Perhaps no theory is more directly useful to counselors than Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. Unlike Freud’s psychosexual stages, Erikson focused on social conflict resolution across the entire lifespan, from infancy to old age.
Design an interaction that directly contradicts the earlier developmental failure. Lenses Applying Lifespan Development Theories In Counseling
Each stage presents a central crisis (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust, Identity vs. Role Confusion, Generativity vs. Stagnation). Healthy development requires balancing the two poles. Unresolved crises reappear as clinical issues later in life. Perhaps no theory is more directly useful to