Eric Bern Transactional analysis in psychotherapy. Bern Eric: Transactional Analysis as a method of psychotherapy

According to theories of transactional analysis The American psychotherapist Eric Bern, who suggested and developed at the beginning of the last century, is convincingly to speak, adequately think, feel and respond to what is happening is determined by one of our three ego-states - a child, an adult or parent.


Our ego states are our psychological reality. Each of them has a certain value for us. All three in general and each of them are extremely important for our survival and are equally necessary for fruitful life and communication.

Transactions - bricks of our relationship

In order to analyze our verbal or non-verbal communication, it was easier, the whole process of interaction between people Eric Bern suggested being divided into elementary pieces - transactions. Transaction, as a unit of communication, describes single interactions between people, taking into account the three ego components.

According to structural analysis of BernCommunication of two people is always a contact of certain states of them. When one of the participants of the dialogue sends an incentive to another, and the other reacts to this incentive at least one of his states - communication can be considered. If there is enough interlocutors to communicate to the interlocutors from each, such a transaction is called simple.

Considering which states of our states are involved in communication and how they interact, the transaction can be attributed to one of three types:

  1. Complementary or complimentary
  2. Crossing or crossing
  3. Hidden

Complementary or complimentary transactions

Since we are all different, then in the process of communication, some of the states remain active, interacting with each other, as basic or supplemented, and some noticeably do not show yourself. In the figures below the simplest complementary transactions are indicated by parallel lines.

In fig. 1, arrows are displayed active ego-states between two spouses. Although in communication, all three ego states, alone playing an active role from each side. A stimulating complementary impact (stimulus) is directed from the state of the husband "I-parent" - to the state of the "child" of his wife (RRA). Her reaction is in the opposite direction, from the state of the "I-child" - to the state of the husband (ed).

Thus, the complementary impact in our example is a parallel transaction that flows through the scenario of RRA - RR. Ideally, such a transaction schematically reflects attitudes in the family, when the husband will be careful about his wife, and she takes such care with gratitude.

Supplementary or complimentary Bern called transactions in which the stimulating effect emanating from one of the interlocutors is complemented by the corresponding response of another participant in communication. In this case, the vector of stimulus and the reaction vector coincide. Example: "What time is it?" - Stimulus, "without twenty seven" - reaction. Additional transactions are common, when the "adults" of the interlocutors are contacted.

Important: While the transaction is executed as complementary, it can develop an unlimited time, regardless of its content, since the situation completely suits both parties and does not contain soils for the conflict.


Three basic ego states are able to make 9 different types of simple complementary transactions - RR, RV, RRA, BP, BB, VRU, RR, roar, role. (Fig. 2).

IN practical work Psychologists allocate:

    Three types of complementary equal transactions in which communication occurs between the same states of the dialogue participants (RR, BB, Rere):

    • On the RR lines, we usually have been languages \u200b\u200band repeated banalities: ... the youth lost all sorts of shame - I fully agree ...
    • According to the BB lines - contact at work: ... feed-ka von that screwdriver - take ... Or exchanging operational information: …What time is it now? - Midnight ...
    • Along the Rare lines - love and get entertainment: …Let's go to the cinema? - Great idea…

    Lines connecting i-states in all listed cases in Fig. 2 Parallel to each other.

  1. Non-equivalent transactions arising in situations of guardianship, care, suppression or admiration.

Intersecting or cross-transactions

If the arrows of the incentive and reactions intersect, then such interactions in the language transactional analysis are called intersecting or cross. Crossing transaction arises when in response to an incentive of one of the interlocutors, aimed at one ego state of the interlocutor, the latter responds to the name of another of its ego state.

Intersecting transactions are one of the most likely sources of interpersonal conflict.

- Husband, to his wife: "Where did you put my cufflinks?".

- wife: "When you last time I remembered where I put my thing? ".
Reaction of the RV - "Parent" of his wife instructs the "adult" husband.

