Monday, July 27

Rudolf Dreikurs: Legacy and Lessons – Marina Bluvshtein

Rudolf Dreikurs should be credited for Adlerian psychology remaining alive and active after Adler died in 1937; for extending Adler’s ideas to many spheres of life beyond psychological practice; and for making Adler’s ideas in the 20th and the 21st centuries socially actionable. This presentation will focus on the most important events in Dreikurs’ life in a context of social life of his time, on legacy that Dreikurs has created for Adlerian movement, and on the lessons that we can learn by studying his contributions.

Learning objectives:
1: Participants will recognize at least three key social themes that informed Dreikurs contributions to the development of Adlerian psychology.
2: Participants will summarize major life events and major contributions of Rudolf Dreikurs in the development of Adlerian psychology.
3: Participants will recognize the difference between Dreikurs’ views on human nature and human evolution and the views held by representatives of other theories.
4: Participants will create a headline for their own next steps in further promoting ideas and practices developed by Rudolf Dreikurs.

Tuesday, July 28

Finding Our Hidden Strengths – Bruce Tate

How often do we hear ourselves saying ‘I can’t do that.’ At other times we may overlook tasks and challenges that seem impossible – perhaps we do not know where to begin or do not think that we are capable of carrying out the task. We will look at our strengths and capability and how we can use these courageously for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Learning objectives:
1: Be able to identify strength and capability through the use of simple questions
2: Be able to understand strengths from a holistic viewpoint – how the mind and body interact
3: Be able to identify simple strategies to use and develop our personal capabilities

Wednesday, July 29

Early Recollections and Social Interest – Mia Levitt-Frank

Early recollections, metaphoric narratives representing individuals’ lifestyles, also illustrate the unique way each individual expresses social interest. Social interest is a core concept in Individual Psychology, paramount to mental health. Focusing awareness on social interest in early recollections may assist practitioners in encouraging and developing social interest with clients. This lecture will explore various expressions of social interest that may be found in early recollections. In addition, participants will practice creating dialogue around components of social interest expressed in early recollections, in dyads or triads.

Learning objectives:
1: Participants will be able to identify components of social interest in early recollections
2: Participants will practice creating dialogue around components of social interest expressed in early recollections
3: Participants will be able to state how the focus on social interest in early recollections will enrich their work with clients

Thursday, July 30

Promoting Democratic Leadership Using IP – Karen John

When the theory and practice-wisdom of Individual Psychology (IP) inform how to lead and manage democratically, they promote organizational health, well-being, and productivity. Since there is little direct research evidence of IP’s effectiveness, Adlerian leadership consultants need to link IP insights and methods with theories and research familiar to their clients, as well as with growing bodies of research that provide evidence and consilience across related disciplines.

Learning objectives:
1: Analyze individual responses and group dynamics in relation to IP and well-studied leadership approaches and behaviours.
2: Use Dreikurs’ Goals of Behavior, Bettner and Lew’s Crucial Cs and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory to inform democratic leadership strategies that raise the likelihood of positive healthy organisational outcomes.
3: Identify factors that promote and/or undermine democratic leadership using the ecological framework derived from studies of democracy, social equality, and authority and individual freedom.

Friday, July 31

Empathy: The Joys and Risks – Anthea Millar

Adler identified empathy as central to Social Interest and effective human connection. Yet could this important emotional response also have a downside? This presentation will explore both the healing aspects and the challenges of empathy, introducing compassion as an enabling extension to empathy.

Learning objectives:
1: Define empathy and understand aspects of its neuroscience
2: Identify positive and negative aspects of empathy
3: Differentiate between the use of empathy and compassion