Alfred Alder was an Australian medical doctor and the proponent of individual psychology. He was also a psychotherapist and the proponent of Adlerian theory groups as well. Parents with special needs children face diverse challenges and need constant support, especially emotionally. The same is the case with children with disabilities. Adlerian theory of group is applicable in helping parents cope and accept their situations. Adlerian group therapy has been discussed under different lights over the years (Hamm et al., 2016). Its success has been attributed to group collaborations in dealing with personal issues. Alder's theories were both politically and socially oriented. He approached psychotherapy from a group perspective and illustrates that people with the same set of issues are more inclined to openly disclose their innermost fears and obstacles for analysis and intervention purposes. Adlerian theory of groups will help parents with disabilities cope with the challenges of caring for their children.
Premises of Adlerian group
People are motivated by social interests, as presented by the Adlerian theory of group. His theory is also referred to as individual psychology. This theory is client-oriented and is designed to understand the social situations of the clients. From this theory, the therapist's primary role is to help the parents develop coping mechanism Disabilities in children cannot be treated and define the lives of the children and the parents from birth to death. In this respect, the only choice parents have is to develop coping mechanisms.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Alder stipulates that all humans can create and influence events either to their favor or against it depending on the circumstances. In this case, parents can take advantage of their situations and make the best out of it. The therapy will help change the perceptions of the parents towards disabilities. This will increase their acceptance levels of their children's disabilities and the challenges that come with it. Under creativity and choice, it can be deduced that Adler’s theory of group is based on the assumptions of self-determinations. In this case, all the parents need to understand their situations and their effects on them and other family members, including their children.
In this case, the therapy supports the parents with disabled children’s role as a passive victim, which presets their abilities to cooperate with the therapist (McConnell, 2018). There are diverse theories that have been building up to support the Adlerian theory of group, some of which are used based on philosophy. The study of human consciousness, for instance, can be related to the Adlerian theory of group. In this case, all the group members' behaviors in the group counseling programs are understood from their diverse perspectives towards life, coupled with their life experiences. In this regard, it can be deduced that social lives are intertwined with the theory of group therapy.
Adler had divergent perspectives on the relationship between social interests and social development. According to Adler, people who do not have social interests are not healthy, whereas those with social interests are healthy. This health referred to mental health, such as wellness, is directly linked to the ties people have to society (Tavakolizadeh et al., 2019). His concept can be used to understand the implications of group counseling to increase clients' chances of meeting some of their needs through their affiliations with other group members. Inferiority is one of the issues that are addressed by Alders's theory of group. According to Adler, people view inferiority negatively; hence, most people attempt to find meaning in their lives.
According to Adler's theory, group therapy stipulates that the quality of life can be enhanced by dealing with obstacles, which are challenges facing parents with disabled children. This is subsequently achieved by working with the therapist to develop strategies to deal with issues or overcome the challenges in questions (Adler et al., 2019). Self-determinism brings out the implications of future behaviors based on past experiences and behaviors (Tavakolizadeh et al., 2019). This ideology stipulates that every current state is defined by past events and states an implication that the future is based on the past. Sharing these perceptions in a group helps the clients evaluate their personal progress based on past events and experiences.
The practice of Adlerian Theory of Group
Adlerian theory of groups' primary idea is that parents with disabled children can learn from each other and grow. This type of therapy entails a group of people with the same psychological issues (Hamm et al., 2016). This takes different forms, with the primary aspect being developed as a group. There are several steps put in place by the therapist and need to be adhered to. The process from the first to the last stage represents the growth of the group through their issues. These steps begin with the formation of a group that considers the type of problems the people face or otherwise the purpose of the therapy group. The next step is to formulate a healthy and democratic climate that is also acceptable to all the potential members.
Step 1: Establishing and maintain relationships
This step entails the formations of a healthy therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the parents. The group therapy will entail getting to know the core issues affecting the different parents with disabled children. In this respect, the parents will have to introduce themselves to each other and socialize. The therapist will also help the parents relax through small talk.
Step 2: Analysis and assessment
Here the parents will have to dig deep and understand the family background in therapy. The therapist will help the parents gain an insight into generalized behavior expected by children with disabilities. The therapist will also help all the parents in the group. A pattern of basic mistakes will be revealed in this session, helping the parents fully understand their situation. In this case, the general idea is that parents with disabled children can learn from each other. The other steps involved in this program include conducting a psychological assessment and finally creating awareness of the group's implications for their treatment or recovery.
