A Summary of Transactional Analysis Concepts I Use.Pdf

A Summary of Transactional Analysis Concepts I Use By Fanita English Excerpted from “How Did You Become a Transactional Analyst?“ Transactional Analysis Journal, Jan. 2005, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 78-88.

“How did you become a transactional analyst?” Like many other therapies, Transactional I am often asked that question when I tell people Analysis therapy is primarily “talk therapy”. We what I do. I answer that originally my training as work on the basis of a specific body of theory a therapist was in Freudian psychoanalysis and originally developed by Dr. Eric Berne and included eight years of personal psychoanalysis. elaborated in various ways by others of us in the I practiced as such for l4 years, treating both field since Berne’s premature death in l970. children and adults. Increasingly, the process Berne was a practicing psychoanalyst before he seemed overly ponderous, time consuming and developed the theory and practice of therefore not cost effective for patients, but I Transactional Analysis. Originally it was used in could find no better techniques. psychotherapy or treatment, as he called it, Then, in l965, I read Dr. Eric Berne’s (l961) particularly in group treatment, but it soon Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy and became clear that it was also useful in a wide soon after I took time off from my practice in variety of fields, including counseling, Chicago to go to California to train with the late organizational work , and education. David Kupfer at the then recently founded Although Berne’s first published book, The Mind Transactional Analysis Training Institute in in Action (l947) offered a simple description of Carmel. While there I also had many stimulating basic psychoanalytic concepts, he became contacts with Berne and personally experienced increasingly critical of psychoanalytic therapy. what many, including myself, call the life-saving As a result, he began the San Francisco value of “TA”. On returning to Chicago I Psychiatry Seminars (which eventually became transformed my practice to Transactional the International Transactional Analysis Analysis, started doing workshops to teach this Association), to teach his own approach. He method, and have been a dedicated also spelled out his theory in his basic books, transactional analyst ever since, although “Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy,” nowadays, partially retired, I limit myself to (l961), “The Structure and Dynamics of conducting workshops in various countries. Organizations and Groups,” (l963), and “What Inevitably, after finding out how I became do you say after you say Hello?” (l972) the latter involved, there follows a question such as: “And of which was published posthumously. By now, just what is Transactional Analysis?” Sometimes about 40 years later, through many books and the questioner is just curious; at other times he journals and conferences around the world, or she is considering making a referral or several generations of transactional analysis perhaps signing up for a workshop or joining a practitioners have debated and added much to TA Association. To some, I give a long answer, the Berne’s basic theory and practice. covering a good deal of information, with others I For my part, I have dared to offer some major summarize briefly. modifications of Berne's concepts, particularly It occurred to me it might be of use to those regarding what he called “games” and “scripts”, interested in either a long or a short version of as well as developing a new view of what he my answer to write it down in one place, which is referred to as “rackets” and racketeering. I what I have done in this article. Whether you discuss these later in this article, but before I do, read carefully through the entire article or just I want to summarize the concepts and focus on a few sections, I hope this will be of techniques that I consider indispensable to use to those who are interested in the question working as a therapist using transactional of what Transactional Analysis is and how it is analysis. I will do so as simply as I can, so some practiced. of the theoretical material I will present here may suffer from some oversimplification and even To Answer Your Next Question some distortions, although I stand behind it.

