2 - Conference on Human Development – March 2010
A MODEL OF THE “DEVELOPMENTAL SELF”©
Dear Colleague,
I assume that you have chosen your profession out of a deep seated desire to make a difference, to assist other human beings to move toward a more productive, happier, and more satisfying life.
Consider a 5 year old acting out before dinner and demanding a candy bar that his mother doesn’t want him to have. What does this have in common with a 65 year old woman whose adult children take advantage of her and disrespect her? Or the star athlete who becomes a doctor, lawyer or CEO – and experiences midlife crisis or commits suicide? In this paper you will have the opportunity to see the application of my model of a ‘Developmental Self’ in 5 different case studies.
This paper suggests that an integral “contributing factor to psychological and physiological well-being throughout the lifespan”, is the proper training of a ‘Developmental Self’, a training which must begin at birth.
I believe that after reading my paper, the culmination of over 30 years of theoretical reflection and research applications, you will also begin to question the model of body/brain as the only ‘developmental’ components we need to pay attention to.
New theories can provide a new lens through which to view human development. The Continuum Theory™ of Human Development is one of those new lenses.
It has always puzzled me, that if we are only body/brain and we nourish and develop these two parts of a human being fully – where the emotional difficulties of children, teenagers, adults, couples, etc. arise from. How can the model of body/brain explain how a star athlete ( developed body) who becomes a doctor, lawyer or CEO (developed brain) winds up experiencing midlife crisis or commits suicide?
Working with the model of a ‘Developmental Self’ the answers become all too obvious.
Contact Information –
Stefan Deutsch – Gestalt Psychotherapist
Tel. 516 220 6471
stefandeutsch@msn.com
Request for additional copies or for reproduction of any part of the this document needs to be in writing.
Stefan Deutsch
109 Coverly Place
Melville, NY 11747
THE CONTINUUM THEORY™:
A MODEL OF “THE DEVELOPMENTAL SELF” OVER
A LIFESPAN
Stephan Deutsch, Gestalt Psychotherapist
