AGS Community in Action

Adler Graduate School offers groups and activities that provide engagement, mentorship, contribution, and a sense of belonging. From welcoming prospective Adler students to developing your professional identity, there’s a place for you at Adler.

Alfred Adler emphasized the importance of social interest over self-interest. Our students embody that principle each day in the Adlerian Student Collaborative (ASC), an action-oriented social interest group created by students and for students to foster inclusivity and professional development both here and within the greater community. 

Stay Connected!

B-GREAT is an initiative at Adler Graduate School (AGS), to support students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), assist with retention, and promote the professional development.

Purpose and rationale
The program grows out of AGS’s stated goal of better retaining and engaging BIPOC students. The school acknowledges that graduate school can carry particular challenges for these students. AGS is a predominantly white institution, and BIPOC students may find themselves in classrooms with few or no other students of color. That can mean isolation, a lack of representation among peers, and extra strain while managing coursework, practicum, and professional identity development. B-GREAT is designed to respond to those conditions directly rather than leaving students to navigate them alone.

What B-GREAT stands for
The name spells out the program’s population and goals:
• B – BIPOC: The program serves students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, recognizing the particular challenges of attending a predominantly white institution.
• G – Grow: It supports students’ personal and professional growth as they develop their identities as counselors, through mentorship with Dr. Dickerson alongside their regular academic advising.
• R – Retain & Recruit: It aims both to keep BIPOC students enrolled through graduation and to bring more of them into AGS. This pairs with the school’s MACMH partnership, which encourages BIPOC undergraduates to pursue graduate study in mental health.
• E – Engage: It works to strengthen students’ connection to the AGS community, countering the isolation that can come from being one of few BIPOC students in a classroom.
• A – Achieve: It supports academic success and program completion.
• T – Train: It prepares students for professional practice and leadership, including through opportunities like attending the ACA Annual Conference with faculty.

Read together, the acronym describes a full arc: bringing BIPOC students in, helping them stay and thrive, and sending them into the field as well-trained clinicians.

The LGBTQIA+ Student Association at Adler Graduate School exists to foster community, advocacy, and belonging for queer students; a sense of Gemeinschaftsgefühl. We strive to create a vibrant, affirming, and intersectional climate of social interest where students can show up fully—celebrating identity, sharing experiences, cooperation through advocacy, social connection, and supporting each other through both personal and professional journeys.   

In alignment with Adlerian values, the association is student-led, faculty supported, and AGS endorsed. 

What We’re About:  

We strive to emphasize belonging and purpose by fostering social interest and connection with your peers. Adlerian teachings focus on community feeling and align with the importance of queer community support in resisting isolation and building connection and resilience (Association for Holistic Counseling, 2024). Through these connections, students can authentically grow, support, and lead, affirming each student’s right to belong, thrive, and be seen (Rands, 2025).  

Why Join: 

This is your space for authentic connection, self-expression, and purposeful advocacy. All identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella are welcome—your voice matters. Current students who would like to join the group are encouraged to email Dr. Ritten or Professor Emily Taylor to be added to the LGBTQIA+ Student Association Canvas page.  

Adler Graduate School Student Ambassadors give back to prospective and new students by holding individual discussions, participating in Current Student Conversations, and joining School events. For more information on this program, contact: Nikki Marchand, Dean of Student Affairs.