Since Berne called himself a “better Freudian drive, as opposed to the death drive, which than the psychoanalysts” (E. Berne, personal Berne later named “mortido”. For Freud, mortido communication, August l965), I will begin by included aggression which he believed mentioning some general psychological represents a way to deflect and turn outwards assumptions based on Freud's discoveries They the attraction of death. were revolutionary in their time, more than l00 6. Whether we posit a battle in the unconscious years ago, but are now so much a part of between the ego-enhancing drive and the sexual common discourse that they may seem obvious. drive, or between libido and mortido, or between However I will list them hereunder because they the superego and the id, the important underlie all “talk therapy”. However you may psychological issue is that there can be constant want to skip to the next section for tenets of TA. unconscious conflict going on about what Underlying Tenets from Freud feelings and thoughts may be brought to light or manifested as behaviors. Conflicts often relate 1. However rational, conscious, and capable of to the super-ego's high standards and the ego's exerting will power human beings may be, they inability to distinguish between awareness of are nevertheless highly influenced, (often even forbidden wishes and the feared likelihood of governed) by instincts and/or drives that enactment of these wishes. As a result, we are "energize" their thoughts and feelings and often likely to repress, and then deny, awareness of determine their behavior. certain "forbidden" impulses, particularly those 2. These instincts and/or drives usually affect us related to the sexual drive. However, some dim outside of conscious awareness. They operate awareness of such "forbidden" feelings may in the unconscious, which, as the name implies, appear in various forms of "acting out" and/or in differs from consciousness of self, or the “ego” fantasies, thus generating additional feelings of (I, me,) that represents our identity. shame or guilt and further internal conflicts. Such conflicts may cause various 3. To the conscious ego, Freud added the psychosomatic ailments or symptoms such as “super-ego”, which corresponds to conscience, anxiety, panic, phobias, and so on. and the “Id”, a cauldron of diverse untamed instincts and drives operating unconsciously. 7. In disguised form, "unacceptable" wishes may These keep affecting the individual, even as the appear in dreams or slips of the tongue or ego seeks to control them, or to "sublimate" incidents of forgetfulness, offering clues about (transform) their manifestations into more unconscious conflicts. socially acceptable channels. (e.g. the wish to 8. One of Freud’s essential contributions was murder and "cut up" people may be sublimated showing the extent to which we are influenced by becoming a surgeon who saves lives by by childhood experiences: - how such “cutting up” patients.) experiences are not forgotten, but stored and 4. Classic psychoanalytic treatment focuses on usually combined with various feelings such as bringing unconscious thoughts and feelings to fear and shame. We resist bringing painful or consciousness so the client can gain new scary childhood memories and fantasies to insights about seemingly unacceptable feelings consciousness in order to avoid experiencing or thoughts. The hope is that incapacitating terrible feelings in the present, and instead rely symptoms are allayed when repressed wishes of on a whole system of psychological defenses to the id are made conscious, but this is easier said maintain repression. than done and usually necessitates extensive 9. Freud's work also led to the currently analysis. accepted recognition that just as we go through 5. Originally Freud posited two basic drives, the certain stages of physical and mental self-enhancing survival drive of the ego, and the development before reaching adulthood, (e.g. pleasure seeking sexual drive of the id. As a there are specific age-periods at which a child good Darwinian, Freud was impressed by how can walk or talk, comprehend abstract concepts, all creatures are driven by sexuality to create the enter puberty, etc.), so are there stages of next generation. . Later Freud became emotional development that we must master in convinced that there is also a death drive. order to move on to emotional maturity. Rather than posit three drives, he lumped 10.Thus, it is no longer disputed that childhood together the self-enhancing survival drive with experiences and fantasies play an important part the sexual drive and called it “libido’ or the life

in determining the character and emotional feels like lashing out against that person, and stance of each individual, and that these must still another says “stop!” Then who is it that be considered, along with genetic factors, in represents "me" in relation to others, and who is treating seemingly intractable psychological it who communicates with whom? disorders such as panic, anxiety, irrational A transactional analyst will say that it was my phobias and sexual and relational problems in Parent ego state who was addressing my Child adults. ego state by criticizing her as an “idiot” or by Tenets of Transactional Analysis praising her as “brilliant”. And then, perhaps, my Child wanted to lash out in anger, but my Adult Like Freud, Berne acknowledged that the self is suddenly said “Stop and think!” In so doing my not fully rational and conscious. However, while Adult was asking me to check out reality rather fully recognizing the importance of than allow my Child to react against someone developmental stages and the impact of just because of anger at my Parent. caretakers' messages during childhood, he was more concerned with a "here-and-now" practical My Child ego state (the word Child is capitalized approach to treating personality and when referring to as an ego state, by contrast to communication problems than with establishing a reference to a chronological child) represents the historical origin of symptoms. all the children I used to be, pictures or whom you might see in a series of snapshots taken of Ego States. Berne saw that in addition to the me as I was growing up. These children thought, Freudian id and super-ego, the conscious self, felt, and acted over the years and continue to or ego, - that we each experience as “me” - is exist within me, not only as memories, but, most itself not one unit. Actually, we each operate significantly, as systems of thinking, feeling and with at least three co-existing systems, or “ego- acting in the "here-and-now". Just as I did when states,” as he called them. He gave them the I was little, my Child today may sometimes seek colloquial names of: “Parent”, “Adult”, and approval and adapt to what seems like an “Child”. expectation of me, and at other times my Child Berne (l972) defined ego states as "coherent may feel angry at an expectation and rebel. systems of thought, feeling, manifested by My Parent ego state developed as