There is an intersecting transaction of explosives - RV. The soil for the development of the conflict was prepared.

- Husband, to his wife: "Where is my tie?".
Incentive incentive - "adult" husband turns to the "adult" wife.

- wife: "Why are you always and trying to blame me?".
The reaction of RR - the "child" of his wife offendedly inflates the sponge and calls her husband to the "parent".

It is clear that the further conversation about the tie becomes impossible, because, in the language of psychotherapy, there is a classic "transfer" of accents from the problems of household levels to the level of relationships. Before us intersecting the transaction of the 1st type VV - RR. Transactions of this kind are the main source of our household conflicts.

Starting from mutual reproaches on the household level, cross-transactions are often eared by stormy quarrels accompanied by a slamming door and the rapid change of ego-states from each of the participants in the conflict.

- A colleague: "You do not know, the chef today collects the planner?".
Stimulus BB - "Adult" one of the employees appeals to the "adult" of another equal in status.

- Second colleague: "I'm aware, and when you can answer such questions you?".
Reaction Rain - "Parent" of that colleague, who was addressed to the stimulus, the tone of the patron teaches the "child" of the colleague who asked the question.

Crossing Type Transaction 2 BB - Raincorresponding to the described situation is illustrated in Fig. 2b. Such transactions in psychiatry correspond to counterperos reactions. They often feed conflicts in personal life and on diplomatic soil.

Important: Intersecting transactions - a sign of violation in communications and potential conflict. Studently flowing, such conflicts, as a rule, quickly fade, but will occur until they are found and eliminated their reason.

Three basic ego states according to theories of transactional analysis Layd by 9 x 9 \u003d 81 different schemes for the implementation of simple transactions. Minus 9 complementing transactions remain 72 options. - Multiple even for a transactional analytics.

On the "applied" level ordinary person For productive analysis of the structure of relationships, it is enough to learn how to recognize and operate with the 4 most common pair transaction schemes of the same level:

  1. BB - reer - variant of the transfer reaction (example in Fig. 2a).
  2. BB - RRA - a version of the reaction of the counterperos (an example in Fig. 2b).
  3. RR - BB - the irritation reaction, characterizing the state of a person, expecting sympathy and dry facts instead.
  4. Rain - explosion. Instead of the expected complaint, the author of the stimulus hears the answer that perceives as a challenge and appeals to the facts.

Hidden transactions

Hidden transactions are more complicable in their understanding and structure, when people say one thing, and they mean the other or do not suspect at all that, on behalf of which of the three ego components they are currently talking. In such transactions, two or more I are participating at different levels. The initial "parcel" in the hidden transaction is disguised as an externally neutral incentive, while the reaction is expected as a hidden message.

By participating in hidden transactions, dialogue participants transmit information in implicit form. At the same time, the author of the stimulus expects to influence the interlocutor in the way that this is not aware. Hidden transaction is executed on two levels. One of them is an external, conscious social level in which two adult companion participate in communication. The second is hidden, psychological, in which the child of one interlocutor is provoked by one of the states of the second interlocutor. The initiative at the hidden level stimulates an adult one interlocutor, but the outcome always defines the reaction of the child of another.

Hidden transactions can be angular or dual. As an example of a hidden transaction, Eric Bern examines the angular transaction with the participation of three ego-states. Eselles are especially active and successful by the nature of the activities of the corner transaction.

An example of an angular transaction 1:

- Seller in the wrist watch shop: "Of those models that you have already seen, this, of course, is better. But you are hardly allowing you to buy it ".
Stimulus time.

- Buyer: "You are about me bad opinion, it is this model for myself and chose".
Reaction roar.

Turning into a state adult, the seller, externally addressing the adult buyer, dryly states the fact that is true: "This model is better, but it's not for you to pocket." At the same time, pronouncing the phrase the seller skillfully dismissed the psychological accent, directing the stimulus of the child of the buyer (time). A child readily accepts a call (roar), and, demonstrating that he is no worse, "negotiates" with his adults to buy expensive hours.

