The Life-Span Developmental Approach to Counseling Essay -- essays res

The life-span learning approach addresses the basic nature versus nurture debate by allowing for both. Just as our physicals selves be determined by both transmittables and lifestyle, so are our emotional selves. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I plan to consider life-span development to specialize in counseling a specific type of somebody with hopes of becoming well-versed, and therefore more serve wellful, in the types of experiences that group faces.Personality can be better understood if it is examined developmentally (Santrock, 2006, p. 45). Considering cognitive, biological, and socioemotional development throughout life will provide context, guideposts, and reasonable expectations for counselors. Life-span development theories also provide a useful go in to start when offering emotional support as a counselor.Understanding an individuals previous stages of development and environment can give a counselor and individual a common place from which to start counseling. Most of the developmental theorists discussed in section one of SantrockSigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Konrad Lorenz, and to an extent B. F. Skinner cerebrate mostly on early or childhood development. Early development, when considered in a life-span context of development, can give an LPC insight in an individuals personality. Regardless of specialization, a counselor can weigh early behaviors against his or her contemporary observations, giving them a fuller context.Actual development requires more than genetic loading an environment (Santrock, 2006, p. 98). two cognitive developmental theories support Santrocks assertion of environmental influence on early development. First, Piagets cognitive developmental surmise defines how a person behaves as how a person adapts to his or her environment. An individuals behavior is an adaptive process driven by a biological drive to obtain balance between schemes and the environment (Huitt and Hummel, 2003). This theory states t hat development is a byproduct linking and relating our experiences to each other, starting with general environmental knowledge, until a persons cognitive ability is composed of more abstract reasoning. The second cognitive theory emphasizes social and cultural environment. Vygotskys theory points to our relationships with others as the definitions of ourselves (Nicholl, 1998, par. 13). Two other theo... ...span development is a multi-faceted approach to counseling. Using these and other theories gives a licensed professional counselor a variety of tools for counseling. I expect these theories to help me determine a specialty in my future practice, relying on the overlap and complexity of working in terms of an entire human life.References?Boeree, C. George. (1997). Erik Erikson 1902 to 1994. Shippensburg, PA Shippensburg University. Retrieved 21 June 2005 from http//www.ship.edu/cgboeree/erikson.html.Huitt, W. (1997). Socioemotional development. Educational Psychology Interactive . Valdosta, GA Valdosta State University. Retrieved 22 June 2005, from http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/erikson.html.Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piagets theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA Valdosta State University. Retrieved 21 June 2005 from http//chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html.Nicholl, P .M. (Trish). 1998. Vygotsky. Palmerston North, NZ Massey University. Retrieved 21 June 2005 from http//www.massey.ac.nz/alock/virtual/trishvyg.htm.Santrock, John H. (2006) Life-Span Development. New York, NY McGraw-Hill.