Final answer:
Developmental counseling is based on three areas: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development, following theories such as Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Issues in developmental psychology like continuity vs. discontinuity, universal vs. unique developmental courses, and the roles of nature and nurture are considered in counseling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Developmental Counseling Categories
Developmental counseling can often be categorized based on three key areas of human development: physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial development. These areas are integral to understanding human lifespan development and are the focal points studied by developmental psychologists. Physical development concerns growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness. Cognitive development encompasses learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Psychosocial development pertains to emotions, personality, and social relationships. Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, for example, posit that individual growth occurs through a series of stages where successful completion of social tasks shapes our sense of self.
The developmental process according to these theories may vary, raising issues in developmental psychology such as: Is development continuous or discontinuous? Does development follow one universal course, or are there many unique courses of development? To what extent do nature and nurture contribute to development? Understanding these different aspects of development can aid a professional in providing effective developmental counseling tailored to the individual, whether the focus is on challenges faced during infancy, childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.