An example of an angular transaction 2:

- Restaurant waiter: "What will you drink?"
Stimulus time.

- Visitor: "Drinking at all and was not going, I love your kitchen - I went to have a snack ... Perhaps, Cognac".
Reaction roar.

Outwardly, communication takes on the adult-adult line. At the same time, the adult waiter provokes a visitor's child, as if hinting: "How so - such a solid guest and not ready to afford for an hour to forget about problems and relax?" (Time). As a result: the child of the visitor to the restaurant literally makes his adult to order a cognac from the waiter. The visitor's response in this case comes from the child and contains a hidden subtext: "I will prove to you, the waiter that I am no worse than others."

Example of dual transaction:

- It: "How about drinking a seagull, I'm completely alone here, and I live nearby?"

- She is: "The idea of \u200b\u200bshine. I wicked, and I extended to bones ".

This is a classic dual transaction of flirting, in which the initiative belongs to its adult. The final of the game defined her spontaneous impulsive child.

The final task of the transactional analysis is to learn to distinguish in what position at any point in time I am. To recognize I-state from others just enough, if you pay attention to certain words and phrases, gestures, intonation, facial expressions.

Being in the state of "Parent", a person loves to pronounce phrases and obligations: "I have to", "I can not" or criticize and instruct the surrounding instructive or threatening tone: "I would in your case ...", "I will finish it and forever "," We should not forget that ... "," my dear, it should be stopped ... ". At the non-verbal level, the state of the "parent" manifests itself with hands crossed on the chest, in the condescending stroke of the interlocutor on the shoulder or head, a crushed sigh or swaying with his head, catchy wrinkles on the forehead.

The state of the child is easily diagnosed on the statements in which feelings prevail, fears, wishes: "I want", "I am infuriated," "I hate it", "... to Feniya." A non-verbally child is manifested in popping the lips, active gesture, shrug shrugs, which has a sweeping gaze, frank expressions of delight.

Adult denotes himself surrounded by phrases "I can - I can not", "it is advisable", "from my point of view" and to them like. His gestures are leopard and restrained, tone is judged.

Communication in joy

Ideas transactional Analysis Erik Bern They will acquire visible and tangible outlines for you when they are supported by personal experience. Carefully watching the verbal and non-verbal side of the behavior of others, with time you will learn to recognize and diagnose the ego-state as easily as read your favorite book.

From this point on, the game with your triune ego, from a dangerous diving among acute reefs of messy transactions, will turn into an exciting, and most importantly, pleasant and conscious journey under the sail filled with passing wind. You will learn to communicate even with those people who were avoided earlier and make one unexpected and pleasant discovery: Communication almost with any person can deliver true pleasure.

Topic 6. Transactional Analysis E.Bern

1. Model of ego-states

2. Transactions

4.Game and analysis of games.

Transactional analysis (from lat. tRANSACTIO. - transaction and Greek. analysis. - decomposition, dismemberment) - psychotherapeutic technique of group and personal growth proposed by American psychologist and psychiatrist Eric Berne. This method of psychotherapy is based on the procedure for analyzing the personality structure. As personal structures as interiorization-cues social experience, here are considered features and interaction of three states. I: "Parent", "Child"and "Adult"."Parent" is an authoritarian tendency of individual, "child" - a subordinate position, "adult" - the ability to defend personal opinion and organize relationships with others on the basis of an equal partnership.

There are several key ideas that underlie the theory of transactional analysis: model of ego-states, transactions, stroking, time structuring, life script and games.

1. Model of ego-states

Practice therapy psychosomatic diseases In transactional analysis, is based on a sequential theoretical ApproachThe basis of which is the conviction that early decisions that a person takes in childhood about what the scenic patterns of behavior, thoughts and feelings should be changed. In the transactional analysis they say: "In order to feel better, it is not necessary to hurt."

