In the European Tradition, Franco- German Cooperation Is Born Among Transactional Analysts by Dominique Vaquié-Quazza SCRIPT the vol. 41 no. 12 DECEMBER 2011 international transactional analysis association F in this issue 2012 Chennai Conference theme and Call for Proposals 3 update on the Transactional Analysis Journal 4 Renewing Your Membership is easy 6 experiences of healing Relationships 8 Change and Growth in transactional Analysis 10 in Memoriam: Fr. George Kandathil 12 ranco-German cooperation has two main goals: learning about transactional analysis beyond our own borders and using it as a way to bring together two different cultural communities. In 2007, IFAT, the French TA associa- tion, and DGTA, the German one, moti- vated by then DGTA President Matthias Sell, decided to get to know each other better. As a result, German colleagues have been present since 2007 in French national venues, and French people have taken part in German events. This year, 2011, was the second time French transactional analysts were invited to lead workshops at a German TA conference. Such encoun- ters have allowed us to cre- ate closer ties between transactional analysts in both countries. In 2010, at the Saarbruck Conference, the small group of French participants dis- covered an interest in ana- lyzing the evolution of transactional analysis from a historical perspective, as explained by Austrian pro- fessor Ingo Rath. One of us thought this could be of interest for our French col- leagues and decided to translate Professor Rath’s presentation for our French French group at the Passau DGTA Conference (from left): Jean-Pierre Quazza, Hélène Cadot, Dominique Vaquié-Quazza, Maria Janko, Agnès Le Guernic, Christian Devillers, Isabelle Jacquet. Kneeling: Anne Ziegler-Abécassis. journal, Actualités en Analyse Transac- tionnelle. Since then, the editors of the French and German journals have been working together more closely, letting each other know about articles of interest. In France, we were fairly well-informed about the Anglo-Saxon literature, because quite a few Transac- tional Analysis Journal articles have been translated and published in Actu- alités. But few articles had been trans- lated from German, so the new Fran- co-German cooperation is gradually creating a new sensitivity. It is a labor of patience because of the differences in language and institutional modali- ties and especially because it means
Transcript
In the European Tradition, Franco-
German Cooperation Is Born
Among Transactional Analysts
by Dominique Vaquié-Quazza
SCRIPTthe
vol. 41 no. 12
DECEMBER 2011
international transactional
analysis association
F
in this issue
2012 Chennai Conference
theme and Call for
Proposals
3
update on the Transactional
Analysis Journal
4
Renewing Your Membership
is easy
6
experiences of healing
Relationships
8
Change and Growth in
transactional Analysis
10
in Memoriam:
Fr. George Kandathil
12
ranco-German cooperation hastwo main goals: learning about
transactional analysis beyondour own borders and using it as a wayto bring together two different culturalcommunities.
In 2007, IFAT, the French TA associa-tion, and DGTA, the German one, moti-vated by then DGTA President MatthiasSell, decided to get to know each otherbetter. As a result, German colleagueshave been present since 2007 in Frenchnational venues, and French peoplehave taken part in German events. Thisyear, 2011, was the second time Frenchtransactional analysts were invited tolead workshops at a GermanTA conference. Such encoun-ters have allowed us to cre-ate closer ties betweentransactional analysts inboth countries.
In 2010, at the SaarbruckConference, the small groupof French participants dis-covered an interest in ana-lyzing the evolution oftransactional analysis froma historical perspective, asexplained by Austrian pro-fessor Ingo Rath. One of usthought this could be ofinterest for our French col-leagues and decided totranslate Professor Rath’spresentation for our French
French group at the Passau DGTA Conference(from left): Jean-Pierre Quazza, Hélène Cadot,
Dominique Vaquié-Quazza, Maria Janko, AgnèsLe Guernic, Christian Devillers, Isabelle Jacquet.
Kneeling: Anne Ziegler-Abécassis.
journal, Actualités en Analyse Transac-tionnelle. Since then, the editors of theFrench and German journals havebeen working together more closely,letting each other know about articlesof interest. In France, we were fairlywell-informed about the Anglo-Saxonliterature, because quite a few Transac-tional Analysis Journal articles havebeen translated and published in Actu-alités. But few articles had been trans-lated from German, so the new Fran-co-German cooperation is graduallycreating a new sensitivity. It is a laborof patience because of the differencesin language and institutional modali-ties and especially because it means
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leaving the comfort of one’s linguis-tic community, where we know andare known by everyone.
I personally decided to take chargeof this coming together, from theFrench side, because I am veryattached to Germany, having livedthere for quite a few years of myadult life. When I attend workshopsby German colleagues, I feel rightat home for several reasons. Thereis the TA frame of reference, theheritage from Berne, and also com-mon influences of the times, both interms of applications of TA in our
newsletter of the international transactionalAnalysis Association2843 Hopyard Rd., Suite 155Pleasanton, CA 94588, USAFax: 925-600-8112 email: [email protected] Website: www.itaa-net.org and www.itaaworld.org
Deadlines—12th of the month prior to themonth of publication (e.g., 12 December for the January issue).
