Which stage (24–38 months) involves understanding the mother as a separate identity and becoming truly separate?

• A. Normal Symbiotic Phase
• B. Separation/Individuation Phase
• C. Practicing Stage
• D. Rapprochement Stage

Answer: (D)

In Mahler’s object-relations framework, the Separation-Individuation process moves a child from perceiving the mother as part of the self toward recognizing the mother as a distinct person and forming a more true sense of separateness. Around the toddler years, roughly 24 to 38 months, the child enters the Rapprochement subphase. Here the child tests independence—wanting to do things on their own—while still needing closeness and reassurance from the mother. The key development is the realization that the mother is a separate identity, not just an extension of the child, which supports the child’s growing autonomy while maintaining the security of the relationship. Behaviorally, you’ll see bursts of exploration and self-reliance interspersed with clinginess or seeking proximity, as the child negotiates being apart from and then returning to the mother. This stage is distinct from earlier phases where the child is more uniformly intertwined with the mother (symbiotic or practicing phases), and from the broader separation-individuation period, which encompasses the entire move toward autonomy.