Comparing Adlerian Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,...

It is my goal to become a school counselor in a local high school. As a school counselor, it is also important to try and understand the different experiences that children go through in order to get through to them. After studying the different counseling theories, I have discovered that each theory is valid and there are ideas and techniques that I would use out of each of them. However, there are some theories more than others that I would use to guide me daily as a school counselor. Modern day counseling is equipped with a wide variety of therapies, techniques and approaches. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast three approaches of therapy. Also in this essay the views of the person and the Therapeutic process will be†¦show more content†¦The Adlerian Theory focuses on how the person’s perception of the past and his or her interpretation of early events have a continuing influence. Alder believed that biological and physiological factors provide d probabilities for future growth but that, the self, with creative power as part of its inner nature, is the important intervening variable† (Selgiman Reichenberg, 2010, p. 63). Behavior is purposeful and goal-directed when using Adlerian theory. Adler’s theory focuses on inferiority feelings, which he sees as a normal condition for all people and as a source of all human striving. Inferiority can be the wellspring of creativity. Alder believes this is what motivates us to strive for mastery, superiority, and completion. From an Adlerian perspective, human behavior is not determined solely by heredity and the environment. Instead, we have the capacity to interpret, influence, and create events. Alder asserts that what we were born with is not as important as what we choose to do with the abilities and limitations we possess. According to Adler, we must master three universal life tasks: building friendships, establishing intimacy, and contributing to society (Corey, 2005, p.99). These life tasks are so fundamental to human living that dysfunction in any one of them is often an indicator of a psychological disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). According to Stein Edwards (1998), Adlers