In Memoriam: Jon Carlson, EdD, PsyD

Jon Carlson passed from this life on February 1, 2017. He has left a legacy to Adlerian Psychology and NASAP that is unparalleled. Besides being a loving father, husband, and friend to many, Jon was a talented and highly effective teacher, writer, editor, and role model. He has the rare distinction of publishing more than 240 books, articles, and book chapters, and developing 300 professional videos that have been used in psychotherapy training programs throughout the world.

Jon’s contributions to Adlerian Psychology are equally significant. Many are obvious, while others are not so obvious. The most obvious was his coeditorship of this journal for more than a decade. Among his numerous publications, several were Adlerian focused. Most of these were in his specialties of psychotherapy, psychopathology, and couple and family therapy. Most recently, he was very proud of his role in the launch of AdlerPedia, the most extensive and comprehensive website covering every facet of Alfred Adler and Individual Psychology from the early years to the most recent developments. His dream was to make Adler’s message available, free of charge, to the widest possible audience.

While these accomplishments stagger the imagination, there are some less obvious yet profoundly important contributions that few know about. Jon’s commitment to Individual Psychology imbued every fiber of his being, and he continually advocated for it in his teaching, his consulting, and his clinical practice both within and outside NASAP. In fact, his Adlerian roots were well known within professional psychology and counseling organizations. For instance, his influence on the profession of psychology is particularly noteworthy given psychology’s limited receptivity to the Adlerian approach. Jon accomplished what no one else had done when he received lifetime achievement awards from the American Psychological Association. He broke a publication barrier of sorts when APA Books agreed to publish not one but two of his Adlerian psychotherapy books, as well as a half dozen or so DVDs on Adlerian therapy.

Jon’s influence on the American Counseling Association (ACA) has also been noteworthy. In the early 1980s, when the ACA was developing standards for graduate programs, Jon was very instrumental in ensuring that all counseling students would be exposed to the Adlerian approach. So, it is not too surprising that counselors and counselor educators are well represented in NASAP membership. Finally, Jon’s Adlerian influence on the highly regarded Evolution of Psychotherapy conference needs mentioning. Every four years when it is held, the conference focuses on only the “in” approaches and selects high-visibility presenters. For the 2013 conference, Jon was chosen to present on Adlerian therapy. He was also invited to present at the 2017 conference this December. In a very real sense, Jon has kept Adler and Individual Psychology alive for those inside and outside NASAP. Next to Rudolf Dreikurs, MD, in our estimation, Jon has had the most impact on Individual Psychology and NASAP.

We have begun planning for a special section of The Journal of Individual Psychology to be published later this year. We envision it to be a fitting memorial to Jon that will highlight both his personal and his professional contributions to Individual Psychology. We welcome inquiries from those who are potential contributors.