Advertising: Twelfth page: $50; sixth page:$100; third page: $200; half page: $300; fullpage: $400. Publication of advertising in TheScript does not imply endorsement by thenewsletter, the editor, or the ITAA.
professional practices and newknowledge from related disciplines,such as modern psychoanalysis andneuroscience. At the same time, Idiscover ways of thinking and doingthings that surprise me and stimu-late my reflections.
The most recent German confer-ence, which a group of 12 Frenchpeople attended, took place from 13to 15 May 2011 in Passau, near theborder between Germany and Aus-tria. It was a feat in itself for manyof us to reach that distant part ofBavaria, but our efforts were wellrewarded as we discovered a pictur-esque little town, built on an island,surrounded by three rivers. Amongthe 12 French participants, sevenled workshops related to the theme“Living in Relation, Rela-tions in Life,” which is reallyat the heart of every field ofapplication of transactionalanalysis at this time. To us,it was also reminiscent ofthe relational TA movementas developed by CharlotteSills, Helena Hargaden, andothers.
The Passau conference alsoafforded me a surprisingexperience. As a psychotherapist, I haveobserved throughout mycareer how much the traumafrom the two world warsinfluenced the scripts ofsome of my patients. I hadthe privilege of attending
Dominique Vaquié-Quazza is a psychol-ogist and a Certified Transactional Ana-lyst (psychotherapy) who has a privatepractice in Nanterre, near Paris. She isalso the author of several articles pub-lished in the French transactional analy-sis journal Actualités en Analyse
Annette Wyler-Krisch’s workshop,during which she spoke of the samequestion seen from the German side.As the various participants sharedtheir experiences, I was able to get afeel for the suffering of the Germanpeople post World War II. Seeing thedescendants of the two enemy sidestalking so openly and intimately wasto me deep proof of the highlyhumanistic dimension of transaction-al analysis, proof of the trust we canbuild with the protective settings wecreate with our transactional culture.
And although we can and do studysuch serious topics, we also knowhow to party! In Passau, the party lit-erally “tinkled” when we were invit-ed on a tour boat entirely decoratedwith Swarovski crystal—amazingand sparkling beauty on the water!The French presenters were deeplytouched to be invited on such a fairy-tale ship and really appreciated thecare taken by DGTA’s new president,Henning Schulze.
Let us hope our cooperation willgrow increasingly solid and enablemore and more people to benefitfrom the riches of our exchanges.
Conference news
by Susan George
The universe is a panoramic stage.Life is God’s play: a divine sport ofpure joyousness, freedom, andspontaneity. “Leela” (from the San-skrit, meaning sport or play) ordivine play is a central doctrine inIndian philosophy. Although crea-tion is the outcome of the divineplay, it is not directed toward anygoal, and this “purposeless pur-pose” is a central attribute of Leela.
We are all players in this game oflife. We have our entrances andexits, and from the moment we areborn, we script our lives in waysthat become self-fulfilling prophe-cies. Trapped in our unconsciouslife plans, we lose connection withour core—the joyous spontaneousSelf of which we are but individuat-ed sparks.
Winnicott’s (1968) words reflectthis concept. He writes,
Psychotherapy takes place inthe overlap of two areas ofplaying, that of the patientand that of the therapist. Psy-chotherapy has to do with
two people playing together.The corollary of this is thatwhere playing is not possiblethen the work done by thetherapist is directed towardsbringing the patient from astate of not being able to playinto a state of being able toplay.
Taking this analogy further, everyone of our interactions, personal orprofessional, is “the overlap of twoareas of playing”—an opportunityto “end the struggle and dance withlife,” celebrating our uniqueness,learning from our mistakes, andregaining our real identity.
How can we alter our life’s journeyand reclaim our lost treasure byrewriting our scripts with aware-ness? How do we journey towardauthenticity and autonomy, realiz-ing that the journey is as importantas the destination; a purposelesspurpose in which joy is being andwe sing and dance through lifebecause that is the Way of the Soul?
We as players need to take fullresponsibility for learning, growing,and evolving as we play our roles aseducators, counselors, organiza-tional consultants/employees, ther-apists, parents, children, siblings,and so on.
So, let’s be with Life—Let’s Play! Life is a song . . . let’s sing itLife is a walk . . . let’s walk itLife is a discovery . . . let’s explore it
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International Transactional Analysis Association
Life is togetherness . . . let’s share it Life is a dance . . . let’s dance itLife is an opportunity . . . let’s use itLife is relationship . . . let’s be in itLife is a gift . . . let’s accept itLife is wellness . . . let’s feel itLife is here. Life is now.Life is . . .Life—Let’s play!
We hope you will think about howyou might design a conference pres-entation around these ideas andsubmit your proposal by 31 January2012 at www.itaaconference.com .
ReFeRenCeWinnicott, D.W. (1968). Playing: It’stheoritical status in the clinical situa-tion. International Journal of Psycho-Anaylsis, 49, 591-599.
8-11 August 2012
GRt Grand, Chennai, indiasponsored by itAA and sAAtA
hosted by Poornam – institute for holistic Development
Call: Susan @ +91 98401 23048 or Radha @ +91 98400 51715
International Transactional Analysis Conference
Susan George is ITAA Vice President ofDevelopment and one of the organizersof the 2012 ITAA Regional Conference inChennai, India. She can be reached [email protected] .