The main objective of this psychotherapeutic method is the actualization of the "adult" in man, the reconstruction of the person on the basis of revising the vital positions, unproductive stereotypes of the behavior, the formation of a new value system. In the process of therapy, the current psychological conflict and the influence of social factors should be taken into account.

This type of psychotherapy is based on a contract method, in which the patient and therapist bear mutual responsibility for achieving the objectives of the contract. These goals are aimed at exiting the scenario and the achievement of autonomy, receiving the patient with new parent messages, the creation of an integrated adult.

In addition, the transactional analysis allows you to analyze the games of people suffering from psychosomatic disorders, and advantages (winnings) arising from them. Winning of all games is aimed at strengthening self-defense, receiving privileges, evasion from close relationships and accounting.

The basis of the transactional analysis is ego-state model("model RVD ").Ego-condition is a combination of related behaviors, thoughts and feelings as a way of manifesting our personality at the moment. The model describes three different ego-status:

P - Ego-State of the Parent: Behavior, Thoughts and Feelings Copied by Parents or Parental Figures

In the ego-state of an adult: the behavior, thoughts and feelings, which are direct response to "here and now"

D is the ego state of the child (child): the behavior, thoughts and feelings inherent in childhood.

The model of ego-states allows you to establish a reliable connection between behavior, thoughts and feelings.

2. Transactions

Transaction takes place when i suggest you some kind communications(communication), and you answer me. The beginning of communication is called incentive, response response. Bern considered the transaction "The main unit of social interaction." Communication between people always takes the form of such chains of transactions. Transactions are parallel (complementary), intersecting and hidden. Examples of transaction circuits are shown in Fig. 3.

Crossing transaction V-B, Rd: C - Stimulus, P - Reaction

Crossing transaction Rd, V-in: C - Stimulus, P - Reaction

Double hidden transaction:

social level in-inIn-in;

psychological r-D, Dr.:

With s, with n - social and psychological

incentives; R S, R P - Social and

psychological reaction

Corner hidden transaction:

With s, with n - social

and psychological incentives;

P - reaction

Fig. 3. Transaction schemes

3. Structuring time.In meetings of people in groups or pairs there are only six different ways to spend their time. Eric Bern gave the following definitions of these six types of time structuring: care, rituals, pastime, activities, games, intimacy.According to Bern, all these ways contribute to the satisfaction of the structural hunger of a person. He proposes to consider six forms of social behavior - four main and two border events:

On an overhead pole border case - a closure when there is no explicit communication between people. The person is physically present, but psychologically - out of contact, it would be shouting by his own thoughts.

Rituals - familiar, repetitive actions, not non-vulnerable semantic load:

informal character (greetings, thanks)

official (diplomatic etiquette)

The purpose of this type of communication is the ability to spend time together, but not approaching.

Strengthening - semi-curval conversations about problems and events known to everyone. It is always socially programmed: it is possible to speak only in a certain style and only for permissible topics.

The purpose of this type of communication is the structuring of time not only for the sake of maintaining friendly relations, but in part social selection when a person is looking for new useful dating.

Joint activity - interaction between people at work, the goal is to effectively fulfill the task.

Games - the most complex type of communication, because In games, each side unconsciously tries to achieve superiority over the other and get a reward. The feature of the games is the hidden motivation of their participants.

Proximity is the second border case. Bilateral proximity can be defined as a free communication between the games, involving a warm stakeholder between people, eliminating the extraction of benefits.

Strokedetermined as a single transaction unit. You can classify strokes as follows: verbal or non-verbal, positive or negative, conditional or unconditional.

Scenario of life. INchildhood each of us writes your own scenario of Life. The main story we write in early childhood before they learned to speak. Later, only add details to our scenario. To seven years, the script is mainly written, and in the youth of the age we can revise it. As adults, we usually do not realize that they wrote a scenario of life, but nevertheless, in accuracy, he followed. Without aware of this fact, we arrange our life in such a way that we are moving towards the final scene, which was determined in childhood. Along with the model of ego-states, the concept of life scenario is the cornerstone of transactional analysis. It is especially important in psychotherapeutic activities. When analyzing the script, we use the concept of a scenario of life to understand how people can unconsciously create their own problems and how they solve them.

