DEVELOPMENTAL CRISIS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD: A ...

Literally second by second sometimes it was terrifying, in a way that I can’t really
describe.” (p.7)
Phase 3 – Late Crisis: Exploration
Like in the prior cluster, after separation comes a period in which new
activities and new roles are tried, alongside active attempts to develop better selfunderstanding.
Paring Back the Layers of Self
Angela found that she was motivated to understand why the crisis happened to
her. She tries a variety of self-help tools and techniques to understand herself better:
“I’ve really tried to pare back the layers and find out who I was originally, when I
was younger. I have looked into self-help things on the Internet, I have done
psychometric tests, I have done personality tests. I know you can’t go by tests but
because I can’t afford to pay people to do these things, I’ve tried to do it myself, I’ve
bought books on it and things to try and find out who the hell I am, and why this
happened to me.” (p.10)
Lynne went to see a therapist after leaving her job and her affair. She
described sitting with him, unsure why she was there, and then “bursting into tears”
uncontrollably for an hour. This started a process of self-examination, in which she
attempts to develop new self-understanding and to search for a more fulfilling life
structure.
Camilla moves house, and starts seeing her friends more. She experiences
much guilt for the affair with her boss, and starts to reconsider life in a corporate role.
She starts her exploratory period with a trip to Romania, and works in an orphanage
there. She reflects extensively on herself, her goals, her strengths and her weaknesses,
and decides that she wants to move towards a job in professional caring.
Mary found that after the separation, her sense of self did not settle but kept
evolving. She did not know what she was going to do next when she left her job in
the law, so found it necessary to consider a variety of options before settling on a new
direction. She was open to a host of possibilities, as she put it, “there were many
other things I could do in life.” (p.5).
Back to Study: A Statement of Agency
All four go back to study in some capacity. Mary does a Masters in
transpersonal psychology, Angela trains as an art teacher, Camilla goes back to
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