S
Journal entry
s the year 2011 draws to aclose, we are happy to
report a number of positive changestaking place with the TransactionalAnalysis Journal.
The first is that we are pleased toannounce that Ann Heathcote isreturning as a TAJ coeditor. Startingin 2012, she will be our fourth coedi-tor. Ann is returning after an hiatusof a couple of years (although shestayed involved to complete workon the July-October 2010 specialEric Berne centenary issue). We arevery happy to have her back!
We are also expanding the numberof reviewers on the editorial board.For the first time, several reviewerswhose terms were expiring at years’end asked to stay on for anotherthree-year term. Their offers havebeen happily accepted by the edi-tors, as it often takes nearly 3 yearsfor reviewers to come fully up tospeed (reviewing and editing areskills with a steep learning curve).We are delighted to have experi-enced reviewers offering theirexpertise for a longer period of time.
Both of these changes are efforts tokeep up with the increasing work-load, which often takes the coedi-
While it is a stimulating and excitingformat, it requires significantlymore editorial time and attention,which is another reason we decidedto enlarge the coeditorial team andthe editorial board.
It is a mark of the success of theJournal that we receive a steady flowof new submissions. It is also amark of success that more than halfof the articles now come fromauthors for whom English is a sec-ond (or third) language. This, too,places enormous demands upon theeditorial process. The expansion ofthe editorial team is one steptoward keeping up with theseincreasing demands.
The other important step in the evo-lution of the TAJ and in our efforts tomaintain high editorial standards is amajor revision of the submission andreview requirements and process.These are now posted on the ITAAwebsite and will be sent to eachauthor upon receipt of a new manu-script submission. In this Script arti-cle, we want to provide some contextfor these new guidelines.
After a meeting of the editorial boardmembers during the 2010 Montrealconference, we made significant revi-
tors past their limits of free timeand good humor.
Another exciting development isthat we have instituted a new for-mat, which you will see in the April2011 special issue devoted toethics, edited by Sue Eusden andBill Cornell. We invited discussantpapers to several articles as a wayto represent more accurately theperspectives of our different fieldsof practice and cultures within ourmembership. Feedback on this lat-est issue and its format has beenvery positive, so we will be experi-menting with it in future issues.
Update on the Transactional AnalysisJournal
by Bill Cornell, Birgitta Heiller, and Jo Stuthridge
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“It is a mark of the success of the
Journal that we receive a steady
flow of new submissions. It is also a
mark of success that more than half
of the articles now come from
authors for whom English is a
second (or third) language.”
Bill Cornell, Birgitta Heiller, and JoStuthridge are the coeditors of theTransactional Analysis Journal. Com-ments on this article may be sent to BillCornell at [email protected] .
The Transactional Analysis Journal iscommitted to representing all fieldsof transactional analysis practiceand all models of transactionalanalysis theory. We believe that thisnew process will continue toimprove the quality of articles forour readers. We are committed tomaintaining a lively and engagingjournal that informs professionalsboth within and outside of the trans-actional analysis communitiesworldwide.
step 2. One of the four coeditorswill review the paper for clarity andreadability. If the paper is a transla-tion into English, the quality of thetranslation will also be considered.The editor may return the manu-script for changes to improve itsreadability or may send it out to twoanonymous peer reviewers.
step 3. The reviewers will send theircomments back to the coeditoroverseeing that particular manu-script. The coeditor synthesizes thecomments, suggestions, and cri-tiques of the reviewers and sendsthe manuscript back to the authorfor revision in keeping with the edi-torial reviews. Virtually all papersrequire some rewriting at this stage.If the author(s), for whatever rea-son, chooses not to undertake therevisions, the paper will not beaccepted for publication.
step 4. When the coeditor receivesthe revised manuscript, it is sent onto Robin Fryer, who will do a finalcopyedit to prepare the paper forpublication. The author(s) canexpect to get a final set of proofswith further questions and editorialdetails for attention in this last step.
sions to the guidelines for the edito-rial review criteria and process.These changes have been enthusi-astically received by authors andreviewers alike. We have also beensoliciting feedback from bothauthors and reviewers about manu-script preparation itself. This is anarea in which the TAJ has beenrather lax, often accepting manu-scripts for review that other journalswould have turned down as notbeing ready. This has increased theburden on the editors and reviewersand created frustration for authors,who have sometimes had to wait fartoo long to receive feedback on theirsubmissions. We have taken thispast year to develop a new processand craft a document that outlinesthe requirements clearly. The newsubmission and review requirementsare a step “toward integrity, crafts-manship, and grace,” to use thewords of Eric Berne. They are also aneffort to guide authors much morecarefully through the review andediting procedures.
