Running Header: Personal Portrait Running Head: SHOULD BE IN CAPS (and should only be on the first page)

Personal Portrait MaLinda J. DiTonno Capella University June 26, 2011

Where is your abstract?

Running Header: Personal Portrait

It can be difficult for an individual to look back upon ones life, to review the mistakes made, the regrets of paths taken or not taken, and the events of difficult periods of maturation. On the other hand, as a student of Mental Health Counseling, it can prove beneficial to relate developmental theories to the stages of ones own life. This gives experience and maybe even a humbling to the student and helps us to realize that we are all human. The desire to help others does not elevate the student, nor does it diminish their own developmental experiences or the effects of the mistakes made in their past. Professionally, creating a personal portrait will assist the student in learning to assess the developmental process of future clientele. This will provide an educational foundation for the mental health professional providing the skills necessary to assess their clients current developmental stage and problems in past stages. This provides the groundwork for the development of a treatment plan which provides for support in assisting the client with a successful transition to the next stage of development. Using the developmental theories of Erik Erikson and Lawrence Kohlberg, a personal portrait will be constructed for MaLinda DiTonno. Erik Erikson was a brilliant psychoanalyst that was inspired by the works of Sigmund Freud. Erikson moved away from Freuds psychoanalytic theory and developed his own. A principal figure in the psychosocial study of human growth and development, Erikson devised nine stages of human development. It was his belief that individual personalities are developed through stages and that we continue to develop through our adult years. In each of the nine stages, the individual is presented with a crisis (also termed conflict). The resolution of the conflict is necessary for healthy developmental growth (Crandell, Crandell, & Vander Zanden, 2009).

Running Header: Personal Portrait

The first stage of Eriksons stages of psychosocial development is trust vs. mistrust. This stage takes place within the childs first year. The desired outcome of this stage is for the child to develop trust in their-self, in the parents, and in the world. Despite the fact that MaLinda was the second born in a set of identical twins, was born two and half months premature, and spent the first six weeks of her life in a hospital, it was during this stage that she developed trust for her parents. MaLinda learned that, when she cried, her parents would come to her and tend to her needs. Whether the need be food, a clean diaper, or comforting, she learned that the need would be met and this gave her a sense of security and safety in her environment. The second and third year of growth is the period for the second stage of development, autonomy vs. shame and doubt. It is in this stage of physical development that the individual learns to walk, run, and talk. While learning these new tasks, it is important to acquire a sense of self-control without loss of self-esteem (Crandell, et. al, 2009, p. ). It was in this stage that MaLinda realized that her twin sister struggled to do the same things that she seemed to do so easily. While MaLinda learned to walk and run, her sister took much longer to learn these tasks. MaLinda may have gained some independence from her parents, but she watched as her parents spent more time with her sister helping her and trying to teach her the same tasks. MaLinda gained confidence and a sense of self-esteem in her new found independence, but she also learned shame and doubt as she watched her sister struggle to keep up. The third stage of development is called initiative vs. guilt. It is in this stage that the individual becomes inquisitive about their environment and learns to try to control situations or objects. Children make up games and learn to plan activities during this time frame as the desired outcome in this stage is to learn direction and purpose in activities (Crandell, et. al, 2009, p. ). MaLinda and her sister would make up their own games so that Mellony could play.

