Psychosocial Theory

Explain, in your own words, the strengths and weaknesses of psychosocial theory.

Some of the strengths with the Psychosocial Theory include a framework where researchers can base longitudinal studies off of to recognize patterns and developmental personality changes throughout the participant’s life span. The Psychosocial Theory recognizes tensions that may disrupt development at all life stages (Newman, & Newman, 2015). Researchers have been able to use the psychosocial framework since many of the ideas have become operationalized such as hope, inhibition, autonomy, intimacy, and personal identity (Newman & Newman, 2015).

Some of the weaknesses are that there are not mechanisms for crises resolution and processes to be able to move from one stage to the other successfully (Newman & Newman, 2015). To be able to successfully mature there should be coping mechanisms in place or guidelines to when they have moved from one stage to the next. Another weakness is that the research has mostly been male dominated (Newman & Newman, 2015). This provides more attention to individuality and not enough attention to connection with others and social relatedness (Newman & Newman, 2015).

Explore how it may apply to individuals you will work with in your specialization (MHC, MFT, School, Addiction, et cetera).

The Psychosocial theory applies to most life experiences. This theory relates to mental health because it includes significant relationships or lack of a meaningful relationship. If an individual doesn’t have someone to confide in or learn and grow from, they might not have the encouragement to face challenges. This could result in low self-esteem, depression, or anxiety. As children are growing up, it is important for them to see positive modeling influences from parents or guardians. The psychosocial theory makes the assumption that for human development to be successful one needs biological maturation, interaction between individuals and social groups, and contributions an individual’s makes to a better wellbeing (Newman & Newman, 2015). This can relate to almost any emphasis in counseling. It is important to have a firm grasp on the psychosocial theory so when you are in client settings you can relate this to a probable situation and figure out where the root of the issue lies.