There will now be four steps in theeditorial process required for everymanuscript.
step 1. Managing Editor Robin Fryerwill receive the manuscript electron-ically and check to make sure itincludes a cover letter with contactinformation, a short biographicalstatement, and a release statement;that the manuscript is consistentwith APA Manual style, includingabstract, references, and quota-tions; and that it meets the criteriafor word length and other essentialdetails (all outlined in the require-ments posted on the ITAA website).The paper will be returned to theauthor(s), who are responsible formaking sure that the manuscriptmeets all the initial requirements. Ifnot, the paper will not be consideredfor review.
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Not getting your TAJ?
We have had reports that some membershave not been receiving their TAJs in themail. We are taking this matter very seri-ously and are investigating the mailingprocess to see if we can determine whythis is happening. Unfortunately, therehave also been production delays thisyear as well, but the April issue should bein members’ hands by now and the Julyand October issues will follow shortly. Ifyou have not yet received your Aprilissue, please let us know by emailingJanet Chin at [email protected] . Weare working hard to get the TAJ back onschedule and to resolve the problemswith mail delivery.
The Eric Berne Memorial Scientific Award Material
taught by Pamela Levin, TSTATen Hours TA Certification Credit Available
10 one-hour-a-week classes via Webcast — Learn on your schedule
The Training Program about How to Thrive in the Emotional Landscape of Life
Early-bird registration open — register now through 2 January and save 25%
Your early-bird discount includes valuable preparatory articleshttp://www.emotionaldevelopment101.com
his is the time of year whenwe look forward to you
renewing your membership in theITAA. Doing so will make you partof a worldwide community of trans-actional analysts at an excitingstage in our history. Having comethrough major restructuring andpreparations for the age of theInternet, 2012 looks likely to be awonderful year for us.
By now (or soon) you should havereceived your renewal notice. Ournew website at www.itaaworld.orgmakes it easy to renew online. Justclick on http://itaaworld.org/index.php/membership-a-services/membership-registration to renewonline before your membershipends on 31 December 2011. You canalso renew your membership offlineby downloading the registrationform at http://itaaworld.org/index.php/membership-a-services/offline-registration. (If you haveany questions, please contact KenFogleman at [email protected]).
By anyone’s estimate, interest intransactional analysis has held upwell over the last 50 years and isstill going strong. There are nowprofessionally qualified transac-tional analysts in four differentfields of application holding posi-tions of authority and influence in
n A responsive group of board oftrustees and executive commit-tee members who will gladlyanswer your inquiries (contactdetails on the website)
n An independently constitutedTraining and Certification Coun-cil that will help with mattersrelating to accreditation in trans-actional analysis (link via themain ITAA website and click on“Qualify”)
As the organization that Eric Bernefounded, the ITAA has a unique his-tory and responsibility. We make itour continuing mission to representthe whole range of transactionalanalysis theory and application andto carry the global perspective. Wedo not endorse any particular theo-retical slant within transactionalanalysis or any particular style ofapplication. We hold true to thehumanistic value that all people areof equal inherent worth because allare OK. We promote only the kind ofpsychology that is congruent withthat ethical position.
If you are interested in psychologicalwork at any level and want to play apart in promoting a sense of OKnessin all people in the world, thenplease renew your membership andmove with us into the New Year of2012. We look forward to sharing ourcontinuing journey with you.
many walks of life and many coun-tries. There are flourishing trainingprograms, internationally recog-nized examinations, and countlessinitiatives all over the world thatowe their inspiration to transac-tional analysis. This is a great lega-cy, and we can be justly proud ofthe part the ITAA has played in it.
Now we are a smaller associationand a brother/sister organization tomany other TA organizations. Thishas brought changes, and we areglad to embrace them. The ITAAnow operates as a scholarly com-munity and a networking organiza-tion. We communicate through thefollowing channels:
n A monthly online members’newsletter, The Script
n A quarterly scholarly journal,The Transactional Analysis Journal
n An interactive members’ website(www.itaaworld.org) offeringaccess to a wide range of studymaterial, including video, audio,and printed materials (in continu-ing development)
n An annual conference: In 2012this will be in Chennai, India, 8-11 August
n A members’ Internet discussionforum with a link on the ITAAwebsite
In Appreciation and GratitudeIt is with great humility that I acknowledge my deepest grati-tude to John Heath, President of the ITAA, for traveling so farfrom his home in England to the USATAA Conference in SanAntonio, Texas, and presenting me with a check in appreciationfor my many years of service to the ITAA.
I wish to express my words of gratitude also to all those mem-bers who graciously and generously participated in the Ken-neth C. Fogleman Appreciation Fund, which was motioned bya member of the ITAA Board of Trustees in Bilbao, Spain. I was totally overwhelmed on hearing that I was invited to attend theUSATAA conference to accept this most generous award. I shall be forevergrateful for your appreciation and you shall be in my heart and thoughts formany years to come. The ITAA office doors may be closed, but the doors tomy heart remain open. I can still be reached at [email protected] . If I canassist you in any way, please contact me.
—Kenneth C. Fogleman, Pleasanton, California, U.S.A.
