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 Volume 5, Issue 3 (2025).

The article raises the issue of the relevance of working with the «father» figure in psychotherapy. By examining the role of the father at each stage of a child’s development, it highlights the areas where the father’s presence is particularly important. These include issues related to personal and social power, authority, the ability to assume various roles, especially for women, and creativity and the creation of new things. The article also discusses how the absence of a father in a child’s life can manifest itself in various aspects of adulthood. A particular focus is placed on the topic of «Soviet fatherhood» and the impact of an «absent» father on the formation of the Parental ego state.

The article examines the relationship between the life script and the concept of the “memory of the future” using the example of the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale “Clever Elsie.” It is shown that prospective thinking — that is, a person’s capacity to think about their own future — operates on two levels: explicit and implicit. It is their interaction that shapes future predictions and determines script-driven behavior. A content analysis of “Clever Elsie” revealed that the heroine’s fate is defined by catastrophic future images (flash-forwards) and early parental messages about the future (self-fulfilling prophecies), which reinforce a script of avoidance and lead to a loss of identity. The article discusses therapeutic strategies for working with unconscious future projections in various schools of Transactional Analysis, as well as the possibilities ofmodifying script beliefs through the construction of new narratives of the future.

This article explores the correlation and interdependence between psychotherapy, religion, and spiritual factors. The author reflects on whether spirituality and, moreover, religion play any role in psychotherapy. Is there still a place for spirituality in this profession? Or, on the contrary, is it even more deeply woven into the therapeutic process than we realize, and can a psychotherapist who perceives their work as a spiritual practice offer the greatest ways to help? The main focus is placed on Eric Berne’s concepts related to spirituality and their development in contemporary Transactional Analysis. The author continues this line of inquiry and attempts to compare therapeutic concepts of Transactional Analysis with the Orthodox anthropology of Eastern Christianity, aiming to approach the deep spiritual essence of the human being.

This article presents a review of speech patterns and structures that clients may use to communicate information about their difficulties to a counseling psychologist. The material presented in the article will help practicing psychologists focus on what and how the client speaks during the consultation, and use this information provided by the client to promote the therapeutic process. The article examines different authors’ views of a client’s speech. E. Berne, the founder of Transactional analysis, invites to identify the client’s script process through their speech, as well as recognize different levels of information received from the client (overt and covert). S. Freud describes the “breakthrough” of repressed impulses through the slips of the tongue.The article outlines various word groups and expressions that may be heard from the client in the dialogue: overgeneralizations – words that help individuals adapt by generalizing objects according to certain features; evaluative words, used to express the norms of various social groups; slips of the tongue and misspellings, through which one can hear “unconscious impulses repressed by the client”; obscene words, through which a person comes into contact with their Shadow; and aggressive verbs together with methods of confronting them.

The paper explores mythological and transactional–analytic scripts manifested in the life stories of outstanding athletes from different eras and sports disciplines. The author draws parallels between ancient plots — those of Heracles, Sisyphus, Tantalus, Arachne, and the Sword of Damocles — and the scripts described by Eric Berne in transactional analysis. The combination of mythological archetypes and the life trajectories of athletes demonstrates how a sports career can become a modern interpretation of ancient themes such as heroism, struggle, repetition, temptation, downfall, and the burden of fame. The analysis shows that at different stages of their careers, athletes may embody various archetypes; however, over time, one script becomes dominant and shapes the final narrative of their athletic destiny. Thus, sport is viewed not only as competition for medals but also as a space where universal mythological and psychological patterns of human existence are revealed.

This interview, conducted in the spring of 2025, features Felipe Garcia, a clinical transactional analyst, supervisor, and trainer with over 50 years of professional experience. He reflects on the development of his therapeutic approach, his visit to Saint-Petersburg in 1994, and the key concepts that have shaped his later work. The interview is followed by a concise overview of Garcia’s major publications, which have significantly influenced the humanistic and relational direction within Transactional Analysis, including works on reactivity, responsivity, forms of anger, cultural scripts of competition, and the model of healthy goodbyes and hellos. The material highlights the evolution of Garcia’s ideas and their relevance for contemporary therapeutic practice.

The article presents the results of the roundtable discussion “Transgenerational Trauma in the TA Community”. An action team of transactional-analytic psychologists discussed issues related to the content, stages, characteristics, and mechanisms of the professional transgenerational trauma development and transmission. Special attention was given to its connection with the life script of the founders of this psychology and psychotherapy field, as well as to the manifestations and repetitions of this trauma in the development of the contemporary TA community. Colleagues shared their feelings, thoughts, and existing experience related to the topics under discussion.

An interview with TA trainer Larisa Tyutenkova (Kazakhstan). In a conversation with the editor-in-chief of the «Transactional Analysis in Russia» journal, Larisa shares how she was introduced to psychology and Transactional analysis through colleagues who were already studying TA. Their stories inspired Larisa to master this modality. The interviewee also shares her recommendations on transitioning from employment to private practice: what steps should be followed to do this, and how to invite one’s Nurturing Parent to make the transition less daunting. From the interview, readers can learn about Larisa Tyutenkova’s first trainers in Transactional analysis, who of the foreign trainers came to teach in Kazakhstan, and what captivated Larisa about Rosemary Napper. Furthermore, students wishing to take the 101 and 202 courses will find it interesting to learn what and how they can study with Larisa Tyutenkova (CTA-P-ITAA, PTSTA-P-ITAA). A separate question addressed how to prepare for the CTA certification exam and how to organize one’s work so that the preparation does not stretch out over years.

A review by practicing psychologist Viktoriia Abdullaeva of the book by Kristen Lister-Ford “Transactional Analysis in Counseling and Psychotherapy,” in which the author shares her personal impressions of reading this book, which proved useful to her during the resumption of her practice after a long break. The reviewer highlights the clear structure, ease of reading, and abundance of practical tools offered in the book as exercises, and also shares exercises that became her foundation in working with clients.