ividuals greater glory, he (Adler) considers them socially useless and, in extreme conditions, characteristic of mental problems. On the other hand, if the strivings are for the purpose of overcoming lifes problems, the individual is engaged in the striving for self-realization, in contribution to humanity and in making the world a better place to live (Mosak, 1995, p. 53).Concept of InterventionLike all therapies it is assumed that the individuals present way of living may accord safety but not happiness, and because there are not any guarantees in life, one must risk some safety for the possibility of greater happiness and self-fulfillment. How each therapy goes about moving the client from a place of safety to a place of relative risk taking may differ. Adlerian psychology addresses the complete range of human experience, from optimal to pathological, and sees the therapeutic relationship as a friendly one between equals (Stein, 1996). At the foundation of Adlerian theory and practice is an optimism about human nature and the premise that the primacy of a feeling of community (connectedness) is an index and goal of mental health (Stein, 1996). The process (intervention) is really one of life-style investigation. The therapist tries to understand the patients life-style, how the individual engages his life, and how that life-style affects the clients current functioning. The goal of treatment is not merely symptom relief, but the adoption of a contributing way of living (Stein, 1996). Adlerians view pain and suffering in a clients life as the result of the choices the client has made. This value-based theory of personality hypothesizes that the values a client holds and lives their life by, are learned, and when they no longer work (evidenced by suffering or lack of happiness), the client can re-learn values and life-styles that work more effectively. Adler taught that a clients life-style can be viewed as a personal mythology...
