September 2021

In 2009 an organization called White Bison (http://whitebison.org/) which is focused on culturally based healing for Indigenous people sponsored a Journey for Forgiveness starting at a boarding school in Oregon, and ending in DC, presenting a petition to the government to apologize for the boarding schools.  One of the stops was in my city of Mount Pleasant, home to one of the two boarding schools that existed in Michigan.  The day began at Tribal headquarters with speeches around 7 am. Then the five-mile walk began with a stop by the county courthouse with more speeches. We arrived at the grounds of the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School noonish to more speeches and lunch.  There was music, dancing, a drum circle, and semaa (sacred tobacco) was distributed in small pouches. We lined up on the grounds of the boarding school in lines from the four directions. I came from the south. We walked toward a circle in the center and dropped the tobacco. The hope was to heal some of the trauma that had taken place in that space.

This was a powerful experience for me and naturally caused me to consider the nature of forgiveness. Healing from trauma, including generational trauma, does seem to require a certain degree of forgiveness. Forgiveness towards others, but also ourselves.  As Adlerians we understand inferiority feelings, and it seems to me that part of our compensation for these feelings involves forgiveness. I’m not sure anyone ever feels satisfied with their contribution to the group. But if we primarily focus on our failings then we stop contributing. Not one of us is perfect, and we must forgive ourselves our failings. 

I have been thinking about this in relation to NASAP. As a board, COR, committees, and members, we all have lofty ambitions for what we would like NASAP to become, and we are often disappointed. Too often we fall short. But we must forgive ourselves, have the courage to be imperfect, and move on with the work in front of us. The theme of our next conference is “What the world needs now...” I believe one thing we need is for all of society to come together to work towards the future we all want. The North American Society of Adlerian Psychology needs all of us walking and working together. And this often begins with forgiveness.

Overview of 2021 NASAP Conference Workshop by Debbie Joffe Ellis titled:

Moving Heart, Mind and Spirit with the Wisdom and Compassion of Adler and Ellis !

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), described by some as a "New-Adlerian approach", created by Albert Ellis PhD, is a holistic, active-directive approach infused with compassion. It reminds us that it is not circumstances of life that create our emotional destiny, but the thoughts about those circumstances that create the emotions we experience. When we think in healthy and rational ways: we experience healthy and appropriate emotions, and behaviors. When we think in unhealthy irrational ways: we create unhealthy debilitating emotions, and are likely to behave in self-defeating ways. 

REBT empowers those who practice it with the knowledge that, even if we cannot change adverse circumstances, we do have the power to change paralyzing and happiness-thwarting emotions. We have the power to choose to apply compassion and unconditional acceptance to oneself and others when things do not go the way we prefer.

In-so-doing, we are able to prevent defensiveness, rage and judgement, to increase tolerance - and as a result of the resulting minimization of emotional suffering and the maximizing of joy - our human right - authentic and sublime connections with others result ! The benefits and uplifting effects of caring about and helping others is emphasized, and greatly encouraged in REBT. 

Recent surveys showed a surge in numbers of people suffering from intense stress and anxiety, and during this 'Covid-present' time, and in times ahead more people could, and this author believes that they will, benefit from the knowledge and application of Adlerian and Ellisonian Psychotherapy and wisdom.

     In this seminar Debbie Joffe Ellis presented the main principles, methods and techniques of REBT - describing (i) their contribution to the attainment of enhanced connections with others and well-being within the individual, and (ii) the elegant and effective ways they uplift heart and soul, and strengthen body and mind.

Similarities and differences between REBT and Adlerian psychotherapy were described.

Debbie Joffe Ellis, as did her husband Albert Ellis, credited Dr. Adler with being a significant influence in the creation of REBT, and a major precursor of REBT and other cognitive approaches, and pointed out the core REBT aspects which overlap with those in Dr. Adler's work. 

A live and powerful demonstration of the REBT approach was given with a volunteer from the attending virtual audience, and pivotal points and helpful framework for therapy sessions, as well as the use of REBT in daily life were pointed out. 

At the end questions were welcomed, and answers and discussion followed.

References

 *  Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Albert Ellis & Debbie Joffe Ellis, (2019), Washington DC: American  Psychological Association.

*   All Out! An Autobiography, Albert Ellis with Debbie Joffe Ellis, (2010), Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

*   The Myth of Self Esteem, Albert Ellis, (2005), Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

*   Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy:Chapter 5 (Pp 151-191), Ellis, A & Ellis, D.J. in Current Psychotherapies, 10th Edition (2019), Editors: Wedding, D/Corsini, R.J., Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

* Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy DVD (2014) - Series 1 - Systems of Psychotherapy, by Debbie Joffe Ellis: Produced by American Psychological Association, Washington DC. 

* Article: The Profound Impact of Gratitude: In Times of Ease and Times of Challenge: in APA Journal of Spirituality in Clinical Practice: 2015, Vol 2, No. 1. Pp 96-100.  

