The transactional analysis (TA) is originally a form of psychotherapy . But it is also a theory of "social psychiatry" (in the words of its creator) because it proposes to study the psyche of people by analyzing their social relations . It draws its name from the word "transaction" which in English means an exchange, verbal or not. It has often described this approach as "popular version of psychoanalysis".
Transactional analysts explain malfunctions, inappropriate behavior, psychosomatic illnesses and even neuroses and psychoses by notions of "early decision" and " life scenarios . " From childhood (3 to 8 years), we would ours decisions, sacrifices and "painful choices." We would create "scenarios of life" more or less permanent. We would do this because, at this age, we have the resources and means of action necessarily reduced. These scenarios serve as defense mechanisms or solutions of lesser evil to pressure environment or adverse situations.
Later, after developing other aspects of his personality and new skills could reevaluate these decisions and make the necessary changes to better flourish. This requires, however, aware of its decisions and its early life scenarios. This is, among other things, that offers transactional analysis.
The approach is used in psychotherapeutic work with individuals, couples and families. Various disciplines such as social work, education and organizational development, rely on transactional analysis. It is used especially as a tool for training or to defuse crises that hide communication problems.
What are you talking about me?
The basic concept of transactional analysis is one of the three ego states , formed during childhood and constitute the entire personality structure: it is the Parent, Adult and Child. They are commonly represented by three overlapping circles. All three are equally important as the other. What happens in our relationships and in our lives depends largely on the state of me from which we act in a given situation.
- The state Child is one from which include creativity, game, intuition, instincts and feelings. It can be spontaneous, intuitive and creative, the Child can also be temperamental, rebellious or submissive.
- The state Parent , for its part, is responsible, nurturing and protective. It is the sense of ethics and standards, which is the basis of respect for self and others. It is "civilized", but can be critical, demeaning and binding.
- About the state Adult , it serves balancing function between the Parent and Child, knowing when to make concessions to one or the other. It assesses, reflects and operates rationally based on the current situation. The state Adult is a kind of computer: it is neither negative nor positive.
But it often happens that one of the states or atrophied , or too pervasive , or that it has its negative dimension. If the state is Adult "contaminated" by some aspects of Parent or Child, the person will not have access to its full resources "adults". People can be "frozen" in a particular state. Some will always frowning, as Parent criticism , for example. Other inexorably react the same way, regardless of whether it is appropriate or not (eternal child subject , for example).
When two people share between them a wide variety of "transactions" may occur. It depends on the state of being from which each person expresses, the state of being which is believed to go, and the state of being actual person responding. Exchanges parallel or complementary generally do not conflict: for example, when talking to the Child Parent and Child responds to parent, or when the Parent to Parent that address responds by Parent. But that does not necessarily mean that these exchanges are healthy.
Discomfort psychic conflicts and ruptures occur when transactions are cross : for example, a request Adult factual information to another adult who is thinking faulted reacts rather subject to a Child Parent. Opportunities are considerable cross transactions and give rise to all sorts of frustrations, misunderstandings, manipulation ... Without realizing it, and without understanding what drives the other to react in a certain way, people are often involved in transactions dysfunctional.
In these basics, much more complex than this summary suggests, is grafted a wealth of concepts that may reveal the psyche of the individual. Include transactions double bottom (with apparent degree and degree concealed) the stratagems ( games ) transactions which are rigged for profit, and the exchange of tokens of recognition , successful or not, the dramatic roles (persecutor, rescuer , victim), the life scenarios and scenario-cons , etc..
Take responsibility for change
Developed by psychiatrist Eric Berne (1910-1970) during the 1950s, transactional analysis is based on a premise essential: each person is "basically correct", it has value, importance and dignity, and has the ability to think and choose. This is the approach in the current of humanistic psychology .
Eric Berne has placed great emphasis on the responsibility of the person in the development of his life story and his ability to change. He believed that with competent help, anyone can find his original abilities , who expect that to be issued prohibitions created by the scenarios it has built. Berne wanted to enable its customers to overcome suffering and achieve psychological maturity is characterized by a high capacity conscience , of autonomy and spontaneity .
As in many psychotherapies type humanist, this is to help the client to:
- aware of his behavior;
- review what context (usually family or cultural) attitudes issues have been adopted;
- make the decision to rebuild healthy interpersonal boundaries;
- integrally organize the various elements of his emotional life, intellectual and relational, to have a more satisfactory existence in the present.
Eric Berne was born in Montreal in 1910 to Jewish parents who had emigrated from Eastern Europe. He studied medicine at McGill University and psychiatry at Yale University in the United States and became an American citizen. Established in California in 1946, he raises his family while pursuing a career in psychiatry busy (hospital, clinic, consulting services for the military and private practice).
In the 1950s, Berne is always inspired by Freud, but distanced himself from psychoanalysis. It seeks to establish an effective therapeutic tool fast and therefore less expensive and accessible to all. It develops original concepts which he reported in several scientific articles. With the publication of his book Psychotherapy and Transactional Analysis in 1961, his theory is already talking about it in the psychotherapeutic and psychiatric settings. In 1964, Berne and his colleagues founded the International Transactional Analysis Association, which still exists today.
The pros and cons
The transactional analysis has great qualities and remarkably effective tool, which does not prevent it from being criticized, especially for its lack of central hypothesis . It was also noted that the description of the various states (Parent, Adult and Child) does not match any biochemical or physiological reality. He is accused of then ignore the sociological dimension of human problems, and neglect the importance of imagination and fantasies. It must be said that his jargon and aphorisms, humorous to the American way, are sometimes seen as simplistic (and often incongruous in French!).
But transactional analysis has ardent supporters: does not it, as the Berne wanted, accessible to people of all ages and from all walks of life? And then, as a theologian and psychoanalyst said: "This therapy, since apparently superficial focuses on the roles of the profound psychic instances, however, is very important in transpersonal perspectives therapies. First, because it enhances the Adult I, autonomous, able to judge for himself. Then, because it advocates the unconditional acceptance of others.
Therapeutic applications of transactional analysis
The transactional analysis is first defined as a psychotherapy and should be able to help solve a variety of problems related to mental life and relationships with self and others. Professional associations analysts do however no representation as to the specific problems that the approach is likely to heal.
Transactional Analysis 4 target therapeutic areas of interest or the psychotherapy , the dynamics of individuals within organizations , the process of education and those related to the activities of support . The ability to manipulate concepts of transactional analysis may also be useful to various professionals, such as nurses, teachers and social workers, who need to interact with people potentially disrupted.
Some items on the transactional analysis have been published in scientific journals in psychiatry , in publications dealing with logistics hospital or speaking to nurses . However, there is no quality scientific research that confirms the effectiveness of this approach.
Transactional analysis remains a tool for understanding the relationships and mechanisms that underlie them to better interact in society and intimacy.
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