Nathaniel Branden was a Canadian American psychotherapist, commonly regarded as the father of the self-esteem movement. He was also one of the leading figures in the Objectivist movement and the foremost proponent of Ayn Rand’s philosophy until a highly publicized split between the two in 1968. He wrote over 20 books, including “The Psychology of Self-Esteem,” “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem,” and his memoir “My Years with Ayn Rand.”