A Demonstration of Classical Adlerian Psychotherapy Technique, Using Socratic Questioning With a Man

The Socratic method plays an integral role in Classical Adlerian psychotherapy. In a climate of respect and diplomacy, the therapist is able to secure relevant information, unfold insight, and promote new solutions to problems. This excerpt is from the transcription of a demonstration given by Sophia de Vries, working with a participant of a convention workshop. The bracketed "[.....]" and indented process analysis is by Henry Stein. For the complete document, visit http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/ and follow the "Demonstrations" link. After reading the transcription, you may return to this forum to post your comments and questions.

C1-I have problems with procrastinating.

T1-How do you feel about it yourself?

[We need to know how much this problem bothers him. He only states his problem behavior. We don't know if it doesn't bother him, if it irritates him, or if he hates it. The intensity of his feeling about the problem has to be added to the complaint.]

C2-I do it. I wish I didn't do it.

T2-How does it make other people feel?

[We then check to see if he knows the impact of his problem on other people.]

C3-It inconveniences them.

T3-Have you proof of that?

[Is he guessing, or have other people expressed their reactions to him?]

C4-Yes

T4-Uh huh, and how do you feel about that?

[How does he react to the feedback of others? Does he take their feelings and their inconvenience into consideration?]

C5-I dislike that very much, because I don't like to inconvenience people, but it happens.

T5-Um hum, and yet you still don't know what to do about it, procrastinating? You don't like to inconvenience people, you know you inconvenience them, (P-yes) and, you haven't tried anything, to do about it?

[How strong is his motivation for change? Is he really ready for change, or is he waiting for it to fall out of heaven without any effort on his part? What has he done about it so far?]

C6-Uh, I've tried. I've often said, "You know, I must organize myself, I must do these things", and then there are still things left undone.

T6-So there must be something the matter with the organizing then.

[His motivation is good, but he may be lacking in insight or knowledge. He doesn't seem to know what to do about this. Since he does not get a good result, his organization may be faulty.]

C7-Yes.

T7-Well, let's find out. Is it a matter of time?

[We are now fishing for the factors that would contribute to or take away from good organization.]

C8-No, its not a matter of time, because I spend time doing other things.

T8-You deviate from what you originally wanted to do?

[He uses a vague phrase, "doing other things". We sharpen this movement for him by using a stronger word "deviate". This helps him see more clearly the significance of his movement. Clients frequently minimize the meaning of their unproductive actions. We must bring their vision back into focus.]

C9-Uh, I guess so.

T9-If you spend time doing other things, do you want to do too many things at once?

[This is a continued fishing for factors that contribute to poor organization.]

C10-Partly that. Maybe there's things that I enjoy doing more than other things. I think it might be in that area.

T10-How do you feel about having a constant enjoyment?

[To find out what his expectations of life are, an intuitive jump is made from his clue of "things that I enjoy more" to an exaggerated absolute. Does he expect life to be pleasant all the time? The phrase "constant enjoyment" is a way to test an idea by enlarging it.]

C11-I'd like that.

T11-You would?

[The guess hit pay dirt! Asking for a verification draws him deeper into this line of thinking.]

C12-Oh, yes!

(End of excerpt)

..... (For the complete document, visit http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/hstein/ and follow the "Demonstrations" link.)

Replies:

Bit O' Humor, by Ed Riemann , 11/28/96 Consequence of the session?, by Gil Levin, 12/6/96 Focus on the Purpose of a Symptom, by Henry Stein, 12/6/96

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