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Last paper cefs 502
Theories Of Counseling (Liberty
University)
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There are eleven stages of growth and development per the text by Wong et al. They are
as follows, conception and prenatal, infancy through twenty-four months, toddlerhood (age 1-3),
preschool (age 3-6), middle childhood (age 6-12), early adolescence (age 13-18), late
adolescence (age 19-25), emerging adulthood (age 26-35), middle adulthood (age 36-60), late
adulthood (age 61-75) and Elderhood (age 75 until death). The text goes over each stage and its
effect on the person either alone or once they begin to socialize. In this paper, I will reiterate
each phase and compare to my own life. Being that I am 44 years old and currently in middle
adulthood, I will compare what I believe my life will be like in later years based on the
experience of people I know that are in that age bracket and stage of life. It should be noted that
for people they may enter each stage earlier or later and these are not set ranges as I will explain.
Conception and Prenatal
This stage is the beginning of life from conception and how we become a baby from two
cells that fertilize inside the womb of a woman. The average pregnancy is forty weeks
(ny.gov/community/pregnancy). The pregnancy is broken up into three trimesters (Wong et al
2016 pg. 53). During the first trimester which is weeks one through twelve the fetus develops
quickly. During weeks two through eight, the major organs begin to form in the fetus, and this
is a critical time (Wong et al 2016 pg. 53). The second trimester consists of weeks thirteen
through twenty-seven and the fetus now resembles a baby, and it continues to grow. At this
stage the baby can kick and move. It can also pass urine and suck its thumb. The third trimester
is weeks twenty-eight up until birth). As stated earlier forty weeks is full term.
For this stage in my life, I can go by what my mother told me about me while she was
carrying me. She stated she had a good pregnancy and was able to see the doctor and give birth
through cesarian section to a healthy nine-pound two oz baby boy. Per the mayoclinic.org, a
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cesarian or C section is a surgical operation where they deliver a baby through incisions in the
abdomen and uterus. In an article by nlm.nih.gov 28% of births were C-section (Degani, N., &
Sikich, N. (2015) I have seen various pictures of this time in my life and do not remember any of
it. I have a one-year-old now and she is growing so fast, but even though she is learning every
day, she cannot talk yet or communicate other than crying if she wants something. One thing is
that we keep our daughter like my mother kept me on a rigid schedule so she can grown and
develop well.
For the next section, I will focus more on my daughter as this is fresh and current and I
can relate it more so to the text. For the aspect of social and emotional growth, Wong states
there is a connection between the mother and the child that starts after around six months in the
womb. My wife was very excited during her pregnancy with our daughter and knew when the
baby was asleep, playing or any other types of movements. She was in good spirits which
translates to our healthy sweet girl today. Development of the fetus is important, and the mother
should take care of herself so the baby can also do the same while growing. Stress should be
kept to a minimal and healthy lifestyle should be kept.
As someone who has seen what a miscarriage or other unplanned pregnancy
complications can do, I feel I can relate to people that have gone through thos horrible situation.
As an MFT, I would find out information of the pregnancy, the relationship of the parents to be,
and any other factors that may help or hinder a pregnancy. I feel as a counselor we must do our
best to help a couple and especially the mother while she is pregnant so she can deliver a healthy
baby. As I stated earlier, some pregnancies are planned and others are not. We as counselors
need to be there for the client and help them by showing them all the options they even if we do
not believe in the choices they may make. Pregnancy can be extremely joyous as in my
situation
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or over the course of my career I have seen people who did not want their baby and may break
up after the pregnancy begins. As a counselor, I would do my best to calm the clients and
advocate when needed for assistance.
Infancy to Twenty-four months
This time in the life stage overlaps somewhat with the next section, Toddler, one through
three. However, there is a difference and this stage that it starts from birth and goes from there.
