Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis is one of the most easily understood methods of modern psychology. It is theory of personality and child development.
It was developed in the 1950's by Eric Berne. He believed that communication between two people is the pivotal force behind all actions and feelings. He called the encounter the Transaction and he went on to analyse Transactions.
He believed that each person is made up of three ego states - Parent, Adult and Child.
When we are in our Parent we contain all the learning and conditioning that we received from our parental figures. It could almost be our parent speaking. The Parent can be Critical Parent - "don't lie, don;t talk back, don't talk with your mouth full etc', or Nurturing Parent-" go to bed now, eat up and you will grow big and strong, i'll do that for you dear' etc.
In Child we see, hear, feel and experience events as a child. We are dependant upon adults. We can feel deep anger, fear and despair. The Child can be Adapted Child - the good girl or boy, or Free Child - the naughty and rebellious one.
Both of these ego states are easy to recognise once we are made aware of them, but can take a long time to change as we have had years of conditioning.
Adult is where we ideally would like to be most of the time. As an adult we are autonomous and can get things done by eliciting the reaction we want in our transactions with other people.
Ask yourself what drives you forward in life?
Do you try hard but never quite get there?
Does everything in your life have to be perfect?
Do you constantly want to please the other people in your life?
Are you too strong to show your feelings? Are you always in a hurry?
Would you like to find out why you act and feel this way? Would you like to change this way of being?
What are your hopes and aspirations?
Are they really yours or have you been conditioned to feel and think a particular way?
Transactional Analysis can help you to see life experiences from a different angle.
Transactional Analysis is a moving theory and is kept up to date by modern training methods.
Above all, Transactional Analysts believe that we are all OK.
We are capable of change and we all have the answers within us.
The Therapist is not there to find a solution for you, but is there to help you access your own solutions.
