Respecting the Ideas and Ideals Proposed by Alfred Adler: A Personal and Professional Journey

Abstract:The author recognizes Alfred Adler as a pioneer in the early days of psychiatry and psychology whose work helped to shape the areas of child development, personality, and psychotherapy. Despite his valuable contributions to the field, there is a risk that the current generation of graduate students will overlook Adler’s ideas. In his own career development, Adlerian Individual Psychology played a modest role in the author’s training and work until he reached the rank of full professor. The present manuscript summarizes the path that brought the author to Adler’s ideas and the valuable contributions Adler’s work has played in reshaping his teaching and approach to psychotherapy.