Not all children develop the same nor have the same upbringing. Infants grow very rapidly
(Wong et al 2016 pg. 73). Having a child that just left this stage, I can share the amazement of
watching her grow almost too fast. On page 79, Figure 4.1 describes the various growth and
what I saw as accomplishments of an infant as they grow towards the toddler stage. These
include from the 0–4-month things such as being able to support their own head, turns to familiar
voices, etc. From 4-8 months there are other milestones listed such as being able to play with
their ties, learn to open their mouth for food etc, and the last stage is 8-12 months where they
begin to walk with help, is able to sit in a chair and their fine motor skills get much better as they
start to eat some small foods by themselves. My daughter had four teeth by three months and by
twelve months almost all of hers.
My daughter is very well taken care of and loved. The text states that this is important
for social and emotional development. Her cognition is improving rapidly during this stage of
life as well. I know that she expresses herself for things by crying and either when she gets it or
realizes she may not get it, she then calms down and regulates herself. During my time in this
stage, I dot remember as our brains are still developing and its hard to remember the day to day
of this early stage.
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Counseling people with infants and young children is important in that there are so many
mental health conditions related to parents after the birth of a child. I know first hand that
returning to work after my daughter was only a few weeks old was terrifying for me and my
wife. It was also very tough going from married life to having a crying baby at different times.
We made it through it, but not everyone does. “Pregnancy and the birth of a child can be a
joyous and exciting time, but some women may struggle with their mental health as they
transition to motherhood. Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-
compulsive disorder may surface during or after pregnancy. Additionally, birth-related post-
traumatic stress disorder or a severe but rare condition called postpartum psychosis can happen
following childbirth” (mhanational.org). As a counselor, it is important to inquire if the new
mother or father feel overwhelmed and help them to find solutions. SES can be a factor when
having a child. “A middle-class bias prevails in the training of counselors. Because most
counselors come from or have achieved middle class status” (Remley and Herlihy pg.65).
Socioeconomic status in different parents may add to the stress of being a new parent. As
counselors, we must think systemically and not further marginalize our clients with different
SES than us. Or the perceived SES that they may feel we have as counselors. After starting this
degree program, I feel that I can think ore this way and hope to help people and listen to their
stories of where they have come and show them there is a way to improve their SES.
Toddler age one through three
The next stage is the toddler stage. As stated earlier this stage may overlap with infancy.
Furthermore, not all people develop at the same rate. Toddlers start to develop their own
personality and learn rather faster than before. Toddlers can play with many toys and their
cognition is improving quickly as well. The sensory, perception, and motor development are far
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superior to an infant. Toddlers love to see and test their limits. I see this everyday with my
daughter. She is almost walking at 14 months but her motor skills are great. She can eat small
cookies from a plate. She plays by herself for good periods of time and knows what certain
things re such as her toys and games. She is truly a sponge and wants to learn. While taking thid
class, it has helped me and my wife in many ways when we come across a behavior with my
daughter. Separation anxiety has been something we have dealt with from time to time. We
have also utilized the book when it comes to temper tantrums. We simply let her cry it out and
she then is fine. The book also speaks about abuse and how often it occurs in this age group.
We only leave our daughter with family, mainly my mother-in-law. This way she is shielded
from the horrors of the world.
Wong et al speak about throughout the chapter toilet training, social skills , and other
aspects of toddlerhood. My daughter plays with us and one time I brought her to the park. She
preferred to play with older children than her peers. This was not discussed in the book. Peter
Gray, a psychologist at Boston college has done research on this and showed that older kids will
play with younger kids by nature and want to interact with each other. His research was more
in primitive cultures but at a young age child are still primitive in a sense and want to play
together (https://youtu.be/-OMYesA1nQo).
Preschool age three through six
Preschool age children start to leave the home and meet other children and people.
During this stage, the mind continues to grow, and the child develops. Again, not all children
develop at the same pace. If you compare a three year old to a five year old, you can see the vast
difference in cognition and motor skill usually. On page 123 of the text, it speaks of this and
how 4&5 year old children start to think about cause and effect. Also, memory skills begin to
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strengthen (Wong et al 2016 pg. 123). Short term memory can be helped to remember, but
significant events will be known such as birthdays and major holidays. Children this age begin
to have morals of right and wrong. These decisions are based on avoiding punishment (Wong
et al 2016 pg. 126). A child’s self perception is also developed quicker during this time (pg.
