Background Information
Eric Berne, the founder of Transactional Analysis, believed that we were all born as princes/princesses, and that the process of growing up turned us into frogs. The purpose of TA counselling/psychotherapy is to help us turn back into princes/princesses.
Assumptions
Transactional Analysis (TA) rests on three basic assumptions about how people are in the world:
- People are OK
- Everyone (except the severely brain damaged) can think
- People decide their own destiny, and these decisions can be changed
People Are OK
This is one of the bedrock ideas of TA. The word 'OK' does not imply that you accept my behaviour, but it does mean that we accept each other as having equal worth, value and dignity.
It is not a statement about what you do, it is about what you are.
Everyone Can Think &
People Decide Their Own Destiny
The implication of these assumptions is that, if I am unhappy and want to make changes, I am the person that will have to make those changes. My therapist is there to guide me in the right direction, but she/he isn't going to tell me what to do, or do it for me.
From the three basic assumptions of TA flow two basic principles:
- The contractual method
- Open communication
The Contractual Method
Since both the therapist and the client are OK, contracts are used to keep the process open, clear and flexible. My therapist and I work together on setting goals, and she/he will always make sure that I am happy with a particular procedure.
If I want to change, it's me that makes the change. However, both my therapist and I take responsibility for the process of getting me to the point where I can make the change.
Unlike a business contract a TA contract is open to re-negotiation.
Open Communication
In TA, my therapist and I agree the treatment plan together, and she/he encourages me to learn the ideas of TA so that I can take an equal role in the process.
TA uses simple words to make its ideas more accessible.
Some Features of TA
Ego-States
An ego-state is a consistent pattern of feeling and experience directly related to a corresponding consistent pattern of behaviour.
Transactions
In a transaction I can talk from any ego-state, and you can respond from any ego-state.
When I say what I mean and mean what I say, it is a straight transaction. When I say one thing but really mean something else, that is an ulterior transaction.
Life Scripts
We decide on a life story very early on in childhood, and then live the story out of awareness as an adult. This 'life script' causes us to selectively redefine some events and discount others as we attempt to make reality fit our story.
Games
In TA the word 'game' has a very different meaning to the usual one. People use games to confirm their life script. Perhaps the best way to describe a game is to give an example.
Autonomy
The idea of TA is to make it easy to become aware of the decisions we made in childhood and to change the bits that don't work so well, and so realise our full potential.
In other words, we become more autonomous by moving out of script.
We have presented the material in a way that will be useful to you whether you are learning about TA on your own or taking part in a taught course. If you are an independent reader meeting TA for the first time, we hope you will appreciate the book's informal and conversational style.
See our book page for more relationship books
Books are often a good starting point to understanding your relationship and the problems you may be experiencing. However, they cannot replace professional counselling.
For more information, visit the web site of the International Transactional Analysis Institute (ITAA) on http://www.itaa-net.org/
