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Block 4 Unit 2 Psychotherapy with Adults and Middle Aged Persons

1) What are the life stage issues that fledgling adults may bring to therapy?

Fledgling adults (ages 18-25) may bring the following life stage issues to therapy:

• Difficulties in relation to family and friends.

• Issues of sexual identity and development.

• Questions of morality in the face of an imperfect self and a flawed society.

• Problems of planning a career, finding satisfactory employment, and adjusting to job conditions.

• Financial difficulties.

These difficulties can have a particular quality and form due to the developmental status and social demands of this stage. The shift in focus from family to peers can create anxiety if distancing from parents is perceived as risking loss of their love and support. Fledgling adults are also moving towards adulthood in the context of a diminishing support network, which can leave them feeling isolated and vulnerable.

2) Write about the problems which young adults are prone to bring to therapy?

Young adults (ages 25-40) may bring the following problems to therapy:

• A feeling of reluctance and hesitancy to take on the responsibilities of adult life, questioning if they are capable of truly 'standing on their own two feet'.
• They may experience the losses of this life stage, such as the loss of youthful freedom from responsibilities, and the loss of close relationships with parents and siblings, which may go unrecognised.
• They may experience difficulties with employment, relationships and money.
• They may be ambivalent about separating from their parents.
• They may be unsure of their identity, their values and goals, and their sense of themselves in the world.
• They may be struggling with serious mental illnesses that tend to appear in the late teens or early 20s (e.g., bipolar, schizophrenia), as well as other common problems like substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, which complicate their life choices.
• They may need help in seeing how they fit into the bigger picture in terms of their relationship with others.
• They may be dealing with issues around fertility and the transition to parenthood, which can be highly emotive.
• They may be adjusting to parenthood or managing the consequences of deviating from the social norm of becoming a parent.

3) Write about middle adulthood in terms of issues relevant in psychotherapy?

Middle adulthood (ages 40-65) may involve issues such as:

• The development of generativity (desire to expand one's influence and commitment to family, society, and future generations) versus experiencing stagnation (self-absorption).

• The midlife crisis, which can lead to questioning long-held beliefs and values, and can result in major life changes.

• Concerns regarding work and career, including the need to change careers, retire, or deal with a diminished ability to cope with job demands.

• Concerns about physical changes associated with midlife, such as changes in appearance, diminished sexual desire, and the menopause for women.

• Grief following the death of a child, parent, partner, or close friend.

• Conflicts in the family arena, such as children's transition from adolescence to adulthood and the renegotiation of relationships, which can lead to powerful feelings around autonomy and encroaching dependency.

• Realisation that they have stopped growing up, and have begun to grow old, along with the loss of youthful dreams and the realisation that their anticipated contribution may not materialise.

• Coming to terms with 'non-events', such as the career path that did not materialise or the stable relationship that did not develop.

Middle adulthood can be a time of multiple, conflicting roles, demands, and opportunities, making the resources a person has available for dealing with this complexity a key therapeutic issue.

4) After the turbulence of adolescence and fledgling adulthood, the period of early adulthood may seem more concerned with consolidation and incremental growth. Discuss?

• After the turbulence of adolescence and fledgling adulthood, the period of early adulthood may seem more concerned with consolidation and incremental growth, a structure-building phase, which is less demanding of the need for counselling or psychotherapy.
• It is a period where things start to "settle down," with occupation, lifestyle, friendships, and relationships all seeming to stabilise.
• However, there is a possibility that the losses of this stage may go unrecognised, and the normative pressures to establish an independent adult lifestyle may encourage a denial of the importance of continued relationships with one’s family of origin. 
• Young adults may question any continuing attachments, accepting that they should have untied themselves from the "apron strings" of their childhood home by now. 
• Despite this, young adults typically keep in close contact with their parents, although this does not mean things remain the same. 
• The problems associated with employment, relationships, and money that were identified as characteristic of fledgling adulthood may persist into this life stage.