Invitation to Bid on Hosting ITAA International ConferencesThe ITAA Executive Committee and Board of Trustees are looking for trans-actional analysis associations to work with us on planning, organizing, andpresenting the following conferences:
n The ITAA International Regional Conference in 2013, which is to be heldin any part of the world outside of Europe (the EATA conference will beheld in Europe on similar dates)
n The Transactional Analysis World Conference in 2014, which ITAA willhold in conjunction with EATA and AATA (formerly WPATA). This is amajor transactional analysis event, and it is very prestigious to host aworld conference. It can be held in Europe or outside Europe as long as itis in close proximity for a large number of European delegates.
ITAA conferences normally take place during the first week of August. We arecontacting all transactional analysis organizations to ask you to consider sub-mitting a bid to host either of these conferences on behalf of your country.
For your offers and any questions, please contact Vladimir Goussakovski,ITAA Vice President of Operations, at [email protected] until 29 February 2012.
of attending the USATAA conference inOctober in San Antonio, Texas. It was awonderful event, and my attendancethere achieved all I had hoped for. Theconference theme was “Healing Rela-tionships Everywhere.”
My main reason for going was to honorKen Fogleman. He has now retiredfrom full-time service after 38 yearswith the ITAA. I wanted to make a for-mal presentation to him in a context inwhich there would be a celebratoryatmosphere and a groundswell ofaffection for Ken. A small party in hishometown near San Francisco mighthave been fun, but it would not havebeen like at a conference where thereare friends from all over the place andmembers who know the name but notnecessarily the man. San Antonio wasthe obvious choice in terms of timingand was a golden opportunity not to bemissed. The organizers were reallygood to us and gave us a prime slot atthe USATAA awards luncheon. It wasmy privilege to deliver some words ofthanks to Ken and to present him witha check for just over $3000 represent-ing monies collected exclusively bymember donation since we launchedthe fund in Bilbao in July. That’s aremarkable sum to have achieved giventhat we are spread all around the worldand were not in a position to go andshake a collection tin under people’snoses as a gentle reminder. Thank youto all those members who contributed.You have helped us give Ken the kind ofstroke he deserved.
versation with Lucy Freedman aboutthe relationship between our twoorganizations and the future of transac-tional analysis, including training. Lucytook the role of interviewer, and thatleft me with the real luxury of occupy-ing the position of honored guest. Lucywas a skilled and generous interviewer.She made it easy for me to tell our UScolleagues more about the ITAA’s posi-tion as a networking organization. It’snot been easy to rebrand ourselves asnetworkers, especially in the UnitedStates, where the ITAA was seen bysome as an empire-building organiza-tion based in America but more inter-ested in its influence overseas than athome. There is no doubt that the Ameri-can transactional analysis scene hassuffered because of that. Eric Berne’sgrandiosity in calling his infant organi-zation “international” because it had amember (or maybe two) in Canada hasbeen widely acknowledged. As currentpresident, I was able to say that I wishhe hadn’t done that. I wish he hadstarted an American organization firstand then helped to build an interna-tional one when there was anothernational organization with which tocooperate. That would have given us a
Ken joined the staff ofthe ITAA in 1973. Hewas in his twenties andby all accounts had ahuge “Afro” haircut inthe fashion of the day.The hair apparently hasbeen through severaltransformations sincethen, including a ratherdramatic blonde phase, I was told.Over the years he worked with 19 of the21 presidents that the ITAA has had,missing only Eric Berne himself andDavid Kupfer. This man knows moreinside secrets than the FBI, and I’mpleased to report that I wasn’t able topersuade him to part with a single oneof them. He is the soul of discretion andthe very embodiment of modest loyal-ty. I was extremely touched to wavegood-bye to Ken on your behalf. Wewill not see his like again.
Ken gave a gracious speech, for whichhe received a standing ovation. Heacknowledged the major importancethat the ITAA has played in his life.Clearly it is not an easy step to give upbeing at the center of such a uniqueorganization, and Ken was open in say-ing how much he still misses all of that.His partner Tom, though, made itequally clear that he is enthusiasticallyretired and has plans to coach Ken inthe art of having time to kick back andenjoy life. I wish them both well. Theywere delightful company and great fun.I’m sure they’ll keep the San Franciscoarea rocking for many years to come.
The main formal part I played in theconference was to join in a plenary con-
Experiences of Healing Relationships
by John Heath
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John
applauds
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history that is congruent with our mis-sion now. But you can’t change history,and who knows, perhaps transactionalanalysis would not have flourished atall in the radical mood of the 1960swithout that slightly outrageous confi-dence of the self-appointed pioneer.
