Rudolf Dreikurs

Rudolf Dreikurs was born in Vienna in 1897 and studied medicine and psychiatry at the university in the same city. His persistent research in the field of social psychiatry led him to establish the world's first Mental Health Committee based in Austria. He showed a keen interest in the teachings of Alfred Adler and soon became his closest collaborator. Initially, he directed clinics for children, emigrated to America in 1937, and in 1939 began teaching psychiatry at the Chicago Medical School. Shortly thereafter, he took on the directorship of the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago, of which he was a founding member. In addition to his teaching and writing activities, Dreikurs was a pioneer in establishing counseling centers for parents and was one of the founders of the idea of group discussions in the classroom and the family council at home. The essence of Dreikurs' teachings and practice is contained in his books: "Children: The Challenge," "Democracy at Home," "The Right to Be a Child," "Maintaining Balance in the Classroom," among others. He passed away in 1972.