The Transactional Analysis 101 Introductory Course is a 2 day course. It incorporates the following key concepts enabling you to learn and begin to understand the framework of personality and psychology that makes us tick.
Understand how we express our personality in terms of behaving by learning about ego-states. When we are dealing with an adult who is behaving like a child, we sometimes find ourselves wishing they would “grow-up”. Transactional Analysis gives us a picture psychologically and to do this, it uses a three-part model known as the ego-state model. Transactional Analysis is a theory of personality.
Study the significance of recognition to our well-being. When we transact, we give each other recognition. That recognition, whether it is negative or positive is called a stroke. Have you ever received a compliment on something you’re wearing, only to respond with “Ah, this old thing” or feel the need to return the compliment, or even thought to yourself “Wonder what they want”. Strokes fulfil our need for stimulus and form a critical part of how we develop.
Distinguish the many ways we unknowingly sabotage our own potency in certain circumstances. There are times when we feel completely disempowered to do something about a situation. It can range from an employee being late regularly for work due to a family situation to wanting to prevent dangerous behaviour in a teenager. Discounting refers to the ways we have learnt not to value ourselves or others in certain circumstances. One way this is done is to ignore the significance of an event or relationship.
Discover the clues to the 5 drivers that indicate in a small time frame, the larger picture of the life script we have written for ourselves. Under stress, we may have a pattern of constantly being irritated by someone being slow to move when we are in a hurry. At another time, we may not finish something because, in our eyes, it is not good enough. These drivers have been formed by decisions we made early on in life.
Learn the analysis of transactions using the ego-state model to further understand communication – when and why it works and when and why it doesn’t. Sometimes, we feel like we are on the same wavelength as another person we are talking to and at other times, we feel like we are talking at crossed purposes. Transactional Analysis is also a theory of communication.
Identify the ways in which we structure time when we transact in pairs or groups and how it affects our behaviour. We can list and analyse the 6 ways of managing our time when we transact with others. For some of us this ranges from wanting to be on the outskirts of a group, to being the life of a party, to attracting the “wrong” partner again and again to being completely satisfied with one aspect of our lives. How we use our time fulfils our need for structure.
Recognise repetitive and unhelpful behaviours and transactions that end in unexpected or uncomfortable feelings. Sometimes we try to help someone by giving advice only to be met with rebuttals and then an explosion or complete rejection at the end of it. Games in Transactional Analysis refer to those subconscious psychological transactions we have with others that end up with a dynamic shift and unexpected or uncomfortable feelings.
Uncover the decisions made early in our life that became an unconscious life pattern affecting us now both professionally and personally. Our own personal stories could be that of the overworked social worker, the business professional who is unable to delegate and carries the load of the whole department, the parent who tries to be everything to everybody. We started writing our life story the moment we were born. It was further reinforced as we grew older and we polished it up with our behaviour and reactions to others.
