Marina Bluvshtein

Dr. Marina Bluvshtein serves as Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Couple and Family Therapy at Adler University, directing the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship (CAPS). She holds global leadership roles including President of the International Association of Individual Psychology (IAIP) and board positions with ICASSI and the Alfred Adler Institute of New York.

Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Psychology with Clinical Geriatrics specialization from Capella University (2005), an M.A. in Adlerian Psychotherapy from the Alfred Adler Graduate School (1997), and a B.A. in Journalism from Moscow State University (1986), with doctoral research focused on Russian-language adaptation of neuropsychological assessment tools.

Dr. Bluvshtein's research centers on Adlerian theory applications, specializing in early recollections, dream analysis, therapeutic metaphors, and cross-lingual mental health practices. She investigates neurocognitive aging, non-linear interventions, and happiness frameworks in human evolution, bridging historical Adlerian principles with contemporary clinical challenges through her work with CAPS.

Her 2023-2025 publications demonstrate a trajectory integrating Adlerian psychology with modern complexities: examining cultural postmemories, AI-assisted assessment, tyranny dynamics, and Jewish ethnocultural influences on Adler's theories, while advancing DSM-5-TR clinical applications through Adlerian lenses.

Major recognitions include:

• NASAP Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
• Golden Rose for Humanism from Lviv School (2023)
• Rudolf Dreikurs Visiting Scholar Fellowship (2021)
• Diplomate in Adlerian Psychology (2017)
• Rudolf Dreikurs Award for Advancement of Adlerian Psychology (2011)

As a mentor, she has cultivated generations of practitioners through the Adler Academy of Minnesota (founded 2016) and global CAPS initiatives, supervising clinical trainings and archival projects. Her leadership extends to international workshops across Japan, Germany, Bulgaria, Albania, Spain, and Hong Kong, fostering Adlerian scholarship through ICASSI and Erasmus+ collaborations.

Current research focuses on amplifying women's voices in psychology and therapeutic metaphor applications, supported by ongoing board roles with NASAP, APA, and AAMFT that span decades of professional engagement.