The Most Significant Aspects of Adlerian Brief Therapy
The introduction of Adlerian brief therapy to address the needs of clients seems to be one of the most optimal ways to eliminate various risks while empowering them to deal with challenges in the future. In this approach, the most significant part is the focus on cooperation or, in other words, the recognition of equal contributions of a therapist and an individual they are working with since the latter is inherently resourceful (Bitter & Nicoll, 2000). In this situation, it is possible to achieve results in the context of time-limited services while appropriately sharing the responsibilities.
Another interesting detail from the lecture is the lack of a link between a person’s problems and the conditions of the environment. This provision complements the ideas about accountability expressed above and explains why the examined techniques are beneficial in practice. For instance, when dealing with one’s experience in society, the recognition of the fact that it is of a subjective nature allows shifting the perspective from external circumstances to new opportunities (Watts, n.d.). This solution seems feasible from the standpoint of individual capabilities to overcome challenges in life while being fully aware of their origin in personal conduct.
Finally, the importance of a holistic approach should not be underestimated since it efficiently underpins the mentioned responsibility shared between therapists and their clients and the intention to distinguish between societal phenomena and individual abilities. According to Bitter and Nicoll (2000), the adoption of a systematic approach for understanding the problem is critical for finding suitable solutions in a timely manner. This stance is also confirmed by Watts (n.d.), who writes that holistic techniques are more effective than single measures. In this way, the most interesting parts of Adlerian brief therapy are the combined efforts of specialists and patients, the orientation on shared responsibility for outcomes, and a combination of implemented methods.
Adlerian Brief Therapy in Practice
In practice, Adlerian brief therapy brings substantial results to all clients regardless of their conditions; however, focusing on individuals with mild mental problems, which emerged recently, can be more informative. As follows from the article written by Bitter and Nicoll (2000), it is clear that anyone can benefit from this method, which means its apparent advantages for relatively short-term and long-term interventions. Nevertheless, the results can be better demonstrated when people do not have enough information about their issues and can be safely guided by a specialist. In this way, I could envision myself using Adlerian brief therapy when addressing the needs of individuals who are new to the subject of concern and have no bias based on previously learned coping techniques.
For example, one of such situations can be the provision of care for a person who faced burnout in the workplace and was reported to be overwhelmed by multitasking while being solely responsible for outcomes. In this case, the practical implementation of systematic interventions as per the discussed framework can ensure positive results as the task is to demonstrate the possibility to rely on individual creativity instead of external circumstances (Watts, n.d.). In addition, when developing a coping strategy for this patient, the therapist can consider suggesting immediate changes in lifestyle (Bitter & Nicoll, 2000). They might include more effective organization of work tasks, setting realistic goals and deadlines, and delegating duties if some of them do not comply with their position in the company. All these solutions are of short-term nature and can be introduced without preparation, which means the opportunity to reeducate the client while empowering them for further favorable shifts.
References
Bitter, J. R., & Nicoll, W. G. (2000). Adlerian brief therapy with individuals: Process and practice. Journal of Individual Psychology, 56(1), 31-44.
Watts, R. E. (n.d.). Being a therapeutic chameleon: An encouragement-focused perspective [PDF Document].