In nature, change can be driven by the smallest of events–a wayward seed, a shift in the breeze–and also by forces as strong as an ice age. Similarly, factors large and small can contribute to psychologists' growth.

For some, market forces drive a shift in workplace settings, spurring a private practitioner, for example, to seek out opportunities in the world of business. For others, an unexpected insight may tempt a researcher to venture down a formerly untrodden path. Psychologists may choose to blend theoretical orientations they once saw as disparate, or tap new technology to approach research questions from a fresh angle. Others find inspiration closer to home, when events in their own families spur new interests and directions.

No matter what sparked the change, continuing to grow and adapt keeps the psychologists on the following pages engaged in their work and looking for the next professional challenge.

Prime time for innovation

Finding focus

Everyday epiphanies