Individual Psychology: Remembering Roy Kern and His Legacy

Abstract

Individual Psychology: Remembering Roy Kern and His Legacy Jon Sperry and Len Sperry We are pleased to share this open issue with you. It consists of four articles that highlight and extend research and clinical applications of Individual Psychology. The issue begins with a special section that includes seven contributions remembering Dr. Roy Kern, the long- standing and beloved past editor of The Journal of Individual Psychology who died in 2022. Contributors to this special section include Len Sperry, Kelly Gfroerer, Gary Bauman, Susan Belangee, Paul Peluso, Paul Rasmussen, and Bill Curlette. Each author provides personal and professional remembrances of Dr. Roy Kern. The first article, “Psychometric Properties of the BASIS-A Hindi Version With an Indian Population,” by Caroline Fernandes and Michele Frey, examines an international application of Individual Psychology. The article highlights a study that examines validity and reliability psychometrics of the Hindi translation of the BASIS-A with an Indian population. The second article, “The Hidden Treasure: Rumi’s Approach to Overcoming the Collective Fear of Death,” by Hamid Alizadeh, Bengü Ergüner-Tekinalp, and Bagher Ghobari-Bonab, illustrates a creative application of Individual Psychology. Adlerian practitioners and educators often utilize metaphors, poems, and stories to facilitate change, reorientation, and problem solving. In this vein, the authors offer Adlerian and Jungian interpretations of a Rumi tale. The authors suggest that an individual’s attitude toward death and dying can be used to formulate their lifestyle and movement through life. Brian White discusses health disparities from an Individual Psychology perspective in “Inequality: Relevance of Alfred Adler’s Work and Its Applicability to Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Mental Health Clinicians.” White posits that social interest is useful for understanding and addressing inequality in the mental health and health-care systems. White also highlights that a sense of belonging among racial and ethnic minorities in clinical treatment settings is crucial. The final article, “Rediscovering and Preserving Individual Psychology: A Mission to Be Continued,” by Xiaoxuan Qu and Yanhong Liu, highlights [End Page 1] the need for rediscovering and preserving Individual Psychology by discussing its relevance in various settings. As with efforts of The Journal of Individual Psychology, the authors share in the mission to carry on Adler’s legacy to educators, practitioners, students, and communities around the globe. [End Page 2] Copyright © 2023 University of Texas Press