About
Transactional Analysis
TA was originally founded by Eric Berne in the 1950s and 1960s . It is well-established as an approach and is now widely used in many different fields. Particularly Psychotherapy, Counselling, Education and Organisational development.
TA is a multi-dimensional theory of personality, communication, development and psychopathology. It offers a range of concepts that can be utilised to describe how people communicate and relate to each other and how things can go wrong. Being able to map out what is happening means we can explore how to do things differently. TA concepts are easy to learn and apply, making them accessible and very effective.
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​While it was initially developed as a group psychotherapy, and is still used as such, the therapeutic applications of TA focus on providing opportunities for individuals to change repetitive patterns. These patterns, the result of early childhood decisions which in TA are referred to as 'script', limit an individual's potential.
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Here is what people from the last world TA conference say about TA...
TA has a distinct Philosophy that underpins the theory its says that:
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· People are OK.
· Everyone (with only few exceptions) can think.
· People decide their own story and destiny, and because it is their decision, they can change it.
TA is goal oriented, not merely problem oriented. The aim of change is autonomy (freedom from childhood script), via: Awareness, Spontaneity and Intimacy,
The focus of therapeutic work is on problem solving, instead of avoidance or passivity, and involves becoming aware of options and making new choices​.
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​​One of its most famous concepts is that of the Ego state model. This utilises another of the TA’s greatest assets…its visuality. We can look at, draw and manipulate visual images that represent various ways we can think feel and behave (our ‘ego states’) By using these we can describe, in very simple terms, complex abstract ideas about what goes on internally and how we behave in relationship.
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Other concepts originating in TA such as 'Strokes' and 'Games', have become part of everyday language.