Mahler- Seperation-Individuation Development Flashcards
What is individuation?
The process of forming a stable personality.
Gaining a clear sense of self apart from parents.
What is the first phase?
Normal Autism
What is the second phase?
Normal symbiotic
What happens during the normal symbiotic phase
The infant is aware of the mother however they think they are one with the mother
What is the third phase?
Seperate/Individuation
What happens during the seperate/Individuation phase?
The infant is alert and interested in the features of the mother
What is the first substage of the seperate/Individuation phase?
Differentiation/Hatching
What happens during differentiation/hatching?
he infant’s focus shifts from internal to external, with the mother as the primary reference point
What is the second substage?
Practicing
What happens during the Practicing substage?
As the infant becomes more mobile, they explore more independently, yet the mother remains a secure base.
What is the third substage?
Rapprochement
What happens during Rapprochement?
The child begins to realize their physical and emotional separateness from the mother and may show ambivalence
What is the last substage?
On the Road to Object Constancy
What happens on the Road to Object Constancy
The child internalizes a stable image of the mother, allowing for separation without anxiety
