The client spends one week acting as if they already possess the quality they want — confidence, courage, calm. This is not pretense but a behavioral experiment: new experience creates a new self-perception. The technique rests on the Adlerian principle: change the behavior and the feeling will follow.
Step-by-step guide
- Identify the quality the client lacks (confidence, courage, calm)
- Ask: 'If you already were that kind of person — what would you do differently?'
- Together choose a concrete behavior for the experiment
- Agree on a timeframe (usually a week)
- In the next session, discuss: what happened when you acted 'as if'?
- Analyze: how did others react? How did you feel?
When to use
- In the reorientation stage (phase 4)
- When the client says 'I can't' or 'I am not that kind'
- To move from insight to action
- When a habitual behavior pattern must be broken
Key phrases
If you already were the person you want to become — what would you do differently this week?
Imagine you are already self-assured. How would you carry yourself tomorrow?
Follow-up questions
What would the people around you notice?
What is the smallest step you are ready to take?
Alternative phrasings
Try one week of acting as if you were already calm
What if this week you behaved as though you were not afraid of rejection?
Warnings
- ⚠️ This is an experiment, not an assignment — the client must want to try
- ⚠️ Start small — not 'become another person', but 'try one thing differently'
- ⚠️ Do not punish for 'non-completion' — discuss what got in the way
Source: Adler A. The Practice and Theory of Individual Psychology
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.