Transactional Analysis
"Method of therapy that analyses transactions by understanding what state of mind they are in when communicating - and how those states of mind came to be."
Developed by Eric Berne in the 1950s.
TA is a theory of personality and a systematic psychotherapy for personal growth and change. It provides a theory of communication, how people communicate and why communications break down. It offers a theory of child development - how decisions made in childhood may continue to influence behavior later in life despite painful consequences. Who you were at 7 years old still controls you. Micro/Macro wounds at that stage still influences us.
The Goal of TA is Autonomy - or Freedom from the life script. This involves...
Awareness
- Ability to stay in here and now
- External Awareness: Sensory inputs without judging
- Internal Awareness: Thoughts, feelings, sensations
Spontaneity
The ability to freely choose between any of the 3 ego states as appropriate to the situation
Intimacy
The ability to authentically communicate feels with mutual OK-ness