Childhood Psycho-dynamic

"There is in every child at every stage a new miracle of vigorous unfolding." Erik Erikson (1902-1994)

Erikson's observations about human development paved the way for psychologists to think about life-span development at a time when the considered wisdom emphasized childhood as the only real time for growth and change. Taking the standard psychodynamic perspective and translating it into a biopsychosocial framework spurred research and theory on such topics as identity and generality. The "miracle" of "vigorous unfolding" provides a metaphor that we now understand as the potential for continued evolution of personality over time. We aren't complete by the time we are 5 or 12 years old. We can continue to evolve throughout life as we encounter new experiences and stimuli for greater understanding of ourselves and others.