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Articles

Ego States and Emotional Development in Adolescence

Pages 228-237
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
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Adolescence is often described by parents, caregivers, and adolescents themselves as a tumultuous time. The author suggests that adolescence is not fundamentally tumultuous but, rather, another systematic, organized life passage similar to other transitions experienced over the course of a lifetime. As in nature, development in adolescence proceeds from the same organizing principle that produces the repeating seasons of the year. Even though each year is different, the fundamental seasonal structure remains constant. The lens of ego state development reveals that the underlying foundation of adolescence has the same cyclical structure as other developmental passages and all of life. The author maintains that the apparent chaos of adolescence can be represented with the model quantum physics uses to represent the order that underlies chaos. That model can be referred to by the term fractals. This can be seen as each ego state is reenergized to carry out and integrate the seven developmental tasks of adolescence, three of which are detailed by the author to demonstrate this principle. This perspective on adolescence can be beneficial to adolescents, their caregivers, and any person or organization working through issues from this seemingly confusing age.

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Author information

Pamela Levin

Author Biography
Pamela Levin, RN, is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy) who studied with Eric Berne from 1966-1970. She is the first nurse, the first woman, and the first person to earn Clinical Membership and Teaching Membership in the ITAA. She is past president of the Eric Berne Seminars of San Francisco, served on the ITAA Board of Trustees, cofounded the ITAA’s women’s caucus, is a past editor of The Script, and received the 1984 Eric Berne Memorial Scientific Award for her work on the cycle of development. She is the author of numerous books, articles, and the online course titled “Emotional Development 101.” For 42 years she has maintained a private TA practice offering physical and emotional health improvement services. She can be reached at PO Box 1429, Ukiah, CA 95482, USA; email: . The author wishes to thank Fanita English, MSW, TSTA (psychotherapy), for her help with theory review and editing.