I was growing corresponding patterns of behavior” (p.11). up, taking on ideas, ways to behave, and values Actually I prefer to substitute the words “body (including prejudices) from my different language” for “behavior,” because the impulse caretakers and the culture around me. This for the corresponding behavior is not always conglomerate often determines my values today, evident, although it is experienced internally. what I "should" be, or how I "should" act. Thus The important issue about Berne’s discovery of my Parent ego state may be supportive of my ego states is that each ego state is a distinct Child or that of others, or highly critical, system of interacting feelings, thoughts and according to values and ideas I have potential behaviors that differ from those of the internalized. Lastly, in terms of development, my other ego states. Adult grew out of experiences with "reality" and This idea represents a significant departure from my increasing ability to reason and check other theories and therapeutic approaches, assumptions with facts. (I put the word reality in which may distinguish between feelings, quotes because some of reality is determined by thoughts and behaviors, but fail to recognize that the prevailing culture.) Ideally, this Adult can there are at least three different actively help me deal rationally with others so that I operating systems within which different kinds of function well in the world. Theoretically, I could thoughts and feelings may combine to determine be "mature" all the time by using my Adult. (This behaviors in at least three potentially different is the assumption in psychoanalysis, where the ways. goal is to reach total maturity.) In truth, however, it is not possible to achieve total maturity all the For instance, there are times when I can almost time; - nor is it desirable, for the world would be hear it when I say to myself: "You are an idiot to a dull place if peopled only by computer-like have done (or said) that!" or "You’re brilliant to individuals. So, while it is important to learn how have thought that”. This kind of dialogue may to call on one's Adult, especially in times of also take place non-verbally, for I may feel crisis, for me it is equally important to use both pangs in my stomach when a part of me feels my Child and Parent. In fact, it is mostly thanks scared of someone in authority, another part

to my Child that I developed the sense of self What my Child wants and expresses, or what that connects me to my genetic roots and my my Parent values do not necessarily correspond potentials in life. to what others like or approve of, and their response to me may lead me to feel vastly Strokes and Transactions. The human infant is misunderstood or to react in ways that may born helpless, ill equipped to attend to his/ her anger or hurt others. Then they, in turn, may survival. Berne used the term “strokes" for units react in ways that may hurt or anger me, and so of care, as first registered by the infant on being on. In most instances we can recognize when, held and caressed. What he demonstrated is how or why specific transactional patterns go that we continue to need both actual strokes and wrong (or continue to go wrong). We can thus symbolic strokes throughout our lives, which is help clients to understand better what occurs in why and how we are interdependent. Whether it others or themselves in different situations and be the actual touch of a handshake or the to make better choices to further their goals. symbolic “touch” of a smile, or even of a telephone call, we continue to depend on I will not go into detail here about how different strokes from others for a sense of existence. In transactions can be analyzed (as “parallel”, fact, this underlies all communication among “complementary”, or “crossed”) or how we people. As Berne put it, we “transact” with others distinguish between “here-and-now” transactions by exchanging strokes, just the way we might and those that are habitual for a particular exchange goods in the market place for mutual individual who seeks help, so he or she keeps benefit. setting up the likelihood of frustrating crossed transactions. If you consider that each one of us operates interchangeably out of three different ego states, However I do want to add here that strokes are which ego state of mine is it that may transact not always experienced as "positive", like with any one of yours? How can I be sure to pleasant caresses or "negative", like blows, and reach the ego state in you that I hope to address that what I may like when I am in one ego state I in order to obtain the strokes I want in may dislike in another, or under different exchange? circumstances, as in the example of Susie above. There are also "crooked strokes" that For instance John might say to Susie, “Here, let seem positive, but have negative effects, thus me show you the way” when he comes upon her generating what other schools of therapy call wandering in confusion in the hallway before a "double bind" consequences. meeting. His helpful comment might be met with a grateful response, yet the following week the Ultimately, any kind of strokes may be same offer will be met with a frown and preferable to none, for otherwise a person may indicating “mind your own business!” Why? In feel "discounted", like a piece of unimportant both instances he was operating with a furniture. Some individuals can become quite “rescuing” Parent, (although perhaps his Child provocative when they feel discounted, and they also wanted to relate to Susie). But whereas the may seek to obtain attention at all costs. There first time Susie had been worried about being are also people who actually prefer to invite late and so responded with her Child, the negative or crooked strokes, because such input second time she was in Parent, busy with her corresponds to the kinds of strokes they were thoughts and resentful of the interruption. So, raised on and thus feel like "homemade soup." much to John’s dismay, she responded with her Even though it may contain some poisonous Critical Parent ego state instead of from the ingredients, it is reminiscent of what they were Child ego state he expected. “fed” in childhood. It may take some time for them to develop a taste for healthier forms of Transactional analysis gets its name precisely nourishment. from the idea that unsatisfactory transactions between people, - or what we call “crossed One reason why it is useful to work with clients transactions” that are frustrating to one or both in groups rather than in individual sessions is parties - can be “analyzed” without having to that in a group it is easier for both the client and resort to an analysis of total personalities. Thus, therapist to recognize helpful or harmful patterns misunderstandings can be clarified, especially of transactions. However, for practical reasons, when both parties want to foster a relationship or treatment, counseling or coaching can also take partnership of any kind. place in individual sessions.

