A Note on Lineage

This theory of human maturity did not arise on its own. One of its deepest and most direct lineages is the work of Susanne Cook-Greuter, whose extension of Jane Loevinger’s ego development theory offered the field one of its most careful accounts of how human meaning-making can mature across a lifetime.

I trained with Susanne in the Maturity Assessment Profile (MAP) assessment and have used and debriefed it in my own practice. Much of what I learned about listening for developmental movement—rather than deciding in advance what it should look like—began there.

Susanne has also been my mentor for over a decade, beginning with a phone call in May 2016 and continuing through many conversations since. What she has taught me reaches beyond theory. Susanne has met me with deep compassion, wisdom, and support during a number of significant life transitions. I have also had the privilege of watching someone continue to practice maturing: meeting the limitations, losses, and invitations of her own life with honesty. That has taught me as much about maturity as any framework could.

However, the Availability Snapshot is not a stage measure, nor does it assess ego development. It asks a different question—not about the developmental level from which a person makes meaning, but about something more foundational: how available we are to meet what is here and participate in life.

Still, this work stands on ground Susanne diligently helped prepare. It matters to me to name that lineage clearly, and with gratitude.