It does seem to me that transactionalanalysis does very well in situations inwhich it has a sense of pioneering zeal.I am thoroughly enjoying teaching TA,for instance, in Romania. This is a coun-try with a very repressive history. Psy-chology was banned as a subject ofstudy at university until after the over-throw of the communist regime in1989. That is only slightly more than 20years ago. Except in these last 2decades, there has been no tradition inliving memory of people being free tobe interested in their inner life. Such aninterest is still rather a brave declara-tion in Romania and, of course, intoxi-catingly exciting for those who find it.In Romania transactional analysis isflourishing, like one of those hardy andprolific plants that take over a newpiece of waste ground. Those plantstend to dominate for a few seasons andthen give way to slower growing andmore diverse species. In Romania weare enjoying the first growth spurt of anew life form taking hold in a new habi-tat. It will change. Others will arriveand want some of the ground we are so
Transactional Analysis Association andthat the use of the word “international”may have arisen out of the samegrandiosity that Berne himself was notable to resist in 1964. I must admit tosome worries about the effect of all ofthat on the perceptions of our variousTA associations, and Charlotte and Ihad a conversation about it afterward.She is an engaging and open-mindedperson and everything we could want ina TA professional. Naturally, it was anexcellent conversation. We ended upbeing mutually curious about wherethis would all lead and, of course, wedon’t really know. Chaos theory tells usthat in complex systems that areresponsive but not centrally organized,a butterfly can flap its wings on one sideof the globe and a tempest can be trig-gered on the other. When that unlikelyevent happens, it is probably mostimportant to remember that the butter-fly didn’t plan it that way. It’s just lifedoing its thing.
As well as the formal meetings in SanAntonio, I had numerous informal ones.I was greeted and welcomed withrespect and interest by everyone Ispoke to and, as well as being a delight-ful personal experience, this is also tes-timony to our deep goodwill for eachother and our desire to progress ourparticular form of psychological theoryand practice.
I came away from the USATAA confer-ence having had great fun, an interest-ing experience, and with a renewedenergy and faith in the capacity oftransactional analysis to heal relation-ships everywhere. That’s the bull’s-eyeimpact of TA at its best.
far enjoying to ourselves. It is alreadyhappening, in fact. My call to action inRomania is that we should welcomethem and let transactional analysis takeits place among them. The truth, afterall, is never going to be expressed in itsmost profound form in a monoculture.
The contrast between the situations inRomania and the United States couldnot be greater. In the latter, interest inthe inner life abounds in multiple anddiverse forms. The right of the individ-ual to life, liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness is held to be self-evidentlyworthwhile. Transactional analysis is upagainst tough competition and mustshow itself to be fit for purpose. My callto action to my American friends is tofind those people who want their psy-chology to have soul as well as empiri-cal validity. For me, the soul of TAcomes from our ethical position on theOKness of all people and our emphasison awareness, spontaneity, and intima-cy as the direction of growth or cure. Ithink this is what makes our communi-ties vibrant and powerful. There is noth-ing so far emerging as empirically validin modern psychotherapy, for instance,that we cannot deliver in TA. And wecan deliver it with the soul that comesfrom a true respect for and appreciationof the importance of subjective experi-ence. Interestingly, subjectivity is thevery thing that was excluded fromempirical psychology in its struggle forrecognition as a respectable scientificdiscipline. It can be our mission to put itback, and to do that we need to find thepeople who want to help us. Those peo-ple do exist. They are there in the Unit-ed States, but they just don’t know yetthat transactional analysis is what theyare looking for.
Charlotte Sills gave a beautiful keynotespeech to open the USATAA confer-ence. Her knowledge of the healingpower of relationship is profound andconvincing. She also spoke franklyabout her views on the emergence ofthe International Association of Rela-tional Transactional Analysis (IARTA),of which she is a founder member. Sheadmitted that this is confusingly closein nomenclature to the International
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John Heath is ITAA President. He can bereached at [email protected] .
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John Heath answers question posed by Lucy
Freedman in USATAA Conference talks.
Charlotte
Sills gives
keynote in
San Antonio
Thanks to DianneMaki and LucyFreedman for thephotos from SanAntonio
Perspective
he following excerpts are from Richard Erskine’s opening
address to the World TA Conference inBilbao, Spain, on 7 July 2011.
“Growing up is hard to do. No one evertells you that growing up is hard to do.But, growing up is hard to do.”
These words are from the 1965 teen-age pop song by Ginger and the Snaps.It is an intriguing song because thelyrics capture what each of us has feltat various times in our life: growing upis hard to do!
To grow, to change what is familiar, isindeed “hard to do.” It is an uncom-fortable process because we may loseour reliance on the behaviors, habits,and/or relationships that have oftenbecome second nature to us. Oldbehavioral patterns and habits, evenold relationships, provide a psychologi-cal structure that gives meaning, conti-nuity, and predictability to our lives.Humans struggle to maintain a senseof psychological structure. We strive tohave an idea of what is going to hap-pen in the future.
Eric Berne (1963) called these cravingsand strivings structure hunger andreferred to them as a “psychologicalneed” (p. 221) involved in how we
reaction that counteracts pressures tochange (Wolman, 1973). Homeostasisis the opposite of change and growth; itis a continuing balancing to maintainequilibrium. Growth and change is achallenge because human beings arepulled by two opposing forces: home-ostasis and physis.
Physis is a Greek word that describesthe source of our internal thrust forhealth and growth, the urge to dosomething different and novel, theaspiration to be fully ourselves and tohave choice about our own destiny. It isbecause of physis that education andpsychotherapy are possible, and it isbecause of homeostasis that educationand psychotherapy are necessary. With-out homeostasis we would constantlybe expanding, changing, and growingbeyond our capacity to maintain equi-librium. Without physis we would staywith the familiar, maintain old patterns,or even stagnate.