Step 3: Insight
According to the Adlerian theory, insight is the beginning of change. In his case, the group parents facilitate the development of this insight because the resistance they face can be noted in other members, hence understanding the need for changes in their primary strategies used in parenting and their children's perceptions. There are different categories of group therapy, as proposed by Alfred Adler (Tavakolizadeh et al., 2019). These include family therapy, brief therapy, and couples therapy.
Step 4: Reorientation
In this state, parents of children with disabilities consider alternative attitudes, beliefs, good behavior, and goals. In this case, parents begin to understand and accept their responsibilities as a caregiver for disabled children. This phase entails encouragement from the therapist and other group members through shared experiences and understanding. New decisions are made in this state, and goals and objectives for development and growth by the group members are also set.
The practice of Adlerian Theory in a Group
Several unifying factors link Adlerian theory together; this includes interpretation of a person’s early history, interpersonal, group process goals, and individual and interpersonal skills (Adler et al., 2019). Insight and reorientation phases are the last two phases in group therapy; they help the clients view their lives from a different perspective and seek alternative ways to think about their situations. In contrast, reorientations are the client's ability to engage in satisfying and strategies that implement the new insight into favorable actions.
Role of the Adlerian Group Leader
Adlerian Group leader's role is diverse and includes challenging group members to reevaluate their lives, encourage interactions between group members, and delegate the group meetings (Tavakolizadeh et al., 2019). The leaders are also active in confronting faulty logic and replacing it with rational decisions and facts. Some of the Adlerian group qualities include well-balanced, adaptable, courageous, humorous, sincere, and accepting of others, among other qualities.
Desired outcomes of Adlerian groups
This type of therapy's desired outcomes changes perceptions and mindset by all the parents in the group. There are several expected outcomes from the Adlerian therapy group, including emphasizing the growth and actions of the parents with disabled children within the group rather than the group itself (Adler et al., 2019). Others include group members who are socially oriented, reduce competitive behavior, and become more conversant with family issues and those around them.
Other outcomes include social adjustment through interactions with other parents with disabled children to gain insight into their lives.
Strengths and limitations of Adlerian
All the Adlerian theory methods are logical and rational and can be rated to parents with disabled children. The other strength is its flexibility in dealing with different groups of people, including coups and families. The strategies are also nonthreatening and have been deemed effective in changing people's perceptions of life and society in general (Tavakolizadeh et al., 2019). Other strengths include the adoption of the holistic approach to communities that focuses on wellbeing and health. The theory also allows realist approaches to counseling.
On the other hand, the weaknesses include the emphasis on early childhood memories and events, most of which do not relate to adult life. In such a case, if the client is reluctant to explore these memories, it will be difficult for the therapist to get through to them (Adler et al., 2019). There is also week empirical evidence to support the theory and its success. The other weaknesses include having a narrow cope for implementations and research, and lastly, it lacks uniformity.
Conclusion
It can be deduced that the Adlerian theory of group has been integral in psychotherapy over the years. For instance, the group approach has been instrumental in aligning the parents' issues with disabled children under one umbrella and handled by a supportive team. The theory was developed by Alfred Adler and has been adopted by psychologists from different fields. The strengths of this theory include the ability of the theory to be logical and rational, and flexible, among others. Some of the weaknesses include narrow coping for implementations and research, and lastly, it lacks uniformity and weak empirical evidence to support its research. However, group therapy can be useful to parents with disabled children based on their challenges while caring for their children. This group can be integral in helping them cope with the support of their parents with similar issues.
References
Hamm, J. S., Carlson, J., & Erguner-Tekinalp, B. (2016). Adlerian-based positive group counseling interventions with emotionally troubled youth. The Journal of Individual Psychology , 72 (4), 254-272.
Adler, K., Salanterä, S., & Zumstein-Shaha, M. (2019). Focus group interviews in child, youth, and parent research: An integrative literature review. International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 18 , 1609406919887274.
McConnell, K. (2018). Emotional Impact of Learning Disabilities in Middle School Aged Children: Adlerian Approach . Saint Mary's College of California.
Tavakolizadeh, J., Yazdi, E. S., & Akbary, A. (2019). The Impact of Adler Lifestyle Education on Resiliency of Parents of Educable Mentally Retarded Students. BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience , 10 (3), 5-11.
