In recent years, a clinical population with a new psychological profile is emerging in developmental psychology: young adults. This new stage, also known as “emerging adulthood”, corresponds to young people between 18 and 30 years of age, who are considered adults by age but who feel different with respect to their age status: some still see themselves as adolescents, others as young people and others do not even know how to define themselves. They all have in common the feeling of being disoriented and anxious when it comes to facing the demands that society at “their age” expects of them: either academically, at work or socially. It could be said that they have a cognitively capable psychological profile but an emotional immaturity that reduces their aptitudes and attitudes to adapt to the new challenges presented by the reality in which they are immersed. This stage is of interest for research and clinical psychology concerned with providing information and resources to help the transition from youth to early adulthood. This is the common thread of the papers presented here, which aim to provide information on the variables related to psychological maturity and adaptation to the normative social events it entails. We will be informed by neuroscience research on how brain mechanisms work at this stage, what the needs and interests of these young people are, and clinical intervention with the AVANZA Method using TTG in young people with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, OCD. Our multidisciplinary approach emphasizes the developmental needs and strengths that these young adults can achieve in order for them to perceive themselves as responsible adults capable of realizing their life project.

Silvia Hidalgo Berutich

Professor, Faculty of Psychology, UMA. Director of the Centro Psicologia AVANZA

Degree in Psychology, clinical itinerary, (UMA, 1991); Degree in Pedagogy (UMA, 1995), Ph.D. in Psychology (UMA, 2005), and Postgraduate Master in Clinical Neuropsychology (Pediatric Itineraries, UPO, 2012), along with more than 50 training courses in the field of child clinical and attendance at national and international congresses with exhibitions of numerous communications and papers. Her professional activity combines teaching tasks. She is a professor at the University of Malaga, Faculty of Psychology, Dept. of Developmental Psychology and Education since 2004. She has been practicing clinical activity for 28 years as a specialist in psychotherapy and child and adolescent clinical neuropsychologist. Accredited as a General Health Psychologist; Psychotherapist recognized by EUROPSY and Clinical Neuropsychology Accredited by CNAP (September 2018). In AVANZA Psychology Center (Malaga), she develops evaluation and diagnostic functions, psychoeducational treatment, and training for parents and professionals. Her center is a reference entity and center of postgraduate practices for students from several Spanish universities (UMA, UPO, UNIR, UNED), with which the center maintains collaboration agreements.

Dr. Hidalgo is part of R+D+I+D projects related to psychological test typifications: Validation (WIPSSI-IV) (PEARSON, 2013); ATENTO Project (TEA Edic. 2017); BD Dyslexia (TEA Edic. 2019) and d2-RFCT (TEA Edic. 2020); Staff collaborator in GINTA Group, Group of Integral Research in Typical and Atypical Neurodevelopment (University of Alicante) and Founding Partner of RED INFANCIA, the working group promoted by AITANA (UMH) for the promotion of child and adolescent health and is part of the Editorial Board of the RDCN (Disability, Clinical and Neurosciences Journal). In the field of training in Neuropsychology, from the 2016-17 academic year to the present she has been the academic deputy director and speaker at: I Course of Specialization in Child and Adolescent Clinical Neuropsychology (UMA own title, 2014), and in the 5 Editions of the Course of University Expert in Child Clinical Neuropsychology and 2 editions of the Master in NPSCI (2019-20; 2021-22), in Faculty of Psychology, University of Malaga (UMA). She is also a regular speaker at the annual congresses held by Federación de Asociaciones Neuropsicología Española (FANPSE) and Sociedad Andaluza de Neuropsicología, (SANP), in Webinar of RED INFANCIA (2021 and 2022) and symposium coordinator for several years at the International Congress of Clinical and Health Psychology in Children and Adolescents of the AITANA Research Group (UMH).

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