Adler University Canada

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Adler University is a private institution with two campuses in North America: its main campus in Chicago, Illinois, and a satellite campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. The university also offers online programs for both master's and doctoral students. Named after Alfred Adler, a physician and psychotherapist who founded Adlerian psychology—also known as individual psychology—the university is rooted in the belief that community life, prevention, and population health are central to psychological well-being. Adler is recognized as the first community psychologist for pioneering these principles. The university’s origins trace back to Rudolf Dreikurs, a psychiatrist and follower of Adler, who immigrated to Chicago in 1937. Dreikurs founded the Institute of Adlerian Psychology in 1952, which became the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago in 1954, then the Adler School of Professional Psychology in 1991, and finally Adler University in 2015. Early leaders also included Bernard Shulman, Harold Mosak, Bina Rosenberg, and Robert Powers. In 1963, the institute was chartered as a not-for-profit educational organization in Illinois. A year later, it initiated a group therapy program at Cook County Jail, marking its early commitment to working with incarcerated populations. In 1972, the Dreikurs Psychological Services Center was established as a community mental health center and student training facility; it later evolved into the Adler Community Health Services, now led by Dan Barnes. The institute was authorized in 1973 to award a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, granting its first degrees in 1978. Doctoral program accreditation was achieved in 1987, with the first Psy.D. degrees awarded in 1990. In 1998, the Psy.D. program at the Chicago campus received accreditation from the American Psychological Association, a status it continues to hold. Adler University remains committed to social justice, community health, and the advancement of Adlerian principles.