Final answer:
Adlerian therapy, in contrast to Freudian psychoanalysis, focuses more on the present and future rather than the past. It emphasizes conscious motivations related to the completion of societal tasks and overcoming feelings of inferiority, with an aim to help individuals create more fulfilling futures.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Adlerian therapy, the therapeutic approach developed by Alfred Adler, the therapist typically focuses on understanding the individual's lifestyle and the purposes of behavior in the present. The process involves exploring the client's conscious awareness of their social context and examining their goals. While Adler acknowledged the existence of unconscious processes, he emphasized that conscious processes, particularly how individuals approach the three fundamental social tasks (occupational, societal, and love), are key for understanding a person's behavior and experiences. This therapy places importance on the feelings of inferiority that individuals have and how they attempt to compensate for these feelings, seeking to gain superiority and overcome their perceived deficiencies.
Adlerian therapy doesn't dwell extensively on the past as Freudian psychoanalysis does. Instead, it considers past experiences as just one of several factors that shape an individual's current behavior and goals. The patient and therapist work together to develop an awareness of the motivations driving the patient's actions and thoughts in the present day, with the intention of facilitating positive change and personal growth towards a future that holds greater feelings of fulfillment and lesser feelings of inferiority.