 Who
was Alfred Adler?
Alfred Adler, M.D., was an early associate of Sigmund Freud in
Vienna, but his revolutionary observations triggered a life of
research dedicated to understanding people that he called Individual
Psychology. Adler’s comprehensive theory of human behavior has
resulted in models of practice that have had broad impact on the
fields of education, social sciences, family life, psychology, and
psychotherapy. He pioneered ideas and techniques that have become
the basis for most contemporary work including Cognitive Behavior
Therapy, Reality Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Rational Emotive
Behavior Therapy, Existential Therapy, Holistic Psychology, and
Family Therapy to name a few. Theorists as diverse as Karen Horney,
Erich Fromm, Viktor Frankl, Abraham Maslow, Albert Ellis, and Aaron
T. Beck credit Adler’s work as an important basis for their own
contributions. Adler was one of the earliest theorists to utilize a
short-term, active, focused, and solution-oriented approach to
psychotherapy. Adler’s work is fundamental to the professions and
practices of school psychology, school counseling, the community
mental health movement, and parent education. As a dynamic and vital
view of human development, Individual Psychology continues to grow
and thrive in a changing world.
“To see with the eyes of another, to hear with the ears of
another, to feel with the heart of another. For the time being, this seems to me
an admissible definition of what we call social feeling.” -Alfred Adler
Some Tenets of Adler’s Theory:
• Focus on strengths • Holistic view of the individual
• Democratic principals • Sense of community
• Personal freedom and responsibility • Social context of behavior
• Goal oriented movement • Purpose and meaning of behavior
• Individual view of life • Encouragement • Mutual respect
• Importance of Contribution
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