After having her second daughter in 2013, Shuli Zheng said she was first introduced to Adlerian psychology while searching for more parenting strategies and tools.
She picked up the book, “Positive Discipline,” by Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., which utilizes Adlerian concepts and methods in raising children.
“I found Adler’s teachings so useful, and my interest in Adlerian psychology has just grown from there,” said Zheng, who lives in Shenzhen, China, a coastal city beside Hong Kong.
“Positive Discipline and Adlerian’s work have become increasingly influential in China over the last decade,” she said. “More Chinese want to learn about Adlerian psychology, including myself.”
ICASSI gives attendees a chance to network with fellow mental health practitioners and take courses from renowned Adlerian experts.
To gain more knowledge, in 2017, Zheng began attending the International Committee for Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes (ICASSI) program, which gives attendees a chance to network with fellow mental health practitioners and take courses from renowned Adlerian experts. ICASSI is a nonprofit educational organization that aims to help professionals and students learn the teachings of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs.
And in 2023, Zheng enrolled in Adler University’s Master of Arts in Psychology: Concentration in Child and Adolescent Development online program.
This past summer, Zheng once again attended ICASSI, her second as an Adler University student. This year’s summer school was held in Kloster Steinfield, a monastery over 900 years old near Cologne, Germany. There, about 200 Adlerian practitioners, experts, professors, and students gathered from all around the world, including China, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Turkey, the European Union, the U.S., and Canada.
“In ICASSI, you are not just learning with your head,” she said. “You are living and experiencing with your heart and your life. Every year, except the three years during the pandemic, I’ve attended ICASSI with my two daughters and husband as a family tradition.”
Zheng shares some highlights from her time at ICASSI’s international summer school program and why fellow Adler University students and faculty should consider attending next summer’s conference in Collinsville, Illinois — only 286 miles south of Adler University’s Chicago Campus.
What led you to Adler University?
After I read Positive Discipline, I began attending Positive Discipline parenting workshops and later became an educator in the field. Dr. Nelsen, a licensed marriage, family, and child counselor, wrote the original book in 1981, which has since grown into a series of best-selling parenting and classroom management books. The book introduced me to Adlerian concepts and methods related to raising children. I continue to want a deeper understanding of the psychological development of children and adolescents, along with Adlerian psychology. There is no official Adlerian psychology program in China yet, so I was excited to find Adler University’s Online Campus. It took about two years for me to prepare all my documents before starting the program.
What drew you to Adlerian psychology?
I deeply agree with Adlerian concepts, especially its focus on pursuing belonging and significance. This concept provides me with a basic understanding of people’s motivations and needs and guides me in raising a family or teaching a classroom where everyone gains belonging and significance. It highlights the importance of mutual respect and cooperation in all kinds of relationships.
What inspires you to keep returning to ICASSI every year?
ICASSI is a very special format. In addition to high-quality workshop courses and networking, there is a strong community atmosphere. There are fun activities, including group games, talent shows, auctions, and a chance to meet Adlerians around the world. I met college students, couples, parents, grandparents, and grandchildren. This kind of global Adlerian family together in the global village is wonderful. I see ICASSI as a charging station where Adlerians around the world gain more energy and recharge, which then helps us better lead and bring Adler’s philosophy and methods back to our communities.
Did you get a chance to meet any Adlerian experts and authors this year?
Of course! Along with taking courses from these experts, one of the benefits of ICASSI is that you can be in the same room and meet senior Adlerian experts, authors, and professors from all over the world. You can dine with them, participate in different activities, and even take classes with them.
Zheng with her mentor, Dr. Bluvshtein, at ICASSI.
Why should other Adler University students consider attending the summer program?
Unlike professional seminars, at ICASSI, we are living and practicing Adler’s concepts in real life. You’ll meet experts and peers who share similar values and beliefs while learning from each other. I encourage others to attend because the impact of this program on one’s inner growth is tremendous, and ICASSI also offers financial aid to students who may struggle with the cost. I plan to attend next year’s event, which will be in Collinsville, Illinois, from July 20 to Aug. 2. (Students may reach out to Adler University’s resident Adlerian and director of the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship, Marina Bluvshtein, Ph.D., for more information.)
Do you consider yourself an Adlerian today?
Of course. It is my honor to be an Adlerian, and I hope to be one of the pioneers to promote Adlerian psychology in China.