Which Adlerian technique involves the client visualizing a happy event and recalling the associated feelings?

• A. Adlerian visualization method
• B. Guided imagery technique
• C. Empty chair technique
• D. Push button technique

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is using a concrete cue to access positive feelings from a past success and carry that energy into the present. In the Push Button Technique, the client imagines a button and, when pressed, visualizes a happy memory and the associated emotions—joy, confidence, warmth, pride. Rehearsing this moment with vivid sensory detail creates a portable positive state that the client can summon in real-life situations. The goal is to counteract negative self-talk or anxiety by anchoring a past success to a current challenge, so the person can act with greater self-efficacy and social effectiveness.

This approach is distinct from general guided imagery, which may involve relaxing or creating a calm scene without the specific button cue tied to a past positive event. It’s also different from empty chair work, which centers on dialogues with another person or with parts of the self rather than instantly triggering a stored emotion through a cue. An Adlerian visualization method would refer more broadly to imagery used therapeutically, but the Push Button Technique is the particular Adlerian strategy that employs this button cue to evoke happy memories and their feelings.