Transactional Analysis

Although, my foundational counselling approach is Person-Centred Therapy, along with influences from other counselling approaches I have received training in, I have chosen to apply Transactional Analysis (TA) as the foundation of my clinical thinking. I find TA is beneficial to people who want to create transformation in their lives. TA is a theory of personality; therefore it describes how people are structured psychologically. It has become known widely for the clarity and understanding that is gained from the unique feature of this approach; the ego-state model (Parent-Adult-Child) model. This model helps to understand, and explains how people function, and express their personality in their behaviours, from both positive and negative aspects.

TA is beneficial to my practice as it is a relational approach that believes people are ok. This approach supports personal growth through personal responsibility and equality. TA holds the view that everyone has the capacity to think, therefore people create their own destiny. It facilities challenging limiting early life decisions which leads to new understandings which in turn, informs new decision making, resulting in changes occurring and new possibilities.

I am currently working towards to my certification as a Transactional Analysis Therapist, in the field of psychotherapy. I am in my fourth year of training with the New Zealand Transactional Analysis, Training Institute Christchurch, NZTAA.

Curiosity lead me to attend the 2014 World TA Conference "TA Now! A Game Changer" held in San Francisco, CA, in August, where I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the global TA communities that came together in friendship to share research and knowledge. To further extend my knowledge I attended many of the workshops offered at the conference, I also took the opportunity to attend ITAA post conference trainings:

"How Can We Change Transgenerational Scripts?" with Gloria Noriega, PhD, TSTA, Mexico.

"The Drama Triangle, the Compassion Triangle and Game-free Intimacy" with Stephen B. Karpman, MD, TSTA. San Francisco, USA.

For additional information on Transactional Analysis visit NZTAA www.nztaa.org.nz Or ITAA www.itaaworld.org