Quarterlife

More about the book

Feeling stuck and unfulfilled is a common experience for individuals aged eighteen to thirty-five, as noted by Satya Doyle Byock in her psychotherapy practice, Quarterlife Counseling. Many of her clients have followed the conventional path—earning degrees, securing jobs, and forming relationships—yet still grapple with a sense of emptiness and uncertainty about their futures. Others reject this prescribed trajectory and feel lost as a result. Society often attributes these feelings to generational traits or hastily offers diagnoses and solutions. However, Byock offers a different perspective, viewing these struggles as a natural part of the Quarterlife developmental stage, akin to adolescence or midlife, which has largely been overlooked in both popular culture and psychology. Drawing on her twenty years of experience, Byock aims to illuminate this unique phase of life for Quarterlifers and their loved ones. Through personal anecdotes, mythology, pop culture, literature, and historical references, she introduces two primary types of Quarterlifers and outlines four developmental stages. By providing context and practical guidance, Byock helps readers navigate their own journeys during this pivotal time.