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Life Review Interview and Reflection
Latoya Venable
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
PSYC 210: Developmental Psychology
Professor Fluty
May 3, 2025
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Life Review Interview and Reflection
In conducting an interview with my inspiration, my mother, Stephanie Chisolm, who
prefers to be called Stephanie for this assignment. The purpose of the interview is to recognize
and distinguish the developmental issue or milestone within each domain. Based on her
response throughout the interview, I was able to give a better understanding of developmental
stages connected to late adulthood.
Developmental Analysis and Biblical Integration
My mother Stephanie is 57 years old and resides in Pennsylvania, where she was born.
She is the third child of four children and grew up in a two-parent home until the age of twelve.
My mother Stephanie, childhood, grew up living in a two-parent home until the age of 12 when
her parents separated, which was hard for her, because the family became divided. For
temporary Stephanie’s mother stayed with her sister and her children and so my mother
Stephanie had to choose to stay with her father or mother. She felt the need to stay with her
father because it was not enough room at her aunt’s home. All this was until her mother was
able get a place. While living with her father, they became closer, he helped motivate her and
encouraged her to do more with her life, he was her rock. My mother, her siblings, and cousins
became even closer growing up because her mother lived with them, and although my mother
Stephanie did not live with them, she always was around.
That hard time in my grandmother’s life inspired my mother. She watched her mother
take care of four children as a single parent back then and her brother, my uncle, was born
handicapped. My mother Stephanie’s faith in God was installed by her mother and aunt, her
mother’s, sister who are very strong faithful Christians. They taught her to remain faithful to
God no matter how difficult life gets, and we have an uncle who has been a pastor for over 10
years we can call for advice, prayer, counseling, etc. My mother Stephanie lives a simple life with
her husband of two years, and spouse for 13 years. They are both still active, my mother is
retired but likes to stay busy working part time. My mother Stephanie has three children and
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becoming a parent has influenced her to become stronger because she was a single parent like
her mother. She was close to her father and after losing him she felt like she only had herself.
She had that father, daughter bond with him since he raised her over some years so when he
died, she didn’t have that same bond with anyone else. She never lost her faith she continued
to believe in God and put him first knowing that was all she needed. Isaiah 41:10 ISV: Don’t be
afraid, because I’m with you; don’t be anxious, because I am your God. I keep on strengthening
you; I’m truly helping you. I’m surely upholding you with my victorious right hand” (Bible
Gateway Passage: Isaiah 41:9-11 - International Standard Version, 2019).
Growing up I admired how my mother Stephanie had never given up no matter what she
focused on and achieved them. She experienced changes in her career over time when she
decided she no longer wanted to work for others. My mother is looking to open her own female
residential re-entry program. She has obtained multiple BS degrees, all which makes me want to
do the same. Now that her children are grown up, when it comes to her priorities, they have
changed over the past twenty years, she is focusing more on herself, health and traveling more
with her husband. One of Stephanie’s greatest achievements is raising her children, getting
married and working hard enough that she now owns her own property.
My grandparents, Stephanies’s mother and father and her uncle my grandfather’s
brother, has had the most significant impact on her life. Her mother for raising her children on
her own as a single mother, her father for teaching her to be strong, believe in herself and
survival, her uncle to encourage her to become a business owner. When asking her does she
wishes she would have done anything differently she stated “no” that she thinks she did good. I
agree! The last question was had she seen her faith influence her interactions with others and
her ability to lead and inspire them and my mother stated she inspires her children and
grandchildren to complete their education and more. Adults who have succeeded in previous
phases tend to develop a feeling of self-worth and integrity (Cashion et al., 2019, p. 399). I can
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tell from our conversation she didn’t feel any regret she is grateful for everything she
experienced in life because it has made her stronger.
Insights
I enjoyed this conversation with my mother, I understood how she felt growing up
and how it has influenced her as a mother. The interview helped me see why my mother was
my grandfather’s POA, and how my aunt is now my grandmother’s POA. Growing up I became
close to both grandparents to a point I remember a time when I lived with both for some time.
My grandfather I don’t remember to religious but my grandmother, is a church woman and I
enjoyed Sunday services with her every Sunday. As per Erik Eriksons stages, Stephanie’s
psychological development is a story of positive development.
Reference
Bible Gateway passage: Isaiah 41:9-11 - International Standard Version. (2019). Bible
Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2041%3A9-11&version=ISV
Cashion, V. (2019). LIFESPAN 360 : christian perspectives on human development.
Kendall Hunt.
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Appendix
Interview questions:
1. What is your name?
2. When were you born?
3. How was your childhood growing up?
4. Are you married? If so, how long have you been married?
5. Do you have children? If so, how has becoming a parent influenced you?
6. What is your earliest memory that stands out in your mind?
7. How has your spiritual belief influenced your personal development and decision-
making processes?
8. How have your priorities changed over the past twenty years?
9. Have you experienced any changes in your career or job description? If so, how have
these changes affected your life?
10. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date?
11. Who are some of the people who have had the most significant impact on your life, and
why?
12. Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
13. How have you seen your faith influence your interactions with others and your ability to
lead and inspire them?
