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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="review-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">Transactional Analysis in Russia</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Transactional Analysis in Russia</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Транзактный Анализ в России</trans-title></trans-title-group><trans-title-group xml:lang="zh"><trans-title>俄罗斯的交易分析</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="electronic">2782-4349</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">International Institute of Developmental Transactional Analysis</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">713986</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.56478/taruj20266222-27</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>Scientific point of view</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>Языком науки</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Review Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Psychological Games and Relational Impasse in a Couple Relationship. Case Study</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Психологические игры и отношенческий тупик в отношениях в паре. Описание клиентского случая</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1592-8373</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Kim</surname><given-names>Natalya A.</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Ким</surname><given-names>Наталья Авроровна</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="KZ">Kazakhstan</country></address><bio xml:lang="en"><p>CTA Candidate, Psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice, Member of TADO, EATA, and ITAA</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>кандидат на звание СТА, частнопрактикующий психолог-психотерапевт, член ОРТА, EATA и ITAA</p></bio><email>nata.kim.ps@gmail.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff id="aff1"><institution></institution></aff><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2026-06-30" publication-format="electronic"><day>30</day><month>06</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>6</volume><issue>2</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en"/><issue-title xml:lang="ru"/><fpage>22</fpage><lpage>27</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2026-06-30"><day>30</day><month>06</month><year>2026</year></date><date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2026-06-30"><day>30</day><month>06</month><year>2026</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2026, International Institute of Developmental Transactional Analysis</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2026, Международный Институт Развивающего Транзактного Анализа</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">International Institute of Developmental Transactional Analysis</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Международный Институт Развивающего Транзактного Анализа</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://ta-journal.ru/TAR/article/view/713986">https://ta-journal.ru/TAR/article/view/713986</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>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.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>Статья посвящена актуальной и сложной в диагностическом плане теме — дифференциации психологической игры и отношенческого тупика в парадигме транзактного анализа. Ключевым тезисом является то, что при психологической игре аутентичные потребности не осознаются и через психологическую игру человек подтверждает сценарий жизни, тогда как при тупике потребность уже осознается, но удовлетворяется старыми, неадаптивными способами, создавая внутреннее и межличностное напряжение. В статье представлена сравнительная таблица, которая может служить удобным инструментом как для обучения, так и для супервизионной практики. Автор попытался как теоретически разграничить обсуждаемые понятия, так и проиллюстрировать их динамику на материале длительной терапевтической практики, представив детальный разбор клиентского случая. Теоретические основы работы обращены к таким авторам, как Берн, Гулдинги, Эрскин, Меллор, а также к более современным разработкам Хемлина.</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>game</kwd><kwd>impasse</kwd><kwd>relational impasse</kwd><kwd>script</kwd><kwd>early decisions</kwd><kwd>relational unit</kwd><kwd>redecision</kwd><kwd>new decision</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>игра</kwd><kwd>тупик</kwd><kwd>отношенческий тупик</kwd><kwd>сценарий</kwd><kwd>ранние решения</kwd><kwd>отношенческий союз</kwd><kwd>перерешение</kwd><kwd>новое решение</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><mixed-citation>Берн, Э. (2013). Групповая психотерапия и транзактный анализ. 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