127). As discussed earlier play is important for children to grow and learn.
I remember this time for me as a child. I am the oldest and have a younger brother who
is four years younger. When I was about three my mother spent much time playing with me as
did my paternal grandparents who lived across the street. I had many toys and books to look at.
I also watched Sesame Street which I believe helped me in reading and language. The National
Library of Medicine (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823000/) states
otherwise, but like the text and it has been stated children throughout each stage are different.
The article by them states that screen time negates parent play time with the child. My mother
and father interacted with me but used the TV to occupy me while thye had chores of the home
to do. So I see that using TV shows fulltime will hinder growth, as a parent and as child who
grew up on them, they are fine in my humble opinion.
I think as a counselor in this stage we should focus on the moral evelopment of a child
and also assist them in being resilient. These items are important as they are ket to maturing and
growing with good values. We should reach out to parents to see what the barometer is of their
morals and values as well as how they are dealing with a growing child and the stresse that this
can bring. I feel this is a great age as the children are more intuitive and can speak and ask for
things. As counselors we can start to talk with children and aid them in the stresses of their lives.
Middle Childhood age six through twelve
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Middle Childhood is the ages six through twelve. It is a time of much growth both
cognitive and physical as well. The average body weight doubles during this stage (Wong et al
2016 pg. 149). During this stage bullying can start to occur as children are more aware of both
physical and mental characteristics. More and more bullying seem to be prevalent in our society
and can lead to children harming themselves. As counselors we should take every step to make
sure our clients will not harm themselves or others. Counselors have an ethical obligation to
work to prevent bullying and harassment of students by other students (Remley and Herlihy
2019 pg. 278). As a former overweight child, I know all too well of the teasing and bullying and
the implications ot can have on mental development. I feel as someone who went through this, I
may be able to be more effective in counseling a child or adult that has this issue happening.
Memory functions in middle adulthood is very similar to that of adult memory (Wong et
al 2016 pg. 151). Children at this age can work on two things at once. They also grow more
socially and linguistically. Autonomy is also growing during this stage of development.
Children may start to develop peer groups of friends and start friendships with other children.
Social anxiety can manifest during this time as well and can lead to social issues. It is important
as a counselor to try and be on the lookout for these signals.
At this age I had a small group of friends at school but remember being friendly with
everyone. I would go over another child’s home frequently and had a best friend in my
neighborhood as well. I enjoyed this time for the most part besides the body shaming that I
endured. But here I am I hit a growth spurt which be discussed later in the paper and became a
leaner stronger young man.
Early Adolescence age thirteen- eighteen
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Early Adolescence is a time of many changes both physically and mentally. Children
begin to develop their sexual organs with boys, growing their testes, penis and body hair. While
girls will grow breasts, start menstruating, and hit a growth spurt. (pg. 176). These changes can
be both positive and sometimes negative. As everyone matures at a different pace, the new
growth can be a good or bad thing for children. As well as the physical changes the cognitive
ability continues to grow, and Adolescences can think abstractly and also reflect on their actions
more. Self esteem can be harmed by the physical changes previously mentioned and as
Counselors, it is important we can identify if there are any issues that develop. It is common for
children at this stage to have eating disorders (Wong et al 2016 pg. 181). “Feeding and eating
disorders, all of which share characteristic disturbances in thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or
Physiology associated with eating behavior, body perceptions, or weight management. included
are the eating slash feeding disturbances of pika, rumination disorder, and avoidant slash
restrictive food intake disorder(addressing persistently eating nonfood substances, persistently
regurgitating food, and clinically persistent lack of interest in eating, respectively)- as well as the
clinically important eating disorders of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder,
and other specified eating disorder” (Schwitzer & Rubin 2015). There are also increases in self
harm and the start of sexual activity which can lead to STD transmission. Social media can play
a large part as well in this stage.
Late Adolescence age 19-25
Late adolescence is a continuation of early adolescence. Many of the same issues are still
present with the addition of emerging into adulthood and the new stress of getting a job or going
to college. Cognitive thinking improves and physically we continue to grow. Dating and
intimate relationships grow as well. This was a great age for me as I found my career and
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enjoyed the dating scene. I was aware of the social clock theory (pg 206) as were many of my
peers. But like so many, I married much later and had children later as well. I have seen the use
of drugs and alcohol and the toll it has on people (Fournier & Levy 2006). I have lost many
friends to drugs over the years. I have also seen the social climate of drug use as well (NIDA
2020). I think many still live the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle in this stage. Sexual
activity continues in this stage as it started in early adolescence. Counselors need to utilize
technology to assist clients in this stage. Social media is huge, and everyone uses it. According
to statista.com 82% of Americans use social media. Counselors can do virtual sessions also to
help clients.
Emerging Adult ager 26-35
The age of adulthood can be a lot for people. For some they are still finding themselves
and looking for a career. The four types of development are physical, cognitive, social and
emotional (Wong et al 2016 pg.226). This is a time when many do not know where they are as
whether they are still an adolescent or an adult. Since everyone grows differently this can be a
challenging time. For me I was lucky to have had a career that I started at 23 and was well on
my way to home ownership and all the other “adult” things in life. But for many this can be a
lot of stress and trouble. As counselors, we need to address topics such as depression, drug use,
and other ways our clients may be coping and dealing with this challenging time of life. Other
stressors could be a loss of job or a friendship, even a parent. There is much to look out for
during this stage of life.
Middle Adult age 36-60
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Middle adulthood is also midlife. For many they start to look back on life and see what
they have or have not accomplished and for some they have a midlife (pg 259). This is a stage to
settle down and start a family. To find yourself and concentrate on the positive things in life.
Physically, people may start to show signs of aging and cognition may decline if there is nothing
to stimulate the brain (pg.264). For other, the demands of life can overload them and the role
that they assume may also again lead to a midlife crisis. As counselors we need to address this
and help our clients. I can say for me that I am 44 and in this stage. I do have some regrets but I
am very blessed with what I have. I am lucky as many are not like me. However there is hope
and I believe it is God’s plan that I am where I am right now.
Late Adulthood age 61-75 and Elderhood 75- death
During late adulthood, we may start to lose more cognition and some people develop
dementia. Our bodies may not work the way they used to
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References:
1)https://www.health.ny.gov/community/pregnancy/why_is_40_weeks_so_important.htm#:~:text=Preg
nancy%20lasts%20for%20about%20280,between%2029%20and%2033%20weeks.
2)https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-section/about/pac-20393655
3)https://www.mhanational.org/conditions/pregnancy-and-postpartum-disorders
4)Remley, Theodore P. Jr. and Herlihy, Barbara P., "Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues in
Counseling (6th Edition)" (2019). Counseling & Human Services Faculty Books
5)Gray, Peter 2015 https://youtu.be/-OMYesA1nQo
6) Canadian Paediatric Society, Digital Health Task Force, Ottawa, Ontario (2017). Screen
time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world. Paediatrics &
child health, 22(8), 461–477. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxx123
7)Wong, D. W., Hall, K. R., Justice, C. A., & Hernandez, L. W. (2015). Counseling individuals through
the lifespan. SAGE Publications.
8) Schwitzer, A. M., & Rubin, L. C. (2015). Diagnosis and Treatment Planning Skills. SAGE Publications.
9) https://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-
profile/
10) Degani, N., & Sikich, N. (2015). Caesarean Delivery Rate Review: An Evidence-
Based Analysis. Ontario health technology assessment series, 15(9), 1–58
11) Fournier, M. E., & Levy, S. (2006). Recent trends in adolescent substance use, primary
care screening, and updates in treatment options. Current opinion in pediatrics, 18(4), 352–
358.
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12) NIDA. 2020, July 10. Preventing Drug Misuse and Addiction: The Best Strategy. Retrieved
from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/preventing-drug-
misuse-addiction-best-strategy on 2022, July 24