Running Header: Personal Portrait

If they let a friend make up the game and it required tasks not yet mastered by Mellony, she would either not be able to play or struggle to participate. If Mellony struggled to participate, MaLinda would experience feelings of guilt and shame during game play. The fourth stage, industry vs. inferiority, generally takes place from six6-years of age to puberty. The world of elementary education and socialization plays a major role in this developmental stage. Childrens curiosity grows to include wanting to know how things work and how they are made. The bond between MaLinda and her sister increased as she found herself having to protect her sister from other kids their age. Many would tease Mellony because she walked with a limp or because she wore glasses. Puberty is also a time of many physical changes and MaLinda was thankful she did not have to go through it alone. MaLinda feared Mellony would be rejected and therefore remained by her sisters side instead of making her own friends. The fifth stage occurs during adolescence and Erikson called it the identity vs. identity confusion stage. Boyd and Bee (2006) define this stage as taking place between the ages of 12 to 18 years of age. This is when the individual begins to ask the question Who am I? It is in this stage that the individual attempts to develop a sense of self, become even more independent, and begin to make decisions for future career goals. MaLinda found she had a talent for writing, and her English teachers encouraged her to pursue this talent. She found herself dreaming of being a published author one day. However, when it came time to graduate and enter the world, MaLinda struggled with the questions, Who am I? and What do I want to do when I grow up? Erikson explained identity as Its most obvious concomitants are a feeling of being at home in ones body, a sense of knowing where one is going, and an inner assuredness of anticipated recognition from those who count (year; as cited in Crandell, et.al, year, p. 384). This was not true for MaLinda; she did not feel at home in her body, had no idea where she was going, and did

Running Header: Personal Portrait

not believe she received recognition from those who counted (unclear sentence). As a result, MaLinda sought recognition from her father by choosing to join the Air Force, the same branch in which he had served. MaLindas sense of who she is would appear to be hindered here as she does not know what she wants to be when she grows up. The sixth stage, intimacy vs. isolation, occurs during early adulthood. Typically, this stage takes place when the individual leaves high school and enters the world on her own; however, there is no concrete age range for this stage. In this stage, individuals make connections with others and are working toward a career. Hudson and McLean (2006) believe this to be a period of experimentation stating that You are more sure of what you do than who you are, at your core (p. 92). MaLinda discovered her independence in this stage, realizing that she did not need to be with someone to be content, but also finding relationships that she did not experience in her previous stage. It was through one of these relationships that MaLinda found herself pregnant and unwed. Fearing disappointment from her parents, she married the father of her child. The seventh stage, generativity vs. stagnation takes place in middle adulthood. According to Crandell, et. al (2009), this takes place during the ages of 45 through 65. The developmental task at hand in this stage is to acquire a sense of generativity, which involves an interest in establishing and guiding the next generation (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. 141). While MaLinda may still struggle with the questions asked in the fifth stage, she currently finds herself in a career that specifically addresses the generativity task of stage seven. MaLinda currently works with disadvantaged boys ages 10 through 18 in a group home setting. She finds herself directly involved in a behavioral management program that attempts to redirect the antisocial and maladaptive behaviors of the youth placed in the facility. While MaLinda has finally come to a

Running Header: Personal Portrait

place where she is sexually at home in ones body (a desired outcome for the identity vs. identity confusion (when you quote, you should cite) stage, she also finds herself struggling with the physical changes that go along with the developmental stage of her age group. Early menopause symptoms include hot flashes and night sweats, insomnia, headaches, joint or muscle aches, changes in body shape and weight, depression, food craving, fuzzy thinking, fatigue, and anxiety (Pick, 2011, p. ). Struggling with these symptoms, the stress of staff issues, and returning to school to acquire her Masters in Mental Health Counseling can at times be overwhelming for her. Stage eight, integrity vs. despair, takes place in the developmental stage of late adulthood. It is in this stage that an individual looks back on their life and examines their accomplishments and short comings. Of course, the desired outcome to this conflict would be that one would be satisfied with their accomplishments and life style. At the age of 41, MaLinda has not yet reached this psychosocial stage of development, but because she is still trying to answer the What do I want to be when I grow up question, she has taken time to look back on her life to help her determine where to go with it. During her evaluation, she wished she had had a better sense of identity in her adolescence and a stronger sense of confidence when choosing a career. She does like the double mindedness that seems to creep up on her when makesing long term decisions. The ninth and final stage of Eriksons psychosocial development is the despair vs. hope and faith stage. This stage takes place during the late 80s and beyond. Boyd and Bee (2006) give subgroups of late adulthood, old old (aged 75-85), and the oldest old (aged 85 and over) (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p.166). This stage was added to Eriksons stages by his wife after his death. They continued to refine his work as he experienced the later stage himself. It is in this stage that