Treatment Considerations time in accordance with his type rather than allowing Adult assessment of a given situation Contracts. An essential first step in and other people. Such individuals are transactional analysis treatment is to establish a functioning primarily according to type on a "third "contract" with the client’s Adult. This may be degree" level, which is pathological. accomplished quickly or require several sessions, depending on how upset the client is Transactions according to type: In the course and how willing he or she is to use his or her establishing a contract, I seek to determine for Adult to determine, with the therapist, what the myself, as therapist, at least tentatively, what the goals of treatment can be rather than maintain client's character type is, because it is crucial for unrealistic magical expectations that can never identifying patterns of harmful, repetitive be met. Sooner or later, it is important for transactions. therapist and client to spell out what both seek Obviously Type I and Type II persons are likely to achieve, and how they intend to go about it.( to engage in what we call "complementary' In what follows I will use the pronoun “she" for transactions, whereby Type I will seek advice therapist or counselor, and "he" for client.) (Child to Parent of the other) and Type II will be Character Type. What I call a person’s glad to give advice (Parent to Child of the other). “character type” is based on his preferred ego So, for a while, an Undersure and an Oversure state. Roughly, I distinguish between two types person may get along beautifully. of individuals, with subdivisions for each: namely Eventually, however, either one or the other may Type I, or “Undersure", and Type II, or not be as motivated to function according to type "Oversure". as is the other. So there may come a time when Type I tends to want help and guidance even in Undersure, whose Child expects support from situations where he is clearly able to decide for Oversure, may be disappointed because himself. Thus, he tends to function a great deal Oversure may be using the Critical Parent in the Adapted and/or Rebellious Child ego instead of the Rescuing Parent or, - worse! state. Oversure wants to use his own Child (or Adult) for a change. The result is a crossed Type II spends more time in the Parent ego transaction. Similarly Oversure, eagerly state than in Child, insisting on his values and/or dispensing advice to Undersure, may feel view of the world, and giving advice either as a "discounted" (i.e. not suffiently appreciated) if Rescuer" or Critical Parent. Undersure responds rebelliously or wants to use The basic character type tends to get his own Parent for a change. It is easy to established in childhood, usually between the imagine any number of variations of the painful ages of 2 – 6. frustration can occur for either type when seeking to communicate with the other in a way Persons who develop a Type I character have that once seemed satisfactory but now fails to usually experienced a good deal of domination generate the desired responses. If either partner from caretakers, either in a critical, or in a or both operate at a "third degree" level, crossed suffocating, “loving” manner. As a result, they transactions can lead to very dangerous learned that they were better off obeying, behavior. Communication can become just as adapting and/or depending on the leadership or bad or worse between two persons of a similar control of others than seeking to become type if they operate on a “third degree” level. independent. When they are assertive, it is likely After enjoying much agreement for a while, two to be in the form of rebellion. Type II persons may eventually become too Persons who develop a Type II character have competitive, or two Type I persons may feel let had to take on much more responsibility, during down by the other at crucial times, and sink into childhood than was appropriate for their age depression. (e.g., with sick or non-functioning parents) or A (Sad) Merry-go-Round. Sometimes, in a they were pushed to excel and show off beyond relationship, one partner may initiate their own intrinsic needs. They feel valuable only transactions as a "Victim" and the other may when "rescuing" or getting others to follow them. operate as a "Rescuer". However, if either one Neither one of these character types is good or becomes frustrated, because transactions are bad per se, unless the person lacks flexibility not going according to expectations, he or she and rigidly tries to keep functioning most of the may switch ego state and suddenly become a

