This archetype was described as Carl Jung as a person with great judgment and wisdom. The wise old man is sometimes referred to as the Sage. This archetype is characterized by being old, bearded, father-figure type who uses his great personal knowledge of the world and offer guidance through stories and may impress upon his [...]
Alfred Adler was an Austrian doctor and psychologist who founded the school of Individual Psychology. He and Sigmund Freud formed a group that would be known as the Wednesday Society which led to their theories on psychoanalysis. After his break from Freud’s group he then established an independent school for psychotherapy and personality theory which has influenced notable personalities in Psychology like Abraham Maslow and Rollo May.
Adler started his career as an ophthalmologist in a lower-class part of Vienna near an amusement park and circus. His early patients consisted of circus performers. His most famous concept is the inferiority complex which highlights problems of self-esteem. He was also one of the few psychologists to argue in favor of feminism. He, Freud and Jung are considered to be the founding fathers of depth psychology which deals with the unconscious and psychodynamics.
The rift between Freud and Adler began when Freud began to feel threatened with Adler’s theories on psychology. Adler’s theories centered towards philosophies ingrained by Nietzsche. He argued for holism rather than reductively which Freud seemed to favor. However, Adler maintained a lifelong admiration of Freud and his theories on dreams. He also credits Freud’s theories on dreams for creating a clinical approach for their utilization.
The main difference between the two regarding dream interpretations is that Adler leaned towards the existence of the social realm where the dynamics of power is more than just sexuality and that gender, politics and other elements are important factors to consider. Freud did not share Adler’s socialist beliefs.
After the Nazis occupied Vienna, He and his family migrated to the United States. He died while on a lecture tour in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was 67.
Tags: Alfred Adler, Dream Interpretations, Dream Psychology, dream theories
