Transactional Analysis in Russia

An introductory note from the editor-in-chief of the ”Transactional Analysis in Russia journal”. The article also provides an overview of the contents of Vol. 6, № 2 (2026).

The article examines the specific features of experiencing an existential impasse in clients with oncological diseases within Transactional analysis framework. An existential impasse is defined as a state in which the capacity to integrate the experience of one’s own existence is disrupted and which is subjectively perceived as the impossibility of making a choice without loss.

Drawing on observations from psychotherapeutic work, the existential impasse is described as a phenomenon of experience, structural basis of which can be correlated with a third-degree impasse, associated with the preverbal level of psychological functioning and the interaction of early levels of ego states (P0 and C0). It is shown that this state is accompanied by pronounced somatic-affective tension and limited availability of the experience for reflective meaning-making.

Typical script mechanisms are described, including drivers and injunctions, which may be understood as manifestations of first- and second-degree impasses and as factors maintaining the underlying conflict (Mellor, 1980).

Based on psychotherapeutic material analysis, mechanisms are identified that alleviate the experience of the existential impasse, linked to changes in ego state functioning and the restoration of integration across levels of experience. The article also proposes directions for psychotherapeutic work with this client group.

The article is devoted to a highly relevant and diagnostically challenging topic — the differentiation between psychological games and relational impasses within the theory of Transactional Analysis. The key thesis is that in a psychological game, authentic needs remain outside awareness, and through the game the person reinforces their life script; whereas in an impasse, the need is already recognized, but is still being met through old, maladaptive patterns, thereby creating intrapsychic and interpersonal tension. The article presents a comparative table that may serve as a practical tool both for educational purposes and for supervisory practice. The author attempts to theoretically distinguish the concepts under discussion and to illustrate the dynamics through material from a detailed analysis of a clinical case. The theoretical foundations of the work are based on the theories by Eric Berne, Bob and Mary Goulding, Richard Erskine, Ken Mellor, as well as more contemporary developments by Torsten Hemlin.

This article explores the topic of sexuality in psychotherapy and transactional analysis. The material is based on a seminar by Simona Ramella Paia, TSTA-P, psychotherapist, sexologist, and legal psychology expert. Sexuality is described as part of the life script and as an area where cultural messages, injunctions, permissions, therapeutic relationship, embodiment, pleasure, intimacy, and shame intersect. Particular attention is given to the therapist’s sexual script, erotic transference, and professional ability to speak about sexuality without pathologizing, avoidance, or moralizing. The author emphasizes that working with sexuality requires theoretical training, personal work, supervisions support, and a clear ethical position on the part of the therapist.

In this essay, I reflect on the figure of Eric Berne not only as the founder of transactional analysis, but also as a person whose history may have influenced the purpose and development of this approach. Through reflections on the choice of therapeutic method, the experience of belonging, and the search for “one’s own,” I aim to consider transactional analysis not only as a method or a theory, but also to explore the possibility that Berne may have, perhaps unconsciously, encoded a message within the very term “transactional analysis.” If so, what might this message be? This article represents an attempt to see lived experience behind theoretical concepts, the human need for connection behind therapeutic methods, and personal history behind professional choices. I refer to this work as an essay, as it does not claim to present definitive conclusions, but rather invites dialogue within the Russian transactional analysis community. How do practitioners experience and understand their place within the professional field? And is there sufficient presence of the Adult ego state to support meaningful dialogue among professionals? I suggest that, for those who follow Berne’s work, it is particularly important to maintain the capacity to remain in contact with oneself and with others. This text reflects on why this capacity may be both challenging and essential.

The article examines the passive-aggressive adaptation from the perspective of transactional analysis as a defense mechanism rather than conscious manipulation. It describes the behavioral markers, ego states, games, and drivers of Playful Resisters, offers examples from films, and provides recommendations for psychologists on interacting with such clients.

This interview took place as part of a warm and engaging conversation with Jennifer (Jennie) McNamara, one of the key international trainers who contributed to the emergence of transactional analysis in Russia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the course of the dialogue, she generously shared her professional journey, her experience as a trainer, and her personal perspective on how the Russian TA community developed during the period of her frequent visits to Russia. Jennie conducted training programmes in several Russian cities, including Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Ryazan, Rostov-on-Don and Kislovodsk. It was important for us to speak with her both as a highly experienced professional and as a trainer who had a significant influence on the development of transactional analysis in Russia. In this interview, she also reflects on her work with Petruska Clarkson, her training with Claude Steiner, and her collaboration with Christine Lister-Ford. Jennie McNamara was among the first trainers to introduce a structured approach to transactional analysis in Russia, which contributed to its more systematic development in the years that followed. The interview also explores questions of the transmission of knowledge and professional experience within the TA community, including the notion of transgenerational script, as well as the characteristics of the British school of TA and its possible influence on the development of transactional analysis in Russia.

In this interview, Pamela Levin reflects on her personal and professional journey in transactional analysis, beginning with the period of her training with Eric Berne. From 1966 to 1970, she attended his seminars in San Francisco. In the conversation, Pamela shares her recollections of how some of the fundamental ideas of transactional analysis were formed. The historical context of the development of transactional analysis in the United States in the 1960s, as described by Levin, allows the reader to gain a deeper sense of the atmosphere of that time. Pamela Levin also participated in editing Eric Berne’s book Sex in Human Loving, and her professional development was shaped by such teachers and leading figures in transactional analysis as Eric Berne, Claude Steiner, Stephen Karpman, Jack Dusay, and others. The interview addresses issues of psychological development, including the concept of Cycles of Power, as well as the role of interpersonal and social (extrapsychic) factors. The interview also touches on contemporary trends and challenges in the development of transactional analysis, including its shift toward an intrapsychic orientation. Thus, the material combines a historical perspective with a contemporary view on the development of transactional analysis and the community of transactional analysts in Russia and worldwide.

В рецензии рассматривается книга Марины Соковниной «Терапия перерешения в развитии. Новые подходы к терапии Нового Решения». Отмечается системность и практическая направленность изложения, подробный анализ феноменологии чувств; вычленяются отдельные фрагменты, которые, по мнению автора рецензии, являются эффективными практическими находками и сильными лексическими интервенциями в работе психотерапевта. Подчеркивается ценность предложенных в книге техник и упражнений, включая методику работы «со снежками».

The review presents analysis of the publications featured in Issue 2, 2026, of the Transactional Analysis Journal, reflecting key directions in the development of contemporary transactional analysis. The issue addresses topics such as preserving depth of contact in the context of digitalization, maintaining tolerance for differences, and rethinking professional legacy. The review discusses articles addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on psychotherapy, the role of intuition, the transgenerational legacy of Eric Berne, and an empirical study examining the influence of transactional analysis on the development of more open-minded and reality-based thinking. Particular attention is given to practical domains, including dream work and transgenerational trauma. The issue demonstrates that contemporary transactional analysis is moving toward a relational, interdisciplinary, and culturally sensitive approach, extending its practical application beyond the boundaries of classical psychotherapy. Overall, the volume reflects a transition from a relatively closed theoretical system toward an open dialogue with other disciplines and emphasizes the significance of embodied experience, subjectivity, and historical context in understanding psychological development.