"Persecutor" of the other, after which they may some unnecessary tendencies to be ashamed both end up as victims. The words Victim, about perfectly normal wishes or behaviors, for Rescuer and Persecutor were first used by instance in the sexual arena. In many instances, Karpman (l968) in describing such changes the unwanted symptoms, phobias, anxieties, under the name “drama triangle” by analogy to inhibitions or behavior patterns about which changes of roles in Greek tragedies. The way people may come into treatment are related to a out of this pattern is with the help of the Adult, variety of archaic survival conclusions carried by preferably that of both participants, and perhaps their Child, sometimes reinforced and/or with the help of the therapist’s Adult to analyze contradicted by subsequent remembered both the “parallel” transactions that seemed to instructions integrated into their Parent. go well and the reasons for the shifts that led to To identify particular archaic survival crossed transactions. An inexperienced therapist conclusions that may generate unwanted who does not recognize what is going on problems, I seek information from the client to between the two parties may herself end up as a visualize one or another early situations that victim by rashly entering the fray as the unwary may have generated such a conclusion during Rescuer of one or another of the parties. the client's childhood. We might proceed by trial Survival Conclusions. Human babies and and error, or transactions among the participants young children lack the kinds of life-saving of a treatment group or even an erroneous instincts that keep other animals from recklessly hypothesis will stimulate a long-lost memory, endangering themselves. Toddlers may either of the events that caused a harmful cheerfully crawl off a balcony or into a swimming archaic conclusion, or of family anecdotes that pool or a fire unless they are conditioned to described what happened. If we are quite appropriate caution by means of messages clueless, I might use the ”hot-seat” technique given with positive or negative strokes ("Darling, developed by Fritz Perls ( l969). This involves watch out!" or "Don't let me catch you going asking the client to temporarily let go of his Adult there!") Such cautions get integrated into the and to dialogue with an empty chair representing Child's implicit memory as "survival various authority persons from childhood that conclusions". Later they influence behavior just are now still powerfully integrated into his Parent the way self-protective instincts influence other and/or Child, or are projected onto others. I use animals. For instance we would recoil seemingly the hot-seat technique only occasionally, automatically if someone seemed likely to push however, because even though the results can us out of a window, although such a reaction be immediate and quite startling, they are often was developed during childhood without our not maintained sufficiently after the client leaves consciously remembering exactly when and how treatment due to the fact that the client’s Adult is we learned it. not involved in the process. However, with a temporary sub-contract, the Hot Seat technique Unfortunately, many survival conclusions that can be useful to identify lost memories of painful may have been useful in the context of a childhood experiences or to work with significant person's childhood family no longer serve the repetitive dreams. Data obtained in this manner grown individual and may be downright harmful. can also help the client later to modify harmful We call them "archaic" survival conclusions, to archaic conclusions. distinguish them from the ones that continue to be useful. For example, when John's boss came Substitute Feelings and Attitudes. It is also into his office slamming the door, John felt an during the 2 - 6 year age period that children almost irresistible impulse to hide under his learn words that correspond to their emotions, desk. After he identified the archaic origin of this so they can correctly name and identify a feeling impulse – learning as a child to hide when his or an attitude (e/g. "I'm scared", or….happy, violent father slammed the door on coming angry, jealous, sad, etc. Unfortunately in many home drunk - John as able to use his Adult to families certain emotions are mislabeled or maintain his composure after a door slammed, discounted; children from such families may even though he sometimes still felt a little twinge grow up either without the ability to recognize of fear when his boss slammed the door. some of their own feelings or emotional Archaic survival conclusions can also be set reactions, or believing that certain feelings are when someone is shamed in childhood. Children monstrous, while the manifestation of other are particularly vulnerable to shame during the 2 feelings or attitudes will gain them approval. For - 4 year age period, and some people carry instance, a child may told when his dog dies: “at

the death of his little dog: "Aren’t you lucky! Be classic examples of this process. For instance happy you're getting a bigger dog!" without any Hamlet, a Type I Undersure character, after recognition that he/she may feel sad and need repeatedly feeling that he lacks support from his to grieve. Having been stroked if he seems glad mother and Ophelia, finally switches from his and discounted if he seems sad, the idea that he habitual ineffectual depressed Child ego state to might be sad at times just does not exist in his a murderous Parent. Or Othello, a Type II consciousness. He may grow up showing Oversure character, operates habitually from cheerful happiness or a “stiff upper lip”, Parent with substitute attitudes of invulnerability whenever grief tries to surface, even at times of and lack of jealousy until he becomes convinced