The Crucial Cs and Coparenting After a Divorce: Transitioning from the Love Task to the Social Task

Abstract:There is a connection between the psychological needs of human beings and all areas of human functioning. According to Alfred Adler, there are three life tasks—love, social, and work—in which the individual seeks fulfillment and balance in order to function fully. The challenges exist when individuals transition from one task to another. More specifically, there are particular challenges encountered by individuals in a family during divorce. This case analysis tracks the transition from one task to another during such a time and discusses the effectiveness of a specific Adlerian framework, the Crucial Cs, as it relates to this transition. The goal is to show how a shift in focus can help in healing individuals going through the divorce and the transition of life tasks and roles. The case analysis concludes that such a shift benefits all individuals involved and makes the transition much easier to handle.