so miserable they are blind to how they are contributing since they feel helpless. I think Adler would ask, what are these symptoms trying to tell you. Where is your anxiety serving you and most importantly what is beneath it? Self-reflection and awareness are crucial for growth. Insight is vital to develop strategies to solve the problem.  

Student #2 Response to Student #1:

The complex beliefs about symptoms are a real struggle for us all. Depending on where you are sitting, the client or the observer, can lead to wildly different interpretations of the root cause. Like you stated about trying to identify how a person’s anxiety is serving their needs or debilitating them. Many times I see anxiety as a natural reaction to stimuli based on the person’s confidence level and learned responses. Have you ever considered anxiety to be a cognitive response due to a lack of experience and it should be treated as a tool to identify a lack of confidence? 

Student #1 Response to Student #2:

Thanks for your reply. I do believe that yes, anxiety can definitely be a cognitive response to lack of experience as well as competency and confidence. I have largely been considering however that I believe all major cases of anxiety such as panic disorder for example, most likely stem from trauma. I’m not sure if this is backed by literature but my guess would be all severe, chronic anxiety conditions originate from trauma early on it life and is a conditioned response due to not feeling safe.

Instructor Response to Students #1 & #2:

This is of course a great separate topic deserving a separate course, but I am so grateful for your willingness to engage in a complex clinical conversation.

Let me chime in…

I can see onset of anxiety, as you have mentioned, being a response to certain environmental stimuli. What about its maintenance? Could it be that maintaining anxiety is one’s way to resemble a sense of safety and thus is (subconsciously) purposeful? There are of course organic causes to some anxiety-like conditions and symptoms. In Adlerian therapy, we do rule those out by asking The Question – how would you life be different if you did not have the symptom. I hope this makes sense, and thank you both for a stimulating dialogue. 

Student #3 Response to Student#1, Student #2, and Instructor:

These are all really great points about anxiety. I also love Adler’s perspective that all behavior is purposeful, including maladaptive behavior. In my own experience, I’ve found that taking this perspective is much more useful in overcoming symptomatic behavior than the tactic of strong-arming it away. In the case of anxiety, I would assume that–regardless of the root cause–the purpose is in one way or another to create safety. And in fact, anxiety produces hypervigilance that is incredibly powerful and useful under the right circumstances.

Lauren, I’m glad you brought up this point about all behavior having a purpose. It was something that I wrote down in my notes but didn’t make it into my final post.

Instructor Response to Student#1, Student#2, and Student#3 using the Formula 1-2-3 Approach:

What a rich contribution, Lauren! Thank you for sharing with us. [1-Acknowledge & Affirm]

It is true that self-improvement requires courage, and there is a specific kind of courage that we are talking about in Adlerian psychology – courage to risk imperfection. I often say that although everyone grows, not everyone develops in a  direction of perfection. There is no will or efforts in growth. We grow, plants grow, animals grow. Improvement is a deliberate, willful, directed, and effortful growth. That growth requires certain steps that we have never taken before, and so we risk imperfection. Yet, as Adler maintained, that imperfection is the only way to ultimate perfection, whether we will ever actually get there, or will just keep trying to achieve.   This is what I always tell people, who are hesitant in their movement, preferring perfect stagnation to imperfect movement. I hope this makes sense. [Clarification & Constructive Feedback]

I love your question, “Where is your anxiety serving you?” This is exactly the question we explicitly or implicitly ask when dealing with anxiety. Symptoms appear without much control on our part, and they may come out of blue. Yet, their maintenance (unless symptoms are of organic nature) serves a purpose. That purpose is subconscious, and is revealed in a course of therapy. A client then has to either abandon symptoms or abandon their goal. We can talk more about this — I may have make things more confusing now :). Not to worry – this is an advanced clinical concept, and a controversial one. Does this make any sense? Anyone? [Encouragement & Next Steps]