Skills in Transactional Analysis Counselling & Psychotherapy

Christine Lister-Ford

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Year: 2002
• Print ISBN: 9780761956976, 9780761956969
• eBook ISBN: 9781446236499
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: History & Theory in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

`An important book that deserves reading by both trainees and experienced therapists of all approaches and models? - Counsellingbooks.com

Skills in Transactional Analysis Counselling & Psychotherapy is a practical introduction to a uniquely comprehensive therapeutic approach, which combines theories of the mind, emotions, behaviour and bodily experience.

Following the typical pattern of working with a client, the book describes the key features of Transactional Analysis (TA) and its basic building blocks - ego states, transactions, games and scripts. Each concept or technique is introduced at the stage in the counselling process at which it is required. Backed up by exercises, this enables readers to build their knowledge and skills base in tandem with their understanding of the counselling process itself.

Part One focuses on the development of the therapeutic alliance between therapist and client and gives guidance on how to create structures in which the work can begin. Part Two explains how to build the client?s awareness with the aim of strengthening their capacity to think more clearly and solve problems. Part Three looks at deepening the work with the client by helping them to discover the history behind the problems and make contact with their inner child. Part Four explores how to enable the client to move toward personal autonomy through integrating and synthesizing the work undertaken with the counsellor.

This book vividly demonstrates the art of TA practice, considering fully the experience of both the counsellor and the client. For all those training in TA, this will be essential reading.

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1 · What Is Transactional Analysis?

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Transactional Analysis, because of its clear-cut statements rooted in easily accessible material, because of its operational natures, and because of the small size of its specialized vocabulary (consisting in practice of only five words: Parent, Adult, Child, game, and script), offers an easily learned framework.

Eric Berne, Principles of Group Treatment

You will find TA a lively, dynamic and intelligent way to work, allowing for creativity and the use of intuition. TA practitioners have a wide array of concepts from which to draw understanding for situations ranging from the simple to the more complex.

TA has its roots in psychoanalysis, draws from the cognitive and behaviourist schools, is informed by existential thought, employs phenomenological method and has the client at the centre. As TA continues to develop its theory, skills and relational mode it seeks to integrate and adapt the most useful from other approaches into practice.

TA integrates the cognitive, emotional, behavioural and physical in both its psychological concepts and its application. Many would include a spiritual dimension, too. TA has a theory of mind, a theory of emotion, a theory of behaviour, and a theory of the links between these areas and the somatic or bodily experience. This makes it a uniquely comprehensive and adaptable approach for counselling and psychotherapy, allowing flexible and highly focused formulations of client needs and targeted interventions.

Origins and influences

Eric Berne, an American psychiatrist, first formulated and developed TA ideas, concepts and skills. At the start of the 1940s Berne began psychoanalytic training with the intention of eventually practising himself. During the course of his training Berne met two people who were to prove particularly influential in the development of his ideas. This led to his movement away from traditional psychoanalysis toward the development of a radical and creative reformulation of psychotherapeutic concepts, language and practice. Paul Federn catalysed Berne’s interest in ego psychology and helped him develop his thinking about the structure of the personality. The ego state model of the person with its three aspects, Parent, Adult and Child, which Berne eventually evolved, is now the most well-known cornerstone of TA theory and practice.

Erik Erikson, another key influence, brought out in Berne an abiding awareness of the importance of social and developmental influences on the formation of personality. Many key concepts in TA have a developmental perspective, recognizing that early experiences mould and eventually form internal psychological structures that determine our actions.

Berne developed his ideas in several ways, through his therapeutic practice, through his writing and in discussion with colleagues. An avid learner, he used every opportunity to deepen his knowledge and experience. What followed was a rapid development in the dissemination of TA owing to its easy accessibility and creative approach. Berne was surprised when his books, originally intended as readable clinical texts for psychoanalysts, became best sellers and sold millions throughout the world. TA was taken up and used as a tool in many different areas. Berne’s work has played a significant part in changing mental health practice over the last 50 years and today most counselling courses introduce students to basic TA theory.

Basic building blocks of TA

The basic building blocks that will be used throughout this book are the cornerstones of TA theory and practice. They involve the analysis of ego states, transactions, games and script.

Model of the person: the ego state model

The ego state model itself is a developmental one, charting significant early experiences (Child), the important influences of others (Parent) and the integration of these into a here-and-now working reality (Adult). Significant failures to meet a child’s needs eventually lead to psychological weakening and significant intrapsychic flaws. Ego states and life script map the internal and interpersonal difficulties that can arise when early needs go unmet.

Theory of communication: transactions

Another unique aspect of TA is its theory of communication, transactional analysis proper, which allows understanding both of how the internal world influences interactions with others and the patterns of these interactions themselves. This gives us options and choices for improving communication and is valuable in the therapeutic relationship.

Psychological games

Games are repetitive patterns of behaviour that lead to a familiar ‘bad’ feeling. Although we are usually aware of these patterns to some extent, we are not aware of the psychological drives and ‘unfinished business’ that underpin them. Games reinforce and maintain the individual’s script.

