Abstract

The author discusses his relationship with Nathaniel Branden from several perspectives, as client, intern, professional associate, and friend. As a client of Branden's, he provides firsthand documentation of his experiences, which illuminates some of the important contributions Branden brought to the field of psychology. Among the “six pillars” Branden identified as the foundation of a healthy self-esteem, the author focuses primarily on self-acceptance. He further explores Branden's eclectic array of therapeutic tools, including sentence completions, sub-personality work, and experimental Energy Psychology. The author credits Branden for having a huge impact on his psychological and intellectual development.