Re: Guided Imagery

• New Adlerian Treatment Technique! by Henry Stein, 5/23/97
  
  

Having read the article what struck me was the similarity particularly between the "guided imagery" technique and a technique used in hypnotherapy called Neuro-Linguistic Programming. The emphasis of both is to alter memories to make them more acceptable.

Since your paper refers to "New" techniques I presume that such techniques were not used by Adler and I would be grateful of your clarification on this.

In addition my understanding of the essence of Adlerian counselling is that you should "put out the fire rather than dealing with the smoke" - or words to that effect. My concern with the techniques you have described is that clients are encouraged to change memories where those underlying memories may either not be correct in the first place or may have been remembered out of context and without a deeper understanding of the situation they resulted from. By changing an incorrect memory therefore for something more palatable you are thereby never dealing with the root of the problem. I would question whether such techniques might lead to confusion and result in disconnected memories rather than aiming for the cohesion and co-operation with oneself and others which epitomises the Adlerian ideal.

I recognise that your paper refers to these "new" techniques as only part of the whole Adlerian psychotherapeutic process but I wonder if by using such techniques you are moving away from the essence of Adlerian teaching in search of a "quick fix".

• More About the MDE Technique by Henry Stein, 6/4/97