The client's core experience in Adlerian therapy consists of:

In Adlerian therapy, the core experience for the client revolves around the discovery of their basic mistakes and learning how to correct them. This approach emphasizes an individual's sense of belonging and purpose while addressing cognitive distortions and errors in lifestyle choices that contribute to their problems. Adler believed that people develop subjective interpretations of their experiences, and these interpretations could lead to misguided beliefs or basic mistakes about themselves or the world around them.

Clients work collaboratively with the therapist to identify these misconceptions, which might manifest as feelings of inferiority or maladaptive social behaviors. Learning to correct these basic mistakes is essential for developing healthier patterns of thought and behavior, thereby enhancing the individual’s social interest and overall well-being. This corrective process helps clients to create a more accurate self-concept and to better navigate their lives within a community context.

While other aspects such as parental relationships, birth order, and transference are relevant within the broader scope of Adlerian therapy, the central focus is on helping clients recognize and amend the fundamental mistakes that undermine their mental health and interpersonal relationships.