Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development and Occupational Therapy

One of the most common and well-recognized theories of personality in the psychological field is the theory of psychosocial development by Erik Erikson. The theory includes various stages of development that mainly focus on the development of competence in an area in life. The theorist believed that people undergo conflicts that act as the turning point in development in each of the stages. The conflicts in each of the stages either stimulate the individual to personal growth or failure in developing quality. Erikson's stages of development can be used in providing effective therapeutic services to patients with histories of abuse and neglect. This is largely because these stages help in identification of symptoms related to the abuse or neglect and the establishment of methods to treat the symptoms by a therapist.

The first stage is trust vs. mistrust, this occurs in the first year of life. Infants develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide them with their basic needs, but a lack of this will lead to mistrust. If this stage is successful, the infant gains the virtue of hope. When a baby cries and its mom doesn’t come immediately, it knows the mom will come eventually. If the baby doesn’t develop hope, it instead develops fear, a fear that their mom will never come when they need them. The second stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt in 1 to 3 year olds. In order for the toddler to reach autonomy, they have to be allowed to investigate and do things for themselves. They will gain confidence and self-control and learn to handle their mistakes. Too much independence is dangerous though since they’re fragile and could get hurt, but smothering and limiting them too much will make them doubt themselves and feel that they are unable to do things. If they feel inadequate, they may become very dependent and lack self-esteem. Balance is key in this and many of the other stages for proper growth. If this stage is successful the child will develop the virtue of will. The third stage is initiative vs. guilt, this

The first stage of Erikson's psychosocial stage is trust vs. mistrust, which is experienced, in the first year of life. Infants learn to trust in order to satisfy their needs thus developing a feeling of self-worth. When infants receive inconsistent care they

The success of this stage is measured by the feeling of safety and security of our world. This will set the child up for success for the rest of their life. The other side is failure that would lead mistrust and the feeling of insecurity of the world around them. This will set them up to have issues especially in relationship. McLeod mentions, “For example, if the care has been harsh or inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable then the infant will develop a sense of mistrust and will not have confidence in the world around them or in their abilities to influence events” (McLeod 19).

Stage 2: Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt. The child develops a sense of autonomy and learns to hold on and let go of things and emotions. If a child is not encouraged to share his or her emotions, toys, food, the child does not learn to trust others. Trust is manifested in getting the toys back and maybe tasting someone else’s food, receiving and giving affection from others. Therefore it is important to foster trust in children at this stage. (Page 158)

Erikson’s eight stages of development are trust vs. mistrust, Industry vs. Inferiority and Identity vs. Role Confusion. Stage one is Trust vs. mistrust – birth to age 1- At this stage the infant learns to trust the caregiver to provide for their basic needs or develops mistrust. Stage two is Autonomy vs. shame and doubt– 1-3yrs- At this stage toddlers begin to express their independence by talking, walking, dressing, feeding, and toileting

In 950 CE Erik Thorvaldsson was born in a place called Rogaland located in western Norway. His parents where Thorvald Asvaldsson and Åsvald Åsvaldson, Erik was an only child. Erik was 10 when he was forced to leave Greenland with his parents after his father Thorvald was exiled from Greenland for manslaughter to a small area in north

Occupational therapy is used to help people across their lifespan participate in the activities they want and need to do through therapeutic use of everyday occupations. Common occupational therapy is often used to help children with disabilities be able to be active and participate in school and other extracurricular activities. It is also useful for helping people recover from injury and get back the skills they might have lost, elderly are helped as well. The occupational therapy services mainly include, an evaluation of the person and figuring out the person's goals. It is customized to the person to improve the person’s ability to interact with daily activity, also to see the outcomes to make sure the goals are

The second stage of Erikson’s eight stages of development is called Autonomy vs shame and doubt. This is the time where children to start to do things on their own, for example,

Successfully resolving this stage leads to the child developing the virtue of hope. The child will also develop “optimism, trust, confidence, and security” when they effectively complete this stage (Davey, 2014, para. 5). Failure to complete this stage will result in “insecurity, worthlessness, and general mistrust” to everyone around them (Davey, 2014, para. 5). This stage lasts from birth to 18 months (Davey, 2014). I think I successfully completed Erickson’s first stage. My mother and father provided adequate care for me. They provided comfort and the proper necessities for me to grow. I am optimistic and I generally trust others; I am not overly trusting to a point where I am naïve, but I have a sense of security within myself and the

The next stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt, has to do with a child taking on more independence like choosing what they want to wear or eat. This stage is normally when the person is a toddler. They are starting to

Occupational therapy is a distinctive profession guided by the belief of helping individuals’ live meaningful and fulfilling lives by enhancing participation in activities of daily living. Occupational therapy serves as a stepping-stone to promote wellness and optimal performance through a holistic approach, which seeks to understand each dimension of a person to better serve the client, improve quality of life and enhance self-reliance. Occupational therapy aims to facilitate growth in the client’s skills and promote healthier productive lives. Through therapeutic use of self and personal experiences, one can serve as a valuable tool to help achieve independence, provide encouragement and promote growth. Occupational therapy offers a range

Erik Erikson was born June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany. His mother was Jewish and his father was Danish. However, Erikson’s father left before he was born so his mother married his pediatrician after raising Erikson by

If the individual’s needs are not met in this stage the individual will most likely develop a mistrust that will hamper relationship in the future. The relationship between parent and caregiver is vital. “It is during the first months of life that the baby comes to trust or not, to have faith or not. Whether trust and faith are developed has direct implications for identity formation” (Goodwin, 1998) The goal of this stage is to gain ‘Hope’.

The first stage is trust or mistrust. This stage begins from birth to one year, children begin to learn the ability to trust others based upon the consistency of their caregiver. If trust develops successfully, the child gains confidence and security in the world around him and is able to feel secure even when threatened. Unsuccessful completion of this stage can result in an inability to trust, and therefore a sense of fear about the inconsistent world. It may result in anxiety, heightened insecurities, and an over feeling of mistrust in the world around them.