severe loss. This is how some people learn to of Desdemona's alleged infidelity, at which point substitute anger for sadness, or sadness for he he collapses as a convulsive, inarticulate anger or fear, or generosity for greed or envy, Child. Then, when shamed about this by Iago, and so on. Once such individuals are grown, he sees no other way than to kill Desdemona people around them often sense that there is and then himself. something phony when they exhibit such To help racketeers if they seek treatment, - substitute feelings. Berne called such feelings which many of them do, precisely because of "rackets", because he thought that people who the nebulous feeling that something is going manifested what were obviously phony feelings wrong in their relations to others, - they must or attitudes were extorting strokes the way first be supported so they feel safe in the group gangster racketeers extort "contributions" to context. Then, rather than continue to offer them false charities. In my opinion, he did not strokes to their rackets, which many sufficiently allow for the fact that the substitution inexperienced therapists do in the mistaken process develops at such an early age that it is assumption that they should keep offering unconscious and not deliberately exploitative. support, it is important to nudge these clients to Unfortunately, using the term "rackets" to refer recognize what they actually experience under to substitute feelings or attitudes is sill part of stress and then correctly name unacknowledged transactional analysis vocabulary. feelings or attitudes if or when these are Emotional Racketeers. We use the term stimulated. To acknowledge harboring certain “racketeers” to describe individuals who transact disallowed feelings can be very frightening for with others by repeatedly displaying substitute these clients. For instance, a client may feel, “If I feelings or attitudes. Actually, racketeers are allow myself to feel murderously angry, I might quite pathetic, although often annoying, because do something terrible!” They need help to realize they are not aware of how they substitute that acknowledging a feeling and naming it does artificial feelings or attitudes for underlying not necessarily mean acting on it, because they feelings. Since they nebulously sense that can use their Adult to decide on behavior in something is wrong, without quite knowing what, each instance. This is particularly important for they may keep exhibiting their phony feelings in persons whose underlying feelings involve rage, transacting with others, al the while hoping for envy, or jealousy, which they may have learned compensatory strokes. This often backfires to cover up, even to themselves, with, for disastrously. In their desperate quest for instance, “charitable attitudes”. compensatory strokes, because they Berne's (l964) book themselves often feel inchoately that there is What about Games? Games People Play was a best-seller in the mid- something wrong with their approach to others, sixties, perhaps because of the catchy titles of they will often reinforce their character type to a the "games" he listed. I do not recommend this second or third degree. Eventually they are likely book except for the introductory chapter which to meet with rejection (through crossed summarizes transactional analysis theory, transactions), even from partners who may have because I think it trivializes behavior and does been supportive initially. Excessive frustration not distinguish between racketeering and generates inner chaos and provokes sudden, games. After its publication, Berne modified his abrupt switches of a racketeer's habitual ego early definition of games by emphasizing that state to the opposite one (e.g. if the usual there has to be a switch of ego state by one or preferred ego state was Child, a sudden switch both parties before the final, concluding crossed to Parent, and vice versa. As a result, there may transaction. be unexpected violence if the racketeer operates on a third degree level. Shakespeare offers In my opinion it is not necessary to struggle with

details about games. The aforementioned to adventure and risk-taking. These attributes descriptions of Undersure and Oversure third led our forbearers to the creative inventions, degree racketeers, and how frustration about not discoveries and explorations that have enabled receiving the desired strokes for their rackets our species to survive and become the most may lead to a switch of ego state, and, thereby, powerful on earth. to a final crossed transaction, (possibly with Lastly, the transcendence/quiescence motivator violence,) adequately describes the process. functions to maintain our quiet connection to the Different games are simply variations on the universe and to transcend daily life through, for Oversure and Undersure kinds of example, spirituality, meditation, and also by complementary transactions ending with a sleep. It fosters peacefulness, restfulness, crossed transaction as mentioned earlier harmony, and detachment from overwhelming (English, l977a). anxiety. Unconscious Motivators. As indicated . Berne noted that most of us seem to previously, TA treatment focuses primarily the Scripts operate with "an unconscious life plan" to which here-and-now without seeking to analyze deeply he gave the name of "script". Scripts are into the unconscious. However, it is undeniable adaptations of early childhood reactions and that many important choices in life can be experiences, and although Berne (l961) wrote motivated by unconscious drives. Their impact that "neurotic, psychotic and psychopathic must be recognized, particularly when a client scripts are almost always tragic," he also added deals with major life commitments or changes that “a practical and constructive script ...... may (e.g. regarding career or marriage) or wonders lead to great happiness".