Script

Script is an unconscious life plan made in early childhood and based on decisions made in response to external influence and internal vulnerability.

Through the analysis of these four aspects of individual personality the client’s consciousness is raised and he becomes empowered to take control of his life and change his destiny.

Goals of TA counselling and psychotherapy

Autonomy

Human potential is as infinite as human adaptability. Each generation of parents has the option to oppress its offspring with age-old curses, or to protect its children’s spontaneity, encourage their awareness, and respond to their intimate needs that they may reach their full potential. Pushing through to the surface, people’s basic nature is like a perennial virgin spring, ever ready to feed life with its sweet waters.¹

Autonomy, developing our capacity for awareness, spontaneity and intimacy, is at the heart of TA philosophy and its practice. The major goal of TA therapeutic work is the progression toward autonomy and the recovery of its three capacities. Most of us encounter limits in one or more of these areas as life presents challenges with which we feel ill prepared to deal.

Awareness

Awareness is the ability to live in the present moment, perceiving it without interruption. Many of us, without being aware of this, avoid living in the moment for much of the time. We ruminate about the past and plan for the future, constantly thinking about what comes next. Vibrant and clear contact with the here-and-now experience and the stimulation of our senses is clouded and interrupted by memories of past influences, parental or cultural instructions of how to be in the world and how to perceive it.

Example

Mary, a newly bereaved, elderly widow, had enjoyed a traditional marriage where the sharing of tasks was in accordance with gender roles. Her husband had always managed their finances and during counselling it emerged that she believed she was unable to do this. She was feeling very anxious as a result of her difficulty. Awareness of her hidden abilities in this area was clouded by cultural and social norms that had led her to see managing finances as a man’s job. Permitting herself a wider vision of her abilities was challenging and raised unwelcome questions about the way in which she had previously chosen to live. To take hold of her financial skills, Mary had to face the painful realization that she had always been capable in this area. What her husband had made look arduous and difficult she found easy. Mary battled with feelings of guilt, anger and disloyalty before she was able to come to terms with owning her acumen.

Spontaneity

Spontaneity is the ability to put aside familiar, well-exercised options, and choose according to what seems to fit the moment. The unpredictability inherent in being spontaneous is part of the risk, the gamble with the unknown, and is, of course, one of the main reasons why truly being spontaneous often evokes anxiety from which it is tempting to shy away by choosing familiar options. Learning to say yes to what we want and no to what we don’t want sounds simple, yet as we all know it carries the risk of disapproval or rejection.

Intimacy

Intimacy involves exposing our vulnerability to others: showing how we really think, feel and behave without the need to mask ourselves in what we imagine the other person wants or can cope with; being prepared to meet the other person and to listen to them unimpeded by our own wants, needs or projections. Intimacy is high-risk stuff, only possible with a limited number of people and only for some of the time. To engage in intimacy requires us to take off the masks we wear and be less predictable. This gives us the opportunity for a rich and meaningful experience – to be valued for who we really are and for what we really think and feel, finding a sense of worth through the love and understanding of another. But there are no guarantees and we may find ourselves rejected or embarrassed in the process of taking the risk. The stakes are high. We might question if Mary would have taken these risks had her husband been alive.

Promoting autonomy and helping people recover lost aspects of their autonomy are delicate and sensitive matters. ‘Autonomy’, ‘awareness’, ‘spontaneity’ and ‘intimacy’ sound highly desirable. But the actual reality of reaching for them can be very challenging. TA counsellors must be careful to check what the client really wants to explore and whether, during that exploration, they might go into deeper waters than they had anticipated. Different people can tolerate different levels of discomfort. Many clients are prepared for this before they enter counselling and for others this comes as a surprise. The therapeutic journey needs to be carefully planned in order to prevent wounding, depression or psychological fragmentation.

Take a few moments to think about where you are in your life right now with these qualities/abilities:

• Which are most challenging for you?
• Identify those that it might be useful for you to strengthen.

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Key Skills

A useful strategy is to give a ‘mental health warning’, explaining to the client that TA counselling, with its focus on heightening awareness, ‘can change your life’. This statement is then explored with the client in detail in the first session in order to ascertain the desired level and goals of the counselling work.

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Whilst espousing autonomy as a value it is absolutely crucial not to thrust our own vision of it onto the client. Freedom of choice includes the right to say ‘no’, and respecting this is a prima facie duty of the counsellor.

Intimacy, awareness and spontaneity are innately human and, even if crushed, will re-emerge again and again within each succeeding generation.²

Philosophical base: a humanistic psychology

Although having strong roots in psychoanalytic theory, TA is a humanistic psychology. Part of Berne’s early motivation was to evolve an approach to working...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Outline of the Five Stages of TA Counselling
• Chapter 1 What Is Transactional Analysis?
• Part One The Counselling Relationship
• Part Two Developing Awareness
• Part Three Recapturing Spontaneity and Intimacy
• Part Four Autonomy
• References
• Index