The challenge to growth—the chal-lenge faced by transactional analysisprofessionals working in the fields ofpsychotherapy, counseling, education,and organizational development—liesin our capacity to help our clients andstudents balance the twin forces ofphysis and homeostasis. This challengerequires that we, in our human resourcework, account for two opposing internalforces: On the one hand, we need torespect the unique way our clients andstudents make sense of their worlds,how they organize their experience,
organize our perception of experiences(Berne, 1972). He also identified twoother “particular needs” (Berne, 1966,p. 230): stimulus hunger and relationshiphunger. These three hungers or psycho-logical needs constitute a transactionalanalysis theory of motivation (Erskine,1998). These nonconscious hungersare the motivations determining physi-ological, affective, cognitive, andbehavioral responses to all of life’s situ-ations.
Berne (1964) wrote that the uniquefunction of structure hunger is toestablish equilibrium (p. 18). We craveequilibrium, stability, continuity, andpredictability. Therefore, change is“hard to do.” It is a challenge to relin-quish our personal perspectives,frames of reference, or script beliefsbecause these mental structures main-tain psychological equilibrium.
These psychological structures providethe sense of equilibrium that biologistsrefer to as homeostasis. Homeostasis isa biological and physiological principlethat describes the tendency of a livingorganism to maintain equilibrium andstability. One way to understand home-ostasis is to appreciate the delicate bal-ance required in riding a bicycle: Whengravity pulls the bicycle too much toone side, the person balances by shift-ing weight to the other. Homeostasisinvolves a balancing of the organism, areturn to the familiar. When forces inthe external environment stimulatechange too quickly, there is an innate
Change and Growth in Transactional Analysis
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how they manage to stabilize them-selves, and how their behavior mayseem to be the best choice possible in agiven situation, and on the other, weneed to foster their vitality, spontane-ity, creativity, and aspirations.
Change has been an important and cen-tral word in transactional analysis:“What do you want to change?” “Howwill you and others know you havechanged?” When I was first attracted toTA in 1969, it was because the thera-peutic focus was on both understandingoneself and on the opportunity tochange old attitudes, behavior patterns,and life scripts. Indeed, my transaction-al analysis psychotherapy in workshopswith David Kupfer supported the chang-
ing of my former behaviors of shynessand passivity into a new life position ofbeing responsible for my own feelingsand interactions with others. However,when I see and hear transactionalanalysis being practiced, I wonder if toomuch attention is paid to overt changeand not enough to the person’s uniqueway of making meaning, attempts atself-regulation, and history of interac-tions with others.
I have been impressed by Arnold Beiss-er’s (1971) paradoxical theory of change.The theory states that psychologicalgrowth occurs when we, and others,appreciate who we are. A person willnot truly grow if coerced or pushed,even if that coercion is from oneself.Many people who come to therapyinsist on changing some behavior orrelationship pattern. They want tobecome different than they are. Whenpushed to change, even if it is from one-self, we resist. That resistance is a non-conscious urge to maintain homeostasisand equilibrium. Paradoxically, if the
This important experience of self-expres-sion has influenced both my professionaland personal life. I practice, write about,and teach the importance of knowingour clients’ or students’ phenomenologi-cal experience prior to making explana-tions or interpretations or engaging inbehavioral or attitudinal change. I fre-quently say to myself, “I know nothingabout this other person’s experience.”Therefore, I must inquire over time tolearn and really know what it is like tolive his or her life.
When we truly understand the otherperson, perhaps we will not be investedin having him or her change but willinstead validate and appreciate him orher as he or she is. This is what CarlRogers (1951) meant with the conceptof unconditional positive regard. Our gen-uine interest in the other people, valu-ing them for who they are, and our con-tinued inquiry into their phenomeno-logical experience is the highest form ofwhat Claude Steiner (1974) calls astroke. This is the application of ourtransactional analysis philosophy of“I’m OK, You’re OK.”ReFeRenCes
Beisser, A. (1971). The paradoxical theory ofchange. In J. Fagan & I. L. Shepherd (Eds.),Gestalt therapy now: Theory, techniques, appli-cations (pp. 77-80). New York, NY: Harper &Row.
Berne, E. (1963). The structure and dynamicsof organizations and groups. New York, NY:Grove Press.
other person is interested in our phe-nomenological experience, sensitive toour affect, and respects how we copewith life’s situations, then he or she fos-ters our own desire to grow.
The practice of transactional analysismay be much more effective in foster-ing psychological growth if we makethe students’ or clients’ phenomeno-logical experiences and relationalneeds central in the working relation-ship. We foster psychological growthwhen we understand and demonstrateappreciation of our students’ or clients’various affects, styles of attachment,ways of making meaning, potential forshame, and personal aspirations—their way of being in the world.