( p..116) Unfortunately about having engaged in certain past behaviors there has been a tendency among some that now seem strange. transactional analysts to forget that Berne To address such situations, I have added the indicated that constructive scripts can lead to concept of unconscious motivators to basic happiness. They thus sometimes erroneously transactional analysis. I use the term confuse scripts with dysfunctional archaic “motivators” rather than drives because my survival conclusions. Yet just because someone definition of these differs significantly from may be functioning with certain harmful archaic Freud’s. (see English, l998, 2003). survival conclusions that need to be changed, it does not mean that their entire script should be The three Motivators are: The Survival thrown overboard. Quite the contrary, as I have Motivator, the Expressive or Passionate spelled out elsewhere (English, l977b, l979, Motivator, and the Transcendence or l988) Quiescence Motivator. Each Motivator has distinct functions and can affect our ego states On the basis of clinical experience, I believe with its particular attributes, yearnings or Berne was correct to emphasize that a child of feelings. about 3-6 years creates an initial script to guide his or her future. This script is influenced both by Specifically the survival motivator functions for inborn tendencies and the child’s limited world individual survival. It stimulates feelings and view, which includes exposure to fairy tales, needs for action to ensure such survival. myths, perceptions and misperceptions about Therefore it brings on attributes such as hunger, the environment and the wishes of caretakers. thirst, feeling cold, fear, and need for protection This initial script primarily serves the child’s and strokes; it also promotes survival emerging self as an organizing structure to deal conclusions. with time, space, boundaries, relationships, The expressive/passionate motivator functions activities and ideas about the world and the for species survival. In all animals this occurs future. However, like the first draft of a movie thanks to procreation, so sexuality is an script, the early script is but a tentative outline. It important attribute of this motivator. However continues to be revised throughout a person’s procreation alone would not have sufficed for the life and may develop quite differently from the survival of the human species; we would have initial design, with unexpected outcomes that are been annihilated long ago by more powerful affected by how the person manages to balance animals. Fortunately our species has evolved by his or her inner motivators in the course of living. adding many more attributes to this motivator. Even a script generated under the worst family For instance it promotes curiosity and attraction circumstances contains within itself the child's

genetic sense about how he or she might fulfill recipient is an Undersure type. Sometimes the inner goals creatively if certain malevolent fairies transmission is quite deliberate, in relation to and cobwebs could be neutralized. Without a total life-projects, although the donor might deny script a child would be operating out of a this. Accordingly, one or more vulnerable vacuum of time and space, with no content with recipients might take on specific harmful goals which to connect past and future, feeling for their lives while believing they are making rootless, like a leaf in the wind. I suspect that voluntary choices. Such instances, which are far this happens with certain confused adolescents more complex and harmful than transmissions of and that certain cases of psychosis represent hot potatoes, are referred to as “episcripts”. lack of script formation, rather than the reverse. Tragic examples of these include the suicide As a person grows, eventually a script becomes bombers who struck the United States on a rather complex production, with some scenes September ll, 2001, after taking on episcripts to that follow sequentially and some that do not, destroy from Osama Bin Laden, and Palestinian with ups and downs of success and failure, and suicide bombers in Israel after having been with magical reversals and assumptions. Thus, episcripted by Yasir Arafat or some zealous scripts contain genetic elements and patterns cleric. related to experiences, fantasies and beliefs that It is important not to confuse episcripts with are woven together into the fabric of a personal scripts, any more than one would equate mythological story with many possible variations cancerous