The Life Span Human Development for Helping Professionals 5th Edition

The Life Span: Human Development for Helping Professionals, Fifth Edition by Patricia C. Broderick and Pamela Blewitt — Published by Pearson

This text provides an in-depth look at the science of human development, highlighting theories and research that have useful applications for individuals working in fields such as education, counseling, and social work. Its main purpose is to provide the reader with information that can be translated into professional best practice applications. Throughout, the text reflects the contemporary view that life span development is a process deeply embedded within and inseparable from the context of family, social network, and culture.

Because the book is designed for graduate students, most topics — especially those that have special relevance to helping professionals — are covered in greater depth than in a typical life span text. The expanded coverage of research in these areas enhances readers' understanding of the scientific basis for application to practice. The Fifth Edition presents new topics including the nature of translational research, the consequences of bilingual child rearing, bullies and victims, the impact of praise on self-development, gender non-conformity, parental monitoring of teens, a narrative approach to career counseling, and promoting well-being in adulthood, along with revamped and extended explanations of stress and its role in development at every life stage.

Patricia C. Broderick, Ph.D., is an assistant research professor at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State University. She holds degrees in Counseling and School Psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified school psychologist, and certified counselor. She is also the author of the mindfulness curriculum Learning to BREATHE and the educator guide Mindfulness in the Secondary Classroom. Pamela Blewitt is Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Villanova University, where she taught courses in Life Span Development, Child Psychopathology, and Research Design. Together, they have produced an essential resource for anyone preparing to work in education, counseling, or social services.