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Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis
Psychologist, Writer, Presenter

Website: www.debbiejoffeellis.com

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Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Department of Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Teachers College, Columbia University

Adler in Depth and Breadth: 

Adler in Education and the Education of Adlerians

by Erik Mansager

Alfred Adler may well have been the innovator who brought psychological understanding into the classroom, followed only later by the Freudians, Pfister and Aichorn (Ellenberger, 1970, pp. 619-20). In the 1920s Adler and Carl Furtmüller collaborated on a project that paired guidance centers with local schools, and focused on educating teachers and encouraging students.  Their alliance contributed greatly to the 1927 International Congress of Education declaration that the “Austrian School is the best in the world” (quoted in Gardner & Stevens, 1992, p. 98). 

There is even an anecdote, the source of which I cannot currently recall, which documented a precipitous drop in “delinquent acts per capita” throughout the districts in which Adler’s 27 or more clinics were located during the time in which they operated. Predictably, the decline in delinquency ended just as abruptly once the clinics were closed by National Socialists in the early 1930s. Reportedly, delinquency has not been as low in Vienna since. 

There are innumerable contributions to the development of Adler’s thought in education and I look forward to reading those shared in this issue. For my part, I’d like to address one aspect of “Adler in education”—namely, “the education (training) of Adlerians.”

Of the several viewpoints of educating ourselves in Adlerian thought, I’d like to identify two important ones here. One has to do with the relative thoroughness of one’s Adlerian training and another asks how structuring that training might be most helpful.

The first, thoroughness, is concerned about the extent of touching on the full range of topics, constructs, and modality applications that are embraced by Adler’s thinking. While there are numerous publications at the introductory level of Adlerian psychology, surprisingly, the portion that deals with an advanced approach – or that start from the beginning and pace the reader/student into advanced territory – is a surprisingly small number. That’s not to say that our Adlerian literature overall does not cover advanced territory, but it is not especially arranged to grow the therapist into a fuller and fuller understanding of Adler. 

The second, structure of training as an antidote to simplifying and hit-and-missing, goes to an orderly way of approaching a vast but interconnected body of knowledge. The idea of structure is NOT to put things into a made-up order and connectedness for purposes of memorization and the like. Instead, a developmental approach to the vast material allows mastery of basic concepts that lend themselves to grasping and mastering more complex structures – whether assessment or intervention effectiveness. This isn’t a list of techniques! Creativity is the sine qua non of Adlerian intervention and innovation is more accessible when we own the theory in our bones and have it at our fingertips (DeVries, 2018). 

Both thoroughness and structure are essential aspects of effectively educating Adlerian practitioners. We Adlerians are a specialized group that can both use Adler as an adjunct to our general learning or we can focus intently on Adler to apply his consistently humanistic approach to specific clientele and clinical situations. In either case – but especially the latter – immersing oneself professionally in Adler’s thought is wanted: thoroughly and structurally. 

In this regard familiarizing yourself two important websites is a good idea: 

1. DISTANCE TRAINING IN CLASSICAL ADLERIAN DEPTH PSYCHOTHERAPY - Alfred Adler. For many years Classical Adlerian training has been a standard for thorough and structured training for in-depth psychotherapy. To take a closer look at what is possible in such training, this site is worth a deep dive. I share it first, as it has been around for decades in different and expanding iterations and deserves every Adlerian’s attention. 

2. https://www.alfredadler.org/certificates-of-studies-new-psychotherapy-certificate. There is new information and energy at this site, too. Our NASAP conventions are surely helpful in ongoing training – and the development of the Adlerian is being given new and thoughtful consideration. It is inspiring to see the effort put into NASAP’s new certificate.

As keeping abreast of developments and current applications of Adler’s thought is essential, consider keeping thoroughness and structure the watchwords for your Adlerian education. 

DeVries, S. J. (2018). The therapeutic wisdom of Sophia J. de Vries. Volume 1: Lectures on Adlerian psychology and case presentations (edited by H. T. Stein). 

Ellenberger, H. F. (1970). The discovery of the unconscious. Basic.

Gardner, S. & Stevens, G. (1992). Red Vienna and the golden age of psychology, 1918-1938. Praeger.

What do you do? 

I enjoy work as a Positive Discipline Trainer and Board Member of the Positive Discipline Association, as well as a Montessori Teacher Trainer.  I also work one on one as a parent coach and a consultant for schools.  Basically, I help others who want to help others.  Prior to this work I owned and operated three Montessori schools.

The Education Section is excited to announce our upcoming fall series for K-12 Educators and Counselors. We hope this series will provide new insights and strategies as you start your school year.  There will be four sessions on the Goals of Misbehavior (a session for each goal). 

Please join us for this deep dive into Dreikurs’ Goals of Misbehavior for any or all of these helpful topics. Here is the line-up with each session’s Zoom link. Each session will be recorded. All NASAP Members are welcomed to join!

Click here to learn more!