growths with normal development. and allowances for plenty of improvisations in Episcripts, as the name implies, are taken on the course of life. Script analysis requires a from others outside the self, whereas scripts different kind of contract from a treatment correspond to personal development and contract, where the aim is to change harmful blossoming into life. existential patterns. In the script workshops I conduct, the aim is to work with clients’ fantasies Finally, and to Continue . . . and stories in order to gain a deeper Like Einstein, who stated that a physicist did not understanding of their inner needs and understand relativity if he could not explain it to tendencies, and a better sense about the a l2 year old, Berne insisted that transactional creative processes of their lives, without analysis should be comprehensible to an 8-year necessarily planning for particular changes. old. Indeed this is why TA can be very useful for Hot Potatoes and Episcripts. Within families or child therapy and in educational contexts. tight-knit groups, sometimes there is a However, ultimately it is empathetic sensibility phenomenon like a psychological contagion combined with solid therapeutic skills that are whereby a disturbing condition, (e.g. anxiety, the essentials for good practice. Therefore the depression, suicidal wishes, etc.) may be International Transactional Association has passed from one person to another, or over developed high standards for, qualification, several generations. This happens sometimes training and ethics. when a potential “donor” of pathology believes, In l970 Berne died suddenly of a heart attack. consciously or unconsciously, that he or she can He did not live long enough to fully refine his become magically free of troublesome theories although he was working at them symptoms by passing them on to someone who continuously until the end of his life. After his thus becomes a “vulnerable recipient.” At the death, the very simplicity of basic transactional root of this process are magical beliefs like those analysis was misused by some, so that in the that existed in primitive tribes. public mind it became erroneously viewed as a I refer to such transmissions, which have a pop psychology. Fortunately there were already hypnotic quality, as "passing on a hot potato". enough competent well-trained transactional (English, l969). In addition to transmissions analysts to spread it TA in the rest of America within family groups, hot potato transmissions and the world, especially throughout Europe, can occur whenever one partner of a dyad is in Latin America, India, Japan, Australia, New a psychologically more powerful position than Zealand, and South Africa, and the scholarly TA the other, (e.g. teacher/student, or priest/ Journal was maintained as well as many other parishioner, therapist/client, etc. and patient, publications. Sadly, Berne did not live to see this especially if the donor of the hot potato is an expansion. Oversure character type and the vulnerable To this day I know of no more effective therapy

© 2014 International Transactional Analysis Association A Summary of Transactional Analysis Concepts I Use 10 By Fanita English when practiced by responsible, sensitive practitioners. This has been confirmed by comparative research (Novey, 2002) and, as mentioned earlier, transactional analysis has proven effective in many fields. There are many ways to find out more about transactional analysis. … However I hope this article has given you at least a beginning understanding of what it is all about.

References Berne, E. (1947). The mind in action. New York: Simon & Schuster Berne, E. (1961). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy. New York: Grove Press. Berne, E. (1963). The structure and dynamics of organizations and groups. New York: Grove Press. Berne, E. (1964). Games people play. New York: Grove Press. Berne, E. (1972 ). What do you say after you say Hello? New York: Grove Press. English, F. (1969). Episcripts and the hot potato game. Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 8(32), 77- 82. English, F. (1977a). Rackets and racketeering as the root of games. In R. Blakeney (ed.) Current issues in transactional analysis (pp. 3-28). New York: Brunner-Mazel. English, F. (1977b). What shall I do tomorrow? Reconceptualizing transactional analysis. In G. Barnes (ed), Transactional analysis after Eric Berne: Teachings and practices of three TA schools (pp. 287-347). New York: Harper’s College Press. English, F. (1988). Whither scripts? Transactional Analysis Journal, 18, 294-303. English, F. (1998). The forces within us. (video recording). International Transactional Analysis Association. English, F. (2003). How are you? And how am I? Ego states and inner motivators. In C.Sills & H. Hargarden (eds), Ego states (pp. 55-72). London: Worth Publishing, Ltd. Karpman, S.B. (1968) Fairy tales and script drama analysis. Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 7(26), 39-43. Novey, T. (2002). Measuring the effectiveness of transactional analysis: An international study. Transactional Analysis Journal, 32, 8-24. Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt therapy verbatim. Lafayette, CA: Real People Press.