ABSTRACT
Lifestyle assessment is outlined and explained as an introduction to the uses of this technique in Chapter 5. Although seen by some as mystical in the demonstrations of masterful clinicians, the serious student of Individual Psychology discovers that no magic is involved. Through study, practice, and experience, one can develop an intuitive competence that prepares the practitioner to hear, feel, and see that which the casual observer overlooks or mistakes for its meaning. The chapter provides a guide for discovering the simplicity and interrelatedness, for example, of early recollections and present behavior. Early memory research and practice by other than Adlerians continues to illuminate the importance of early life experiences. The process of deriving lifestyle data is an excellent rapport building opportunity. Clients tend to find a visit to their childhoods revealing if not outright enjoyable. It also provides the helper access to clients’ fundamental ways of relating to self, life, and others in a relatively short span of time. Applicable to persons of all ages, therefore, adaptations of lifestyle assessment can be an excellent tool for quickly establishing rapport and overcoming counselee resistance when used appropriately. Excellent references for furthering one’s understanding beyond this chapter are noted.