Bern put forward the idea that at the early stage of the formation of the scenario, a small child already has certain ideas about himself and those around him. These ideas, apparently, remain with it all their life and can be characterized as follows: "I - OK" or "I am not ok"; "You are OK" or "You are not ok."

If you combine these positions in all possible combinations, we will receive four plants about yourself and other people:

1.I-ok, you are OK;

2. I'm not ok, you are OK;

3. I - OK, you are not ok;

4. I'm not ok, you are not ok.

Ignoringin transactional analysis is the unconscious ignoring information related to solving some problem.

Worldview and distortion.Each person perceives the world In my own way, and your peace perception will differ from mine. The worldview is determined as the structure of associative responses that integrate various ego-states when responding to certain incentives. The worldview provides a man with a holistic perceptual, conceptual, emotional and motor set, which is used to determine itself, other people and the surrounding world.

To facilitate understanding of this formal definition, the worldview is proposed to be considered as a "reality filter".

Symbiosisthere is when two or more people behave as if they form one person together. People participating in such interactions do not use all the ego-states that have them. Usually one of them eliminates the child and uses only a parent and an adult, and the other occupies the opposite position, while remaining in the child and blocking two other ego states. When entering the symbiosis, its participants feel more comfortable. Everyone plays the role that is expected from him, but this comfort is achieved for a specific fee: the symbiosis blocks many of their abilities and the possibilities inherent in both adults.

Feeling Rackdetermined as ordinary emotion, fixed and encouraged in childhood, experienced in various stressful situations and not contributing to an adult solving problems. The racket is a set of scenario behaviors used outside our awareness as a means of manipulating the environment and includes experiencing (sensation) by a person's feelings.

Games and analysis of games.You can select several characteristic features inherent in games.

1. Games are constantly repeated. From time to time, each person plays in his favorite game, while players and circumstances can change, but the game pattern always remains the same.

2. Games are played outside the adult awareness. Despite the fact that people play the same games, they do not realize it. Only at the final stage of the game the player can ask himself: "How could this happen to me again?" Even at this moment, people usually do not understand that they themselves began the game.

3. Games always end with the fact that players are experiencing a racket feeling.

4. Players during games are exchanged by hidden transactions. In any game, the psychological level occurs something completely different from what takes place on social level. We know about it because people play their games again and again, finding partners whose games are suitable for their games.

5. Games always include the moment of surprise or embarrassment. At this moment, the player feels what something unexpected happened.

Eric Bern

Transactional analysis in psychotherapy

© Cargogg A., Translation into Russian, 2015

© design. LLC "Publishing" E ", 2015

Instead of accession

Before you need to get acquainted with the terminology, which will meet you in this book, where much attention is paid to individual and social psychiatry.

Social psychiatry Indicates the study of psychiatric aspects of transaction or a set of transactions that occur between two or several individuals. Comparison of psychiatric problems of various social, cultural or national groupswhich is sometimes referred to as the "social psychiatry" may be better and more accurately designated as "comparative psychiatry".

It Often denotes a person in general, regardless of the floor. there is In the context means "usually, as far as the author is known." It seems Means "It seems to me that it is so, but I have not enough data to be finally confident." Specific people are called "adult", "parent" and "child". When these terms are written from the capital letter: an adult, parent, child - they mean the states of the ego, and not specific people. Accordingly, the adjectives "adult", "Parental" and "Children" are written with capital or stritch letters According to the context.

The term "psychoanalysis" and its synonyms in this book indicate what is known as "orthodox psychoanalysis", that is, the permission of the complexes acquired in childhood and conflict with the help of systematic use of free associations, when the therapist works with transfer phenomena and resistance in accordance with Freud principles . Stands, however, keep in mind that after fifteen years life together The psychoanalytic movement and the author peacefully broke up (remaining in the most friendly relations) and that the concept of the Ego functions in the author's representation is different from the one that most orthodox psychoanalysts adheres to.

