Monday, August 3

Adler Lives in Bulgaria: The Bulgarian Story of Resilience, Striving and Overcoming – Vera Todorova

The plenary presentation examines the history of Adlerian Psychology in Bulgaria – its introduction, development, and influence in post-communist settings, as well as the aftermath of a restrictive social and political context. This includes limitations on family size, marital status, career paths, and political conformity.

Through personal narratives rather than formal early recollections, participants will explore how these conditions shaped family dynamics, personal choices, and emotional life. The presentation highlights themes of resilience and overcoming, illustrating Adlerian principles of social interest, belonging, courage, and striving for significance.

Learning objectives:

1. Summarize the history and development of Individual Psychology in Bulgaria.
2. Analyze the effects of socially restricting rules on personal narratives, families, and society.
3. Discuss Adlerian principles by reflecting on social interest, belonging, courage, and striving for significance in relation to resilience.

Tuesday, August 4

Understanding Virtual Movement: The Role of IP & Technological Behaviors – Joseph Cice

Using the Crucial Cs model, this course explores how technology is changing the way we interact, connect with others, and move through the world. These issues and opportunities will be discussed from an Individual Psychology perspective, covering core concepts including movement, social interest, striving, lifestyle, private logic, and the requirements for psychologically healthy human beings.

The course examines our relationship with technology and the roles it plays in our lives.

Learning objectives:

1. Explain the connection between Individual Psychology and technology use in understanding one’s movement in life and strategies for overcoming life challenges.
2. Identify technological themes and characteristics in individuals’ lives and how they relate to Individual Psychology.
3. Identify metaphors expressed through technological behaviors.

Wednesday, August 5

Bringing Old and Young Together for Community Mental Health and Wellbeing – Karen John

Increased standardization of curricula and age segregation in schools has resulted in inattention to the creativity, talents, and needs of young people. Older adults are also underestimated and undervalued. Both groups are often stereotyped and marginalized, leading many to feel lonely, inadequate, and hopeless.

A variety of intergenerational and mixed-age community initiatives provide strong evidence that bringing old and young together benefits everyone. Participants will be encouraged to engage, learn, play, or work regularly with people of different ages.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify people who encouraged you when you were young and describe what they did that was encouraging.
2. Share a specific memory of a positive encounter with an older person, within or outside the family.
3. Identify opportunities to engage, learn, play, or work with people of different ages on a regular basis.

Thursday, August 6

From Inferiority to Influence: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities for Contribution – Hallie Williams

This plenary invites participants to explore one of Alfred Adler’s most enduring insights: the human struggle with feelings of inferiority and how these experiences can serve as catalysts for growth, resilience, and social contribution.

Drawing on Adlerian principles of social interest, encouragement, and purposeful striving, the presentation highlights how challenges, setbacks, and perceived limitations can be reframed as opportunities for meaningful influence in families, communities, and society. Through reflection, narrative, and applied examples, participants will be encouraged to transform difficulties into strengths that foster belonging, cooperation, and contribution.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify at least three Adlerian concepts (e.g. inferiority feelings, social interest, encouragement) that reframe challenges as opportunities for growth and contribution.
2. Analyze real-life examples of how individuals or communities have transformed experiences of inferiority into pathways for meaningful influence and social connection.
3. Apply Adlerian strategies of encouragement and goal-directed behavior to develop one personal or professional action step that enhances contribution within participants’ own spheres of influence.

Friday, August 7

ERs and Addictions (with Demonstration) – Jim Holder

Adler emphasized the importance of the client’s drive to move from a “felt minus” to a “felt plus.” In this context, it is crucial to identify the negative feelings present in the early recollections of clients struggling with addiction.

Understanding these feelings provides insight into how addictive behaviors give clients a sense of superiority and help them achieve a more positive feeling state. The positive intentions behind addictive behaviors point toward pathways for encouraging healthier movement and growth.

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss three strengths identified in each early recollection.
2. Identify a client’s positive intent in the early use of addictive behaviors.
3. List the three parts of an early recollection.