Transactional analysis is commonly known as TA to those who are related with the fields of psychology and psychotherapy. Transactional analysis involves the elements of psychoanalytic, cognitive, and humanist approaches to the theory of psychology.
It was developed by Eric Berne – a Canadian-born psychiatrist who later moved to US. The TA theory was developed by Berne in the late 50s.
Transactional analysis is a theory of personality, theory of communication between human beings, and a theory for child development. In short, we can say that TA offers a theory about personality and systematic communication (hence ‘transaction’) between two or more individuals.
The philosophy behind transactional analysis is that each person is important and thus there should be equality of respect between them; each individual (except those who have severely damaged brains) is capable of thinking; and each individual decides his own life story and hence can change the decisions.
Berne’s transactional analysis offers a systematic model for communication between your ‘self’ and the other’s ‘self’ based on the principal that your ‘self’ and the other’s ‘self’ has the capability to think and that there is equality of respect between yourself and the other person’s self.
Berne’s transactional analysis is model of human beings and their relationship with each other. The model states that we have three ego-states in our personality and these three states converse with each other (hence ‘transactions’). The theory classifies each conversation between two people as transaction.
When two people communicate with each other, they are making transactions. A number of our problems arise from unsuccessful transactions. These transactions can be done with your own self and with others. Berne’s model says that the most successful transactions happen between two people who think on the same level and have the capacity to listen each other.
Transactional analysis is one of the most popular theories of psychotherapy. In addition to a systematic communication model, it also offers a good understanding of relationship between ‘myself’, ‘yourself’, and the ‘other’s self’.