Introduction

The state of the ego can be described phenomenologically - as a connected system of senses in relation to a particular subject and operational - as a set of behavioral samples; or pragmatically - as a system of feelings that motivates the corresponding set of behavioral samples. Penfield demonstrated that the memoirs of epileptics in their natural form Manifest as the state of the ego. Electric stimulation of the temporal sections of the cerebral cortex on both sides, it was able to cause these phenomena.

Penfield further demonstrated that two different states of the ego can exist in consciousness at the same time as individual psychological entities, clearly different from each other. In one case, such a "forced" as a result of electrical stimulation of secondary experiences, the patient exclaimed that he hears how someone was laughing. However, the patient himself "was not inclined to laugh at a joke, whatever it was. He thus conscious of the two simultaneously existing situations. His exclamation testifies that he was aware of the incompatibility of these two situations - one real and the other, caused in his consciousness from the past. " Although, when such a memory is called in the patient's consciousness, "it seems to him the appropriate moment." And only when it passes, he is able to realize him as a bright memory from the past. At the time of stimulating, the patient is both an actor and audience.

Penfield, Jasper and Roberts emphasize the difference between such full memories, that is, the awakening of the full states of the ego, and isolated phenomena, which occur when stimulating auditory and visual centers, or memories of words. They especially note that cases of stimulation of temporal fractions include important mental elements, such as an understanding of the meaning of what happened and emotions, which once caused this happening.

Kyubi in his comments to this experiment notes that the patient is also an observer, and observed and that in front of us "Memories are complete, including the fact that the patient is not able to recall consciously, and approaching the completeness of memories that can sometimes be achieved under hypnosis. The past becomes as insurmountable and bright as the present. The verbal memory serves as a screening screen through which sensual memories of the past experience pass. It is appropriate to bring Cobb's remark from the same collection that "the study of emotions is now a legitimate medical activity", which he binds to the physiology of the oldest sections of the cerebral cortex.

Psychologists are well known that the state of the ego can constantly persist. Federen one of the first stressed that psychological reality is based on the full and discrete states of the ego. Weiss describes the state of the ego as "really experienced reality of the mental and physical ego in relation to a certain period of life." In this regard, Federn is talking about the "everyday" states of the ego.

Weiss, the main interpreter Federnna, accurately formulates that the ego of the previous age levels are maintained in potential state. This is well proven by clinically the fact that "similar states of the ego can be secondally endowed with libido energy, for example: in hypnosis, in a dream and in psychosis." He also notices that "two or more separate states of the ego can try to preserve unity and consciously exist at the same time." According to Federnna, the suppression of traumatic memories or conflict is possible in many cases only when the ego states belonging to these experiences are suppressed. Early states of the EGO are preserved in a latent form, expecting opportunities to re-endowed with libido energy. And it is directly related to the problem of "personality".

Weiss says about the "residual infantal state of the ego in an adult, which usually retains the libido energy, but may be deprived of it," this is a kind of "children's ego." On the other hand, there is a different type of influence that Weiss calls "mental presence". This is the "mental image of another ego", sometimes the parent, which affects the emotions and behavior of the individual.

There are other authors whose works are related to the states of the ego, but the quotes given enough to attract the reader's attention to this phenomenon. Structural and transaction analyzes are the subject of this work - are based exclusively on clinical observations and working with patients, and all the prejudices are retributed and pre-compiled opinions. Under such conditions, the study of integrated states of the Ego arises as a "natural" approach to psychology and psychotherapy.

Psychiatry Individual and Structural Analysis

General considerations

1. Logical justification

Structural and transactional analyzes offer a systematic, consistent theory of personality and social dynamics, created on the basis of clinical experience, as well as effective therapywhich most patients are easily perceived and naturally used.

