How Erik Erikson's Own Identity Crisis Shaped His Theories

https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-erikson-biography-1902- [login to see]
On May 12, 1994, Erik Erikson, American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst died at the age of 91. He coined the phrase "identity crisis".

"It's interesting to note that Erikson never received a formal degree in medicine or psychology. While studying at the Das Humanistische Gymnasium, he was primarily interested in subjects such as history, Latin, and art.

His stepfather, a doctor, wanted him to go to medical school, but Erikson instead did a brief stint in art school. He soon dropped out and spent time wandering Europe with friends and contemplating his identity.

Teaching
It was an invitation from a friend that sent him to take a teaching position at a progressive school created by Dorothy Burlingham, a friend of Anna Freud's. Freud soon noticed Erikson's rapport with children and encouraged him to formally study psychoanalysis. Erikson ultimately received two certificates from the Montessori Teachers Association and from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute."