ABSTRACT
The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler had its beginning in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century. Adler began private practice as an ophthalmologist in 1898, but later turned to general practice, then to neurology, and later psychiatry. Adler viewed human beings as worthwhile, socially motivated, and capable of creative, independent action. Adler would be pleased with such broad-based incorporation of his ideas into the work of others. Adler has been described as an essentially simple man of great personal forcefulness and physical strength, but at the same time gentle and humble in his manner. In 1935, when the Nazis began their oppression of Europe, Adler had to flee to the United States with his then radical, politically unacceptable ideas about a society of social equals. Adler perceived humans as social beings with a natural inclination toward other people. Adler placed considerable importance on the family constellation or socio-psychological configuration of a family group.
