A.L.F.A.S

Working in private practice is a unique experience.  I find myself needing to pull different “tools” out of my toolbox in sessions based on how my clients present.  In one session I might be using a structured approach – based on what we call a “theoretical orientation”.  In another I may be “freestyling” -  implementing multiple strategies to meet the client’s needs.  I like the idea of having some structure though.   It helps me focus the therapy when there is a need for direction, and it informs how I might delve into deeper levels of processing.  At my core, I am an educator and student.  Becoming a therapist has given me an opportunity to educate clients as well as learn from them.  What I have learned is that no two clients are exactly the same.  Using one uniform approach to treat each individual client is less than optimally productive.  At the same time – a formula or approach is especially useful when it comes to conceptualizing the person sitting across from you.

To that end, I have been developing a sort of formula or process by which I orient my therapy.  Full disclosure, I “borrowed” some of this inspiration from a book I have been reading lately.   The conceptualization is an acronym, ALFAS. 

A = attachment

L = love

F = fear (and anger)

A = abandonment

S = security

The basic idea is the therapeutic process involves addressing at least one or more of these phenomena.  Attachment obviously concerns childhood connections and adult lifestyles of attachment.  It can also mean the things we cling to for either reward, safety, or comfort.

Love can address a whole host of meanings – romantic love, love for family, love for other people, friends, even pets and inanimate objects (e.g., “I love this painting”)

Fear is one of the most fundamental experiences to process.  Not only does fear “infect” many areas of our lives, but it also relates to anger which is an experience that every human being experiences to different degrees.

Abandonment refers to the very disruptive experience of losing something that you come to rely on.  Abandonment can also include topics like neglect – never getting something you should have.

Finally, security refers to all things that we come to rely on as “needs” in order to be sound and stable.  Threats to security cause unsteadiness and discomfort.

The basic idea is that we can “tease” apart any topic a client is dealing with and find elements that relate to one or more ALFAS.

Relationships are a common cause for individuals seeking help.  When exploring the dynamics of any relationship, it is usually pretty clear to narrow down what is being activated.  It is the fact that a client has an unusually needy disposition in relationships.  The client might be uncertain what the concept of love in a relationship is supposed to be or feel like.  The client might fear being wrong about something and anger erupts as a response to contradictory evidence (often in arguments).  The client might have come to rely on something the partner was giving at one time and has now withdrawn.  Finally, the client may only find security if they and the partner only spend time at home together.  These are just a few examples.  The list of variables that exist in any given relationship is almost infinite.  Yet, the ALFAS helps us narrow down, hopefully quickly and efficiently, what is really happening.

As I said, this is a program/procedure that is currently in development, and I may very well find myself redefining or restructuring parts.  In the meantime, I hope to use it to assist my clients in finding the support they need to reach the goals that they brought to therapy with them.