Individual psychology

[1][2] The English edition of Adler's work on the subject (1925), The Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology, is a collection of papers and lectures given mainly between 1912 and 1914.

[11] An individual's character is formed by their responses to these influences in the following ways: Compensation is the tendency to counteract underdevelopment or a sense of inferiority in physical or mental functioning[12] through interest and training, usually within a relatively normal range of development.

Neurosis and other pathological states reveal the safeguarding or defensive strategies (largely unconscious) of individuals who believe they are unequal to life's demands.

[13] In "normal" development, the child experiences encouragement and accepts that their problems can be overcome with patient persistence and cooperation.

However, a child may develop an exaggerated feeling of inferiority due to physiological difficulties, handicaps, inappropriate parenting (including abuse, neglect, or over-pampering), or cultural and possibly economic barriers.

Feeling of community is the recognition and acceptance of the interconnectedness of all people, experienced on affective, cognitive, and behavioral levels, and was increasingly emphasized in Adler's later writings.

At the behavioral level, these thoughts and feelings translate into actions aimed at self-development and cooperative, helpful movements directed toward others.

Thus, the concept of "feeling of community" encompasses the full development of individuals' capacities, a process that is personally fulfilling and results in people who contribute to one another.

This fictional world, sustained by the need to protect an anxious ego, private logic at odds with reason, and a schema of apperception that interprets, filters, and suppresses real-world data, is fragile.

Central to the Adlerian approach is viewing the personality as a whole, not as the result of component forces, hence the term individual (indivisible) psychology.

[24] Adlerians take a stance that bridges the nature-nurture debate by seeing the developing individual creating their personality in response to both nature and nurture, but not entirely determined by them.

The modern movement describes itself as holistic and values-based, incorporating both depth psychology and practical, democratic principles in daily life.

[27] Its mission is to foster psychologically healthy and cooperative individuals, couples, and families to effectively pursue social equality and democratic living.

[29] Adlerians continue to flourish in the 21st century, some using an eclectic technique integrating elements of other therapies, from the psychodynamic to the cognitive, while others focus on a more classical approach.

[35] Classical Adlerian Psychology assumes a central personality dynamic that reflects growth and forward movement in life, influenced by Hans Vaihinger's concept of fictions.

This position views all cognitive, affective, and behavioral facets of an individual as components of an integrated whole, moving in one psychological direction, without internal contradictions or conflicts.

Harold Mosak described Five Basic Mistakes in 1995:[38] These are cognitive and behavioral strategies used to avoid or excuse oneself from imagined failure.

Aggressive safeguarding strategies include deprecation, accusations, or self-accusations and guilt, which are used to elevate fragile self-esteem and protect an overblown, idealized self-image.

[39] Adler's therapy involved identifying an individual's private life plan, explaining its self-defeating, useless, and predictable aspects, and encouraging a shift of interest toward social and communal goals.

[40] Specific techniques used included paradoxes, humorous or historical examples, analysis of the self-protective role of symptoms, and reduction of transference by encouraging self-responsibility.

By making the patient aware of their secret life plan, the therapist can offer an alternative outlook better suited to broader social interests.

The overall goal is to establish a relationship between client and community to challenge unhealthy thoughts and replace self-defeating behaviors with ones that promote a more positive and healthy lifestyle.

[48] The stages of this classical psychotherapy are: The Socratic method guides clients to clarify feelings and meanings, gain insight into intentions and consequences, and consider alternative options.

Teachers, parents, and school administrators attend these programs to learn techniques that improve their teaching effectiveness and their ability to handle children.

[53] Adlerian clients are encouraged to overcome insecurities, develop deeper connections, and redirect their striving for significance into more socially beneficial directions.

The ultimate objective of classical Adlerian psychotherapy is to replace exaggerated self-protection (safeguarding), self-enhancement, and self-indulgence with greater self-knowledge and genuine, courageous social feelings.

Alfred met his future wife, Raissa Timofeyewna Epstein, in a series of political meetings which revolved around the current rising socialist movement.

He believed children are born with an inborn force that enables them to make their own decisions and develop their own opinions, stating that individuals aren't just products of their situations but creators of them.

Another area of focus was on the concept of fictions, defined as conscious and non-conscious ideas that may not be aligned with reality but serve as a guide to cope with it.

[50] Karl Popper argued that Adler's individual psychology, like psychoanalysis, is a pseudoscience because its claims are not testable and cannot be refuted; that is, they are not falsifiable.