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Highlight of Talks on 2/23 & 3/9/2011
Talking to a group of over 15 parents over two sessions, Jeremy and Isabella gave us a detailed overview of the Adlerian approach that they practice as psychologists. According to Jeremy and Isabella, Adlerian Psychology believes that, in addition to hereditary traits, environmental factors during a person’s development are very important in shaping that individual. These factors include: his/her birth order in the family, family dynamics, the cultural environment, gender models, and any significant experiences. These factors are especially important during a person’s childhood, and they shape the person’s lifestyle. Their experiences and interpretations of those experiences determine a person’s impressions of oneself, the people and the world around him/her and life in general, which then form the person’s basic convictions, such as his/her self-image, worldview and value system. Based on these convictions, a person sets his/her rules about life and orientation for his/her actions. Together they form the person’s lifestyle and act as his/her map or compass through life. According to Jeremy and Isabella, a person’s lifestyle has significant influence on major aspects of his/her life, such as love, work and friendship. In the course of one’s life, a person may encounter significant obstacles. Some may become discouraged or depressed when they believe that they cannot overcome these obstacles. However, some may be able to examine their lifestyle and use their creativity to make changes in their lifestyle in order to overcome these problems. This is often accomplished through a process of trial and error and training and self-training. Jeremy and Isabella emphasized, that it is therefore important to become aware of one’s own lifestyle and remain flexible about it. Moreover, each person has a set of lifestyle goals, such as being secure, successful or perfect, which we pursue without thinking. These goals usually stem from one’s childhood feelings of being little, inadequate or inferior, and are often fictitious or unreachable. According to Jeremy and Isabella, we should examine our own lifestyle and re-evaluate these goals. Under the Adlerian approach, Jeremy and Isabella said, the conditions for maintaining good mental health are: (1) maintaining a high level of social interests (engaging in and embracing the people and things around us), (2) developing the courage to face obstacles despite one’s anxieties, and (3) maintaining a broad and flexible lifestyle. To make psychological progress, Jeremy and Isabella said that they would encourage a person to take the following steps: (1) make an assessment of his/her lifestyle, (2) appreciate the context in which it was formed (such as one’s childhood environment), (3) modify his/her motivations (changing lifestyle goals), (4) take responsibility in controlling and re-creating one’s lifestyle, (5) have courage in meeting challenges, and (6) raise his/her level of social interests.
Both during and after the talks, many parents asked follow-up questions and brought up case examples for Jeremy and Isabella to respond to. The talks were very well received. |
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