Early Adulthood Stages

Forming a Life Structure | Ages 24–28

The characteristic of Early Adulthood is their sense of enterprise – of venture, activity and projects.

• It is a stage of accomplishments of responsibilities.
• Where love, occupation, friendship, values and lifestyle are strengthened.
• This includes mating and making a home, establishing a family and securing a job.
• It is the stage where relationships are the focus which entails working through dating, break-ups, intimacy and isolation.
  Settling down | Ages 29–34
• At this stage, the principles of enterprise moves into a higher hierarchy that serves as a need to make a mark in the world.
• This entails changes that require adjustments to life structures that are stressful and is experienced as a crisis.

Becoming Your Own | Ages 35–40

• This is still the settling down stage where one establishes a niche in society, progress into a family and career accomplishments.
• There is an expectation to think and behave like a parent and are obliged by more demanding roles and responsibilities.

Midlife Transition Mid-life transition | Ages 40-45

This stage is characterized as ones wish to leave a legacy. The first part of life is often governed by rebelling or following society’s expectation of a life. At midlife, people often begin to reflect deeper upon the meaning of their lives.

1. At BN Counseling, we emotionally and socially helped Adults with:
2. A revision of “Who Am I?” so that the second part of life is lead with purpose to make a difference.
3. Process unsettled concerns the direction, and value of life.
4. Contemplate and discover untapped or minimized dreams, interests, talents and aspirations.
5. Awareness of aging, death and how short life is

Adults in this age group can benefit from counseling by:

1. Understanding the emotional changes like a decrease of tolerance for ignorance or shallowness
2. Simplifying their lifestyles
3. Acceptance and healing of certain life circumstances

Re-stabilization into Late Adulthood | Age 45-59

This stage is characterized as a time of check and balance, if one has been stagnant or productive. Work and parenthood are pivotal roles. The outcomes of work and their children become a measurement of self worth. And then there is the difference in how men and women react to aging different.

At BN Counseling, we emotionally and socially helped Adults with:

1. The concerns of how much time is left which may devalue experiences of the past
2. Reflections of the direction and priorities of one’s life
3. The planning of how best to lead the second part of life and defining retirement plans
4. The silent fear of helplessness of becoming irrelevant at work or in the marriage
5. The fear of dying as it becomes a regularity, and the concerns of physical health and the fear of being widowed.
6. Repressions of the past and an opportunity to vent

Adults in this age group can benefit from counseling by:

1. Integrating their youthful orientation and mature wisdom with their chronological age
2. Understanding their self-worth and evolving in their purpose through work and relationships
3. Feeling freer to enjoy life and imparting their wisdom and guidance
4. Finding resolutions which lead to healing and therefore revitalizes intimacy in relationships
5. Feeling less anxious and irritable, and finding happiness in the little details of life

Adapted from Thomas Armstrong, The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life. New York: Sterling, 2008.  http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html