Transactional Analysis: the theory proposed by Eric Berne.

A type of psychotherapy that places special emphasis on personal development.

Transactional analysis is a humanistic theory of personality, human relationships and communication that is applied in psychotherapy, personal growth, education and even the field of organizations. applied in psychotherapy, personal growth, education and even in the field of organizations.

Initially, it was a form of psychotherapy founded in the 1950's and 1960's by the physician and psychiatrist Eric Bernean innovative and creative thinker who brought together ideas from other currents (psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, phenomenological, etc.), but this body of theory and practice is still valid today and is applied in a multitude of contexts.

Who was Eric Berne

Eric Leonard Bernstein, better known as Eric Berne, is the father of Transactional Analysis. He was born in Canada in 1910 and died in 1970. He was the son of a Polish physician who died of tuberculosis when Eric was just a child. Berne decided to follow his father's path and, after receiving his medical degree in 1935, in 1936 he began his career as a psychiatrist at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Yale University School of Medicine, where he worked for two years.

A few years later he began his studies in psychoanalysis with Paul Federn, one of the first disciples of Sigmund Freud. After working in various health centers and after serving in the U.S. Army as a psychiatrist, in 1946, when he decided to live in California, he continued his training in psychoanalysis with Paul Federn, one of the first disciples of Sigmund Freud. decided to live in California, he continued his psychoanalytic training with Erik Erikson..

Understanding the concept of Transactional Analysis

But Berne, while respecting his origins as a psychoanalyst, did not agree with certain ideas that this model promoted and, after the publication of several articles and books, he developed his own model of "social psychiatry", developed his own model of "social psychiatry".. His works were real best sellers, always written with a simple vocabulary allowing the understanding of both professionals and clients. For Berne, communication and knowledge are to a large extent the solution to emotional problems, and he focuses his approach on social relationships, where the transaction is the basic unit.

Eric Berne himself explains in his book "The Games We Play" that: "The unit of social relationship is the transaction. If two people meet each other...sooner or later one of the two will speak, give some indication or show appreciation for their presence. This is known as transactional stimulus. The other person will then say or do something that is related to the stimulus, and that is called a transactional response".

Eric Berne's model was gaining popularity, and he decided to found the ITAA (International Transactional Analysis Association) with the mission to deepen certain concepts of transactional analysis and to contribute different developments within the theory. with the mission of deepening certain concepts of transactional analysis and contributing different developments within the theory. This institution is still in force today to ensure the therapeutic and training quality in the various centers where transactional analysis is practiced.

An integrative approach

Transactional analysis, because of its multifaceted nature, is best described as an integrative approach.. Unlike an eclectic approach, in which the practitioner chooses the most appropriate ideas or techniques from a wide variety of theories or models, the integrative approach finds a point of union between different models, unified in a new model or theory.

Within transactional analysis there are different schools, for example, classical or cathexis. As a practitioner integrates the concepts of transactional analysis, he or she chooses a school that fits his or her way of being or doing therapy, or moves through the different approaches within this same theory, so as to find a form that best suits the cases being treated. In a way, one starts from a theoretical and practical base and moves on to some variants, as is often the case with psychoanalysts.

Starting from psychoanalysis

In fact, Berne's integrative approach was born because, influenced by psychoanalysis, he thought that Freudian theory focused all its efforts on the past, which resulted in a therapeutic practice that left aside the "here and now", forgetting such beneficial aspects for therapy as the concentration on the conscious (although also the unconscious).

To achieve this, combined ideas and techniques of classical psychoanalysis with ideas from humanism or behaviorism.. The new theory did not focus so much on introspection into the past, but the present, the interpersonal context or self-realization and personal growth came alive in his new way of doing therapy.

Transactions and ego states

One of the great achievements of transactional analysis is that it proposes a methodology and basic concepts expressed in simple, non-technical language, and at the same time facilitates techniques for personal change.

Psychological transactions are analyzed by means of ego states, different from those proposed by Freud.different from those proposed by Freud. There are three ego states: Parent, Adult and Child.

• ParentParent: One speaks and thinks in the learned patterns of an authoritative figure in childhood. It is a copy of childhood.
• AdultMore rational and realistic state.
• ChildIt is the most impulsive and spontaneous state.

A transactional analyst will draw up a diagram in which the ego states that manifest themselves in a transaction can be seen. For example, an Adult-Adult transaction may occur when a surgeon is operating and glances at the nurse to bring the working tool closer to him. The latter approaches it, producing a complementary transaction, where the gesture of looking would be the transaction stimulus and the delivery of the tool would be the transaction response. Communication will be fluid as long as the complementary transactions continue.

But, unfortunately, not all interactions are complementary, not all interactions are complementary and, therefore, some are dysfunctional.Berne called cross-transaction. For example, in a couple relationship, one of the partners, in this case the woman, asks the other partner if he has seen her glasses. And the other member, in this case the man, replies, "You always blame everything on me!". The man, instead of responding with the "Adult" ego, responds impulsively, i.e., with the "Child" ego, and here a conflict or dysfunctional communication occurs.

Objectives of Transactional Analysis

Transactional analysis is a decisional model of the personality that helps to understand the relationship with others and with ourselves. and with ourselves. It allows us to feel and become aware of who we are and what we need and want. It also empowers us to face change and allows us to have autonomy and initiative in our own personal development.

The objectives of transactional analysis are basically three: awareness, spontaneity and intimacy:

• To be conscious is to be able to distinguish what is real from what is fantasy.. It is self-knowledge.
• Spontaneity is related to the expression of thoughts, feelings, emotions and intimacy.feelings, emotions and needs of oneself.
• Intimacy is the capacity to open oneself to others, to be authentic and close.to be authentic and close.

Legacy

Transactional analysis is a popular theory, although its effectiveness is questioned due to the lack of scientific studies demonstrating its efficacy (partly because it is based on psychoanalysis and its epistemology). Today, it is still possible to train not only in therapy, but also in other fields. there are masters focused on other fields of application, for example, in Transactional Coaching for Organizations..

The following are some of the most important aspects of this theory. Transactional analysis focuses on:

• RelationshipsRelationships, in all their forms: with oneself and with others.
• The belief that deep change occurs through experience. occurs through experience.
• It is a theory of communication that analyzes the different forms of interaction: between individuals, couples, families, organizations, etc.
• It allows to analyze and understand irrational beliefsimpulsive behaviors, prejudices, illusions...
• It is a method of individual and group therapy.It intervenes on cognitive, affective, relational, psychological, behavioral and personality parameters.
• The practitioner is an active participant in its work. The practitioner can be a neutral observer, and the same is true for the client.