Psychotherapeutic treatment can be represented in two types: in the first case, suggestion, assurance and other "parent" methods are used; The second, or "rational" approach is based on confrontation and interpretation methods, such as non-media psychiatry and psychoanalysis. The "Parental" approach suffers a big disadvantage: archaic fantasies of the patient are ignored or suppressed, and ultimately the therapist often loses control over the situation and itself is surprised and disappointed with the outcome of treatment. A rational approach is designed to establish control from the inside; With conventional methods, it may be necessary to take a lot of time, and in the meantime, not only the patient himself, but all his relatives and others are subject to the results of his unreasonable behavior. If the patient has small children, too long way The positive results of treatment may have a decisive impact on the development of the nature of these children.

The structural transaction approach overcomes these difficulties. Since he tends to quickly increase the patient's ability to control his own alarms and restrict pretense, it has most of the benefits of "parental" therapy. At the same time, since the therapist is constantly and fully aware of the presence of archaic elements in the patient's personality, it does not lose the advantages of rational therapy. This approach is especially fruitful in cases where ordinary therapy faces great difficulties. This includes psychopaths of various varieties: latent, intermittent, located on the verge of schizophrenia or manico-depressive; And also mentally retarded adults.

  1. Bern Eric Transactional Analysis and Psychotherapy

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    ... BerneEricTransactionanalysis and psychotherapy Translation from English. St. Petersburg, Publisher, 1992. 224 p. The book about transactionanalysis ... New York Translation from English BERNEEricTransactionANALYSIS AND PSYCHOTHERAPY Translation from English ...

  2. Eric Bern Group Treatment

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    Heritage of the famous American psychologist and psychiatrist ErikaBern. Even on an impressive background of such ... the author of this book: "Healing of the soul. Transactionanalysis in psychotherapy " And "Games in which people play." Phenomenon...

  3. Eric Bern Games playing people (Psychology of human relationship)

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    EricBerne EricBerne Transactionanalysis in psychotherapy "

  4. Eric Bern Games playing people (Psychology of human relationships) (1)

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    EricBerne Games in which people play (Psychology ... The Psychology of Human Relationships) EricBerne Games in which people play (... conceived as a continuation of my book " Transactionanalysis in psychotherapy ". However, I assume that a new edition ...

Psychologist-consultant.

Transactional (synonyms: transactional, transactional) psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches from all over the world consider one of the most transparent and understandable models describing the identity, communicative processes.

Theory and Transactional Analysis Concept Eric Bern

Transactional analysis (TA) - The knowledge system, the basic ideas of which were developed by the American psychiatrist Eric Berne and near his like-minded people, allowing to describe and analyze the emotions, thoughts and behavior of a person and, therefore, intrapersonal conflicts, as well as the social interaction of people.

A transactional analysis has absorbed the ideas of the three main directions of psychology of the 20th century: psychoanalysis, behavioral direction and humanistic psychology. At the same time, for Eric Berne, it was fundamentally important that the theory created by them meets the criteria of clearness and transparency.

What does this mean? First of all, the model and describing its theory should be understood by people who do not have a special psychiatric and / or psychoanalytic education. Therefore, all the wealth of inxicious processes and the description of interpersonal communication should be exposed simple language.

Further, the therapeutic process, the strategy and tactics of therapy should be clear to the client. Unlike classic psychoanalysis, where the role of the therapist can be assessed as a position of the authority of the client's psyche, i.e. as if "top" for transactional analysis characteristic feature Psychotherapy conducted by a transact analyst is the position of the therapist next to the client.

At the beginning of his professional path, Eric Bern, the American psychiatrist, adhered to a psychoanalytic concept, learning, including Eric Erikonon. Subsequently, having received several membership failures in the Psychoanalytic Institute of San Francisco, Bern continued further from the ideas of orthodox psychoanalysis. He noticed the visually distinguished personality. He defined them as ego-state.

