Therapeutic Principles and Theories Transactional Analysis – Eric Berne Personality Structure Each individual personality is divided into three separate

Therapeutic Principles and Theories

Transactional Analysis – Eric Berne

Personality Structure

Each individual personality is divided into three separate and distinct sources of behaviour

P Parent

A Adult

C Child

~


The PAC represent skeletal-muscular and verbal patterns of behaviour and feelings based on emotions and experiences perceived by people in their early years

Parent

Nurturing

Helping and supportive behaviour

Critical

Criticism, control and punishment

Contains instructions, attitudes and behaviours handed down by parents and significant authority figures

~



Adult

Operates logically and non emotionally, problems solving, using information to make decisions without emotion.

Child

Adaptive child

Emerges as the result of demands of authority and is marked by passivity

Natural or Free Child

Impulsive, untrained, self loving, and pleasure seeking

The Child contributes joy, creativity, intuition, pleasure and enjoyment. ~



Structural Analysis

The identification of what element of the personality is responding to the situation and how appropriate that is.

~



Personality Operation

Berne believed that people have the rationality and freedom to make decisions and solve their own problems

The well adjusted person allows the situation to determine which ego state is in control attempting to strike a balance between all three.

Transaction

A unit of human communication or a stimulus response connection between two people’s ego states.

~



Transactional Analysis

Bill Tom

P P

A A

C C



Types of Transactions

Complementary

“the natural order of healthy human relationships,” occurs when a response comes from the ego state to which it was addressed

Crossed

When a response comes from an ego state not addressed or not appropriate to the situation

CovertResponse which overtly appears to be directed at one ego state but covertly is addressed at another

-sarcasm, teasing,



Complementary

P

A

C

P

A

C

Crossed Covert



Script Analysis

A life script is that life plan the individual’s “child”selected early in their developmental years base mostly on the overt or covert messages or injunctions received from the “child” in your parents

Injunctions

Authoritative directives

Scripts are the characteristic way we structure our transactions

~



1. Directions from parents

2. Patterned personality development

3. A confirming childhood decision about identity

4. A penchant or inclination for either success or failure

5. A pattern of behaviour

~

Five Component Parts of Scripts


Game

An ongoing series of complementary ulterior transactions progressing to a well defined predictable outcome. – manipulation

Homeostasis

The tendency of an individual to maintain internal psychological equilibrium by regulating his or her own intrapsychic process – status quo –

Game playing functions to maintain homeostasis in biological, existential, internal psychological, external psychological, internal and external social areas

~

Game Analysis


I’m OK and you’re OK - healthy

I’m not OK and you’re OK - poor me, victim

I’m not OK and you’re not OK - pessimist

I’m OK and you’re not OK - its everyone's fault but me or antisocial personality

~

Life Positions


Pursuit of Strokes

Human beings need recognition, they engage in transactions to exchanges strokes

Positive Strokes

Compliments, open affection, uninterrupted listening, praise, positive reinforcement.

Positive strokes are usually complementary transactions

Negative Strokes

Disagreement, punishment, lack of attention, humiliation, embarrassment

~

Motivation


Maintenance Strokes

Not positive or negative but keep communication open.

~

Motivation


Structuring Time

The manner in which we behave in order to receive strokes

Withdrawing

Behaviour is low risk because no transaction takes place however no strokes are received

Rituals

Prescribed social transactions – Hello – How are you etc

Relative risk – primarily maintenance strokes without commitment or involvement.

~



Pastimes

Socially acceptable activities which allow transactions

Primarily maintenance strokes but may lead to positive or negative ones – way of sizing up before commitment

Activities

Time spent dealing with the realities of the worldschool, work, clubs,

Allow strokes in terms of achievement.

~

Structuring Time – cont


Games

Attempts to gain strokes in a maladaptive way. Destructive transactions

Involves complementary ulterior transactions

Intimacy

A deep human encounter motivated by genuine caring

A structured time with no withdrawal, ritual, games, pastimes or activities

Involves greatest quality and quantity of positive strokes~

Structuring Time – cont


Structural

Responds in ways not appropriate to the interaction or the situation

Transaction

Uses cross transaction or ulterior transaction with others

ScriptHas developed characteristic ways of interacting which leads to life problems

GamesConscious utilization of ulterior transactions

~

Dysfunctional Behaviour


1. “Yes but” – client has an excuse why any suggested strategy won’t work

2. “I’m only trying to help you, its for your own good”worker “its more important that I help you than you change appropriately

3. Courtroom – Worker as judge and jury

4. NIGYYSOB – Client manipulates worker into non therapeutic behaviour

5. Gossiping – talking about people who are not present

6. Wooden leg – clients use their situations to avoid responsibility

7. If it weren’t for you – client avoids responsibility by projecting it to you

Games Workers & Clients Play


The primary goal in TA is to help the person achieve the

I’m OK you’re OK position

Behaviour Management

Use behaviour management techniques that help a person maintain healthy interactions.

Attempt to maintain a health transaction situation

Don’t use techniques that lead to games

Frustrate client’s attempt to gain strokes though game playing – be aware of your ego state in responding to the client

The appropriate technique will be dependent on the factors in the situation that you are in and your understanding of the client

~

Therapeutic Goals


Programming Focus

Structure programming goals to teach the client appropriate ways to structure time for positive strokes

life skills, cooperative activities, social skills, communication skills

Counselling Techniques

Structural Analysis


Script Analysis

Game Analysis

Help clients explore potential for behaviour or action using appropriate ego states




Terminology

Personality Structure

Structural Analysis


Script Analysis

Game Analysis

Complementary Transaction

Crossed Transaction

Covert Transaction

~

Documents

Therapeutic Principles and Theories Transactional Analysis – Eric Berne Personality Structure Each individual personality is divided into three separate