Developmental Crises in Psychology
When Problems with Maturational Processes Need Crisis Intervention
Jun 30, 2008
Developmental crises, also called maturational crises, are one type of crisis that needs to be addressed in counseling. Precipitating events for developmental crises are imbedded in maturational processes. The individual should be viewed in light of his or her developmental history. This goes along with Erikson's theory of personality development, in that personality continues to develop through life, changing radically as a function of how an individual deals with each stage of development.
Major Assumptions in Developmental Crises
- Life is characterized by continuous growth and change. Crisis ensues if change or transition is extreme.
- Development is a series of transitions characterized by certain tasks or preoccupations that must be mastered before moving on to another stage.
- Transitions in adulthood are quantitatively different from those of childhood. Although each stage is unique, themes from younger days are usually revisited or reworked throughout life.
- Precipitating events must be understood in the context of an individual’s personal history.
Causes of Developmental Crisis
There are several causes of developmental crisis. One cause is a deficit in skills that can keep a person from achieving developmental tasks or turn a predictable transition into a crisis. For example, if a parent does not have the skills to be a parent, having a baby could become a crisis situation.
Another cause of developmental crisis is demand overload. Developmental crisis can also occur when the individual is not prepared for milestone events, such as menopause, widowhood, etc.
Another cause is when one of life’s developmental transition is perceived by the individual as being out of phase with society’s expectations. Examples of this could be leaving home, choosing a partner, marrying, having kids, and retiring.
Crisis Intervention Strategies for Developmental Crises
There are several intervention strategies that may be used in maturational crises. The first thing that needs to be done is an assessment of crisis. Examine the crisis as a preoccupation through life centering on a particular developmental stage. Look for deficits contributing to the difficulty: skills, knowledge, willingness to take risks, physical and social resources, and supports.
Look also at the individual's perception of the precipitating event. What impact will the client’s struggle have on loved ones? What is the role of community expectations in the course of the individual's crisis? For example, what is involved in becoming publicly identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual? How do the individual’s expectations and anticipations relate to the crisis?
The next step is to explore the possibility of life structure as a concept to help organize crisis data. Gather data in behavioral, affective, somatic, interpersonal, and cognitive areas. During counseling, state that a particular crisis could be a reflection of the client’s wrestling with developmental issues. This might be a normal phase that the client is going through. The developmental perspective puts the client’s current disorganization into a growth context.
Positive new beginnings can develop from turmoil. Caution the client against making any sudden long term commitments during the crisis. One example of this happening may be if a man decides to leave his wife because he falls in love with his secretary, and later regrets his choice. All suggestions made by the therapist should be presented as things for the client to consider. The client should not be forced into a particular framework.
Additional Resources
This information was taken from lecture notes from J. Steinberg's graduate class in Crisis Intervention (1999). For related information, please read:
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