In personality, three ego states can be distinguished: parent, adult and child (in some transfer literature in Russian child). Each ego-condition implies a certain set of emotions, thoughts and behavior. You can learn more about the ego states by reference.


Bern's view on a man's psyche is based on an indisputable importance of such a fact as a contact between people. The lack of physical or emotional stimulation can lead to severe diseases and even death. Thus, one of the most important needs of each personality is the need for recognition. Bern introduces the term "stroking" as the most common to the designation of contact, which can take a wide variety of forms from a negligent turbine when meeting a neighbor at the elevator before recognizing in love.

According to Bern, "stroking can be considered a unit of measurement. social Action". Exchange strokes is a transaction, or otherwise, a unit of social communication. Examples of transactions from life.

A transactional analysis of interactions is an analysis of units of social communication from the point of view of ego-states of each of its participants.

I mention about such thoughts that, for sure, attended each of us, it is important to note that Eric Bern was convinced that every person is born with a "prince" or "princess", and in the process of growth and education becomes a "frog" in the process of growth and upbringing. And then the goals of the transactional analysis are changes in the identity of the client.

To achieve the goal, it is important to turn the process to reverse, to make his life conscious for the client, as he does one or another choice, comes into contact, as far as the principles and beliefs he is guided in life is his personal, or they were imposed in this The moment is already irrelevant, and sometimes it is harmful to this particular person.

To turn the client / the client in the "Prince" or "Princess" in practice means developing the ability to realize what happens to him, which implies the awareness of pure sensory sensations, the ability to see reality without distorting perception due to old injuries or fantasies about the future, as well as develop the ability to spontaneity, to choosing from a full palette of feelings, thoughts and ways of behavior of such a response to external worldwhich reflected the adequacy of the incentive, without seeming it.

Methods and techniques of transactional analysis

A distinctive feature Transactional analysis is a contract between the client and the therapist. Eric Bern under the contract meant exactly a certain and agreed treatment plan. James and Jongward in their book "Born winning" define a contract as "an agreement with himself and / or with someone else about change."

The use of the contract method involves the equality of the client and the therapist, which can be interpreted as follows: they both are aware of the goals of therapy, ways to achieve their goals and share responsibility for the course of therapy. Focusing for the purpose of change more than the problem itself allows you to send internal resources to its solution, and not just for diagnostics and study.

The theory of transactional analysis allows you to allocate such sections:

  • Analysis of the personality structure (structural models of the first and second orders, the functional model of ego-states);
  • Analysis of communications from the point of view of transactions (transactional analysis of communication, stroking, form structuring form);
  • Analysis of preferred games and racks as methods of confirmation of scenario beliefs;
  • Analysis of the client on the concept of scenarios (life positions, scenario messages, orders and solutions, type of scenario process, analysis of drivers).
Conducting therapy within the transactional analysis implies the use of generally accepted in psychological consulting The humanistic direction of the technician, for example, empathy (active hearing, when we invite the client to express our thoughts and feelings and, as it were, despanding with him, empithically reflecting and the content and emotions of the client, the unconditional positive adoption of the client, congruence, implying the response of the therapist without protection, manipulation and pretending) and confrontation as a valid challenge of the belief of the client or his passive behavior.

Transactional Analysis Areas

Due to its clear structure, clarity and transparency, transactional analysis was widely used in the clinical sphere, education, management psychology and organizations.

In the clinical sphere, transactional analysis is effective as a method of psychotherapy in the treatment of dependent patients. School of Kathexis Schiffov, applying a reparenting method based on transactional analysis, conduct successful therapy of mentally ill patients. Treatment is based on the idea that madness is the result of the action of destroying the identity of the messages of parental figures.


In education and organizations, a transaction analyst can act as a coach, working with the social interaction of participants in educational or production processes. The work focuses on the training of participants to effectively solve problems, and not the analysis of scenario processes of each of the members of the group.

Thus, the knowledge and use of transactional analysis allows you to understand and change yourself, our social behavior and interaction in different areas Life.

Bibliography.

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