Adler, Branden, and the Third Wave Behavior Therapists: Nathaniel Branden in the Context of the History of Clinical Psychology

This article situates Nathaniel Branden’s unique contributions to clinical psychology in the cognitive and behavioral therapy traditions, and describes ways in which Brandenian concepts were prefigured in the work of Alfred Adler and have been echoed in the work of modern behavior therapists, most notably Steven Hayes and Marsha Linehan. A dialectical sensibility common to all these contributors is noted. The article concludes with a reflection on Branden’s sociological fate, offering an analogy between Freud’s rejection of Adler and Milton Erickson’s rejection of Branden, reported here in print for the first time.