I would like to share a story about mypersonal reaction to a demand forchange and the resulting psychologicalgrowth that I experienced. My experi-ence was not a homeostatic reactionlike those that Beisser describes in theparadoxical theory of change; it wasthe opposite: It provided a suddenimpetus to grow. When I was in themidst of my training as a clinical Teach-ing and Supervising Transactional Ana-lyst, I attended a training workshop.The leader used a lot of behavioral con-frontation (confrontation was promi-nent in TA practice then). He confront-ed me on some behavior (I do notremember what it was). I was hurt andshamed. I could feel myself coweringinside and becoming ready to adapt.Then, a unique feeling of positive ener-gy surged within me. I surprised every-one in the group and myself when Ijumped up and shouted, “Don’t try tochange me until you know me!” As Isat down I turned to the women nextto me and said, “And if he really knewme, he might not want to change me.”
My jumping up and shouting somethingso bold was a great moment of psycho-logical growth for me, a far more impor-tant change than mere behavior thegroup leader was requiring. I stood upfor my own integrity. I expressed myown experience. I was being fully myselfrather than cowering or adapting. It wasa self-actualizing experience that hasstayed with me all these years.
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Richard G. Erskine, PhD, has beeninvolved in transactional analysis as aclinician, trainer, and supervisor for 4decades. He has twice been a corecipientof the Eric Berne Memorial Scientific andMemorial Awards for his contributions tothe theory and practice of TA. He recent-ly received the European TransactionalAnalysis Association’s Gold Medal foroutstanding service to the TA communi-ty. He may be reached by email [email protected] . The full textof this speech entitled “The Challengesof Change and Growth” can be found atwww.IntegrativePsychotheapy.com .
“Without homeostasis we would
constantly be expanding, changing,
and growing beyond our capacity
to maintain equilibrium. Without
physis we would stay with the
familiar, maintain old patterns,
or even stagnate.”
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tion of transactional analysis con-cepts there, and some of thosetrainees were accredited with ITAAand went on to start centers for TAstudies elsewhere in India. Theycontinue even now to do the goodwork initiated by Fr. George.
Fr. George, who held a doctorate inphilosophy, was also an expert intheology. Unique in his thoughts andbehavior, he was attracted to thethen booming transactional analysismovement and received trainingfrom the first generation of transac-tional analysis experts. Simple in hislifestyle, consistent in his approach,loving toward flora and fauna, helived the life of a good Christian.Being a philosopher and creativethinker, he contributed to the devel-opment of transactional analysisconcepts in India, including with hispet theory about “Triol-ogy,” an application ofTA within a develop-mental framework.
On completing hisworldly assignments,Fr. George left uspeacefully. The transac-tional analysis commu-nity in South India bidhim a tearful “adieu,”and he was laid to restat the Jesuit cemeteryin Calicut, Kerala, India,on 8 November 2011.
Condolences may be sent to www.ictaindia.org .
Fr. George Kan-dathil, SJ, thefounder-directorof the Institute forCounselling andTransactionalAnalysis (ICTA) in
Kochi, and known in the transac-tional analysis community as the“Father of Transactional Analysis inIndia,” passed away on 7 Novem-ber 2011. He was a Teaching andSupervising Transactional Analyst(psychotherapy). He was 91 andhealthy but death silently snatchedhim away while he was sleeping.
Fr. George was born into the well-known Kandathil family in Kerala.After his studies he joined the Jesuitorder of Catholic priests and wasordained in 1954. Being a promis-ing intellect, the Jesuit communitysent him to the United States forfurther studies. There he became“wedded” to transactional analysisand remained a “loyal partner” toTA for more than 4 decades. Duringthat time he helped thousands ofpeople in India to live in peace andgood relationships.
Among his activities, he built apanoramic center called the Insti-tute for Counselling and Transac-tional Analysis, or ICTA, to househis “partner” in India (at Kochi). Itwas his friend and mentor MurielJames who laid the foundationstone for the building. Many West-ern transactional analysis expertshave visited ICTA. Thousands ofpeople were trained in the applica-
in Memoriam
Father George Kandathil
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Berne, E. (1964). Games people play: The psy-chology of human relationships. New York, NY:Grove Press.
Berne, E. (1966). Principles of group treatment.New York, NY: Grove Press.
Berne, E. (1972). What do you say after you sayhello? The psychology of human destiny. NewYork, NY: Grove Press.
Erskine, R. G. (1998). The therapeutic rela-tionship: Integrating motivation and person-ality theories. Transactional Analysis Journal,28, 132-142.
Ginger & the Snaps. (1965). Growing up ishard to do. MGM 13413.wmv
Rogers, C. (1951). Client centered therapy.Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Steiner,C. (1974). Scripts people live: Transac-tional analysis of life scripts. New York, NY:Grove Press.
Wolman, B. (1973). Dictionary of behavioralscience. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Rein-hold.
Call for Volunteers
We urgently need your help to breathe new life into the following ITAA committees:
the conference committee has the inspiring task oforganizing the 2012 Chennai Conference together withour colleagues from the South Asian Association ofTransactional Analysts (SAATA). The conferences for2013 and 2014 are also coming up, and initial prepara-tions will begin once sites have been selected.
the membership coordinating committee has animportant task, especially now that the ITAA office hasclosed. Help our members to feel connected.
the scholarship grant fund committee has not beenactive in the last few years. We need to reinvigorate itbecause our members need this kind of help.
For all offers and questions, contact ITAA VP of OperationsVladimir Goussakovski at [email protected] .