Running Header: Personal Portrait

the individual is faced with failing health and the need for assistance and care with activities of daily living. A sense of wisdom and transcendence is the desired outcome of this stage, which seems impossible to anyone who has not yet experienced it. MaLinda, although she is currently facing physical changes, she realized her body is not failing. Attempting to project into this stage, she envisions herself as having hope and faith instead of despair. Having been raised in a Christian home, MaLinda has a strong sense of peace regarding her future. Her faith tells her that she will spend eternity in Heaven, and it is this hope and faith that will assist her when the transition to the stage comes. Lawrence Kohlberg was a moral development theorist. He was a very bright man who scored so high on his college entrance exams that he was able to earn his bachelors degree after only one year (Crain, 1985). Kohlbergs research on moral development focused on the reasoning behind the answer, not so much on the answer itself. He developed three levels of moral development with each level containing two stages: Pre-Conventional Morality, Conventional Morality, and Post-Conventional Morality. The first stage within the pre-conventional level is the punishment obedience orientation. It is within this stage that the individual will ask themselves Will I get into trouble for doing (or not doing) it? (Wong, 2000). Children in this stage generally will be obedient without thinking because they are afraid of the consequences if they dont. For example, MaLinda would find herself believing that it was wrong to push her sister not because it would hurt her, but because she would get into trouble for doing so. The second stage within this level is called individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. ). In this stage the individual is still focused on themselves. The question may no longer be Will I get into trouble. . .? but make now be, Whats in it for me? It is in this stage child or adolescent

Running Header: Personal Portrait

operates on the principle that you should do things that are rewarded and avoid things that are punished (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. ). In this stage MaLinda may agree to play a specific game with her sister with the understanding that later, Mellony would play a game of MaLindas choosing. The first stage in the second level, conventional morality, is called the good boy/nice girl stage. Again, there is no specific age for any level of moral reasoning; the level is based on the reasoning behind the answer to the dilemma. In the good boy/nice girl stage, individuals choose good behavior because that is what they believe makes others happy. In this level, MaLinda may choose to do her daily chores because she knows that it will not only make her parents happy, but will help them after a long day at work. The second stage in this level, law and order orientation is the stage in which individuals will focus on duty rather than making others happy and society as a whole. For example, after work MaLinda was offered an alcoholic drink before heading home. MaLinda chose not to accept, not only for fear of disappointing her parents, but because she knew it was against the law. The last two stages of moral development in the final level, postconventional reasoning, are social contract or individual rights, and universal ethical principles. In the first stage, the individuals reasoning includes the concept, greatest good for the greatest number (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p ). For example, MaLinda believes it is wrong to murder, but as a member of the Air Force, she knows that she may be required to fire upon another human being in order to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Americans. In the universal ethical principles stage, the individual reasons their own ethical principles when coming to a decision regarding the moral dilemma. This stage is where many controversial arguments come in, such as Right to Life. MaLinda may argue that it is immoral to abort a fetus based on her own ethical principles.

Running Header: Personal Portrait

MaLinda was born in 1970 making her a part of the Generation X cohort. Crandell et. al states that Generation X is more ethnically diverse than previous generations, and this cohort shares an appreciation of individuality. . . (year, p. 418). Even though she was born in this generation, MaLinda holds firm to her Judeo-Christian upbringing and clings to her biblically based ethical principles. We have seen how she has developed through Eriksons stages of development and how she has also progressed through Kohlbergs moral development stages. As a student in Mental Health Counseling, MaLinda has found this personal portrait enlightening and a valuable experience that she will use in future when working as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).

Running Header: Personal Portrait References

10

AllPsych. (2004, March 21). Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from AllPsych Online: http://allpsych.com/psychology101/social_development.html Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan Development (Fourth ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Crandell, T. L., Crandell, C. H., & Vander Zanden, J. W. (2009). Human development (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Pick, M. O. (2011, April 15). Menopause & Perimenopause. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from Women to Women: http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/ Wong, A. S. (2000). Kohlberg's Level One - Preconventional Morality. Retrieved June 24, 2011, from www.vtaide.com: http://www.vtaide.com/blessing/Kohl1.htm

You did well with your exploration of Eriksons stages and some from Kohlberg. However, you did not really explore the impact of gender and culture on your development.