Counseling

Transactional Analysis (TA) 

is a widely recognized form of modern psychotherapy. Designed to promote personal growth and change, it is valuable in helping to solve many types of problems. The ultimate goal is to ensure that clients regain autonomy over their lives. The founder of TA, Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Eric Berne, defines this autonomy as the recovery of three vital human capacities - awareness, spontaneity and intimacy.

One of the exciting things

are the simple models and language that TA uses that help us understand why we have become who we are today and how we relate to other people. People intuitively grasp concepts very quickly and accurately. Below are some of the key concepts.

Ego states

Parent (behavior, thoughts and feelings introjected by the individual from significant adult figures), Adult (behavior, thoughts and feelings that correspond to the situation here and now) and Child (behaviors, thoughts and feelings that are not in accordance with the here and now but are in accordance with an earlier similar situation).

Unconscious life script

We all have the potential to live the life we want, not the life we were programmed to live. Sometimes, however, this potential is hindered by repetitive patterns or 'unconscious scripts' that arise from childhood decisions and learning. Identifying them is key to helping clients understand how certain permissions and prohibitions they were given as a child affect their lives and the way they communicate.

Redecision

It is the individual's ability to 're-decide' and change certain decisions they made in childhood. In TA, the therapist through conversation and various techniques and tools encourages the client to challenge/examine their current beliefs and the way they use their life scenario. This helps the client better understand the direction and patterns of their own life, and this awareness can help them make decisions to change.