Alfred Adler Biography

Alfred Adler was a renowned physician and psychotherapist who contributed greatly to the field of human psychology. He is the founder of the school of Individual Psychology which considers each human being as an individual whole. He developed a holistic approach to the study of a person’s psychology, taking into account the overall environment the person is associated with. His methods greatly influenced the counselling and psychiatric strategies developed in the 20th century. The highly acclaimed doctor had decided quite early in life that he wanted to pursue medical profession. Bouts with a series of childhood diseases and the loss of a brother at a young age motivated him to become a physician. He started his career as an ophthalmologist but soon switched to general practice. During the course of his work he came into contact with the celebrated psychologist Sigmund Freud with whom he used to discuss ideas and opinions. However, the two great men’s ideas often conflicted and Adler broke away from Freud to establish an independent school of psychotherapy, The Adlerian School, whose main premise was the Individual Psychology. He was the first psychiatrist to understand the significance of the environment in molding a human being’s personality. He believed that the inferiority complex of individuals plays an important role in personality development.