Vol 6, No 3 (2026)

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, № 3 (2026).

This article examines the phenomenon of suicidal flash-forwards – intrusive mental images of a future suicide – as a key yet insufficiently recognized factor in suicide risk. Drawing on research by Emily A. Holmes and her colleagues, the article demonstrates that mental imagery has a stronger emotional impact than verbal thoughts and may increase readiness to engage in suicidal action by creating a subjectively experienced “reality of the future”. The article integrates findings from cognitive psychology with concepts from Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology and transactional analysis, including Robert and Mary Goulding’s ideas on depressive scripts and early decisions, as well as present-day contemporary critique in the works of Tony White. Suicidal flash-forwards are conceptualized as image-bearing expressions of script impasses associated with experiences of helplessness, protest, loss of control, and inability to establish an alternative way of relating to another person. Particular attention is given to the clinical implications, including the need for systematic assessment of suicidal imagery, its role in diagnostic assessment, as well as options for psychotherapeutic work. The article also considers a study evaluating the effectiveness of a cognitive dual-task add-on module involving eye movements, used alongside standard treatment in patients with depressive symptoms and suicidal intrusions. It is concluded that working with mental imagery should be regarded as a central component of suicide prevention, as it offers a means of targeting the mechanisms underlying the transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal action.

This article provides an overview of the research programme conducted by Joel Vos and Biljana van Rijn to establish an evidence base for transactional analysis psychotherapy. Over several years, the researchers systematically reviewed the existing transactional analysis research literature, evaluated psychometric instruments, surveyed practising professionals, and synthesised the findings of clinical studies. This work resulted in the development of an evidence-based conceptual model of transactional analysis psychotherapy, the identification of core therapeutic competencies, and the creation of a structured manual for short-term TA therapy for depression. Particular attention is given to the findings of meta-analysis of clinical studies, which demonstrated the effectiveness of transactional analysis in reducing depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, as well as in improving clients’ quality of life and social functioning. The article discusses the significance of these findings for the further development of scientific research and professional training, as well as for strengthening the standing of transactional analysis within the contemporary psychotherapeutic community.

This article presents an analytical review of the clinical and theoretical ideas for which Edward T. Novak was honored with the Eric Berne Memorial Award. These ideas are set out in two of his publications devoted to secret garden work and informed physical contact. The review draws on 13 works by Novak published between 2008 and 2025, as well as on publications by colleagues who have further developed and critically examined his approach. The article explores how Novak transforms the metaphor of the secret garden into a model for working with traumatic, preverbal, embodied, and dissociated experience. Particular attention is paid to the therapist’s personal and professional readiness, the conditions under which the therapeutic frame may be modified, therapeutic intimacy, and physical contact. Professional response helps clarify how Novak’s ideas unfold within the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, in which past experience reemerges in the interaction between client and therapist, shapes the nature of their connection, and may lead to dependency and boundary violations. The article demonstrates that Novak’s central contribution lies in developing a clinical language that makes it possible to evaluate therapeutic interventions in terms of their function and their implications for client autonomy. Progressive change is associated with an increased sense of agency, a greater capacity for self-regulation, and the ability to integrate new experiences into everyday life.

This article examines the relationship between life positions, conflict-handling strategies, and individual life scripts within the framework of transactional analysis. The author compares the five conflict-handling strategies identified by the K. Thomas instrument (competing, accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, and compromising) with the four basic life positions and their corresponding script types: winner, toiler, banal, and loser. Particular attention is paid to the “toiler” script, which is associated with the competing strategy and an increased risk of professional burnout due to excessive control and high energy expenditure. The article shows that data obtained using the Thomas instrument are valuable not only for individual assessment but also for organizational diagnosis: each strategy is examined as a transactional model and a characteristic pattern of information flow within a team. An empirical study of employees at an institution is presented, revealing predominance of avoiding behavior and a low level of competing behavior which is interpreted as indicators of suppressed anger and an authoritarian leadership style. In conclusion, the author proposes extending the classical model by adding a third axis of OKness – attitude toward the world – and outlines additional strategies (of expectation and control), illustrating them with an everyday example involving an apple.

The panel interview is devoted to the discussion of the scientific status of transactional analysis in Russia and the prospects for its development as a research tradition. The participants consider the criteria of a scientific article, the role of methodology, evidence base, validation of instruments, and professional writing. The focus is on key concepts of transactional analysis: life script, ego states, transactions, personality adaptations, racket and authentic feelings. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to systematize Russian studies, develop diagnostic instruments, and strengthen the connection between clinical practice, theory, and empirical data.

The article examines the development of Transactional Analysis in Italy and the formation of professional links with the Russian-speaking community. The first part provides a detailed analysis of the early stages of institutionalization, including the dissemination of the ideas of Eric Berne, the creation of training programs, the establishment of AIAT, the development of professional associations and schools, as well as the role of the journal Neopsiche in shaping a shared professional and intellectual space. Particular attention is paid to the contributions of Carlo Moiso, Michele Novellino, Maria Teresa Romanini, and Pio Scilligo, as well as to the analysis of the relationship between institutionalization, theoretical differentiation, and international professional integration.

The second part analyzes the main channels of professional exchange, including training, supervision, translation, publications, and stable forms of collegial interaction. It is shown that the influence of the Italian school was reflected not only in the transmission of key concepts (transference, countertransference, supervision), but also in the dissemination of a specific relational and pedagogical style of professional training.

The article concludes that the Italian TA tradition played a significant role in the development of the Russian-speaking professional community, and that the process of knowledge transfer took the form of a multi-level dialogue involving adaptation, reinterpretation, and the co-construction of new practices.

The article commemorates Dmitry Dmitrievich Kasyanov (1 November 1956 – 10 July 2026), a translator, psychologist, publisher, and one of the pioneers in the development of transactional analysis in Russia. It describes his work with the first training groups, international trainers, professional texts, and organizations. The article draws on published interviews, colleagues’ recollections, and accounts of the earliest seminars, the establishment of SITA, and the activities of the Metanoia publishing house. Particular attention is paid to Kasyanov’s translation of “TA Today”, performed at a time when professional literature circulated in typewritten copies. The article analyzes his contribution to the development of Russian-language terminology and the creation of shared professional language for the training and practice of Russian professionals. The article focuses on the ways in which the new theory entered the Russian professional community: interpreting during seminars, typewritten texts, discussing terminology, and engaging in collaborative organizational work. Colleagues’ recollections illuminate his work as an organizer, interpreter, publisher, and member of the professional community. The article traces how the meetings, books, translations, and organizational initiatives of Dmitry Kasyanov created conditions for the development of transactional analysis in Russia and became part of the collective memory of Russian practitioners.

This review of Karen Pratt’s book Transactional Analysis Coaching: Distinctive Features examines a new conceptual approach proposed by the author. Coaches are invited to use transactional analysis as the primary framework for understanding personality, life script, and behavioral patterns, and to apply coaching tools within this system rather than adding TA as an additional layer to coaching. The reviewer highlights the book’s strong practical orientation, including vivid examples of transactions, ready-to-use wording for contracting, and analyses of dialogues illustrating how a coach may unconsciously shift into a Parent position. Particular attention is given to the value of the section on script analysis and to the “script triangle” technique, which enables practitioners to identify unconscious obstacles gently, without shifting into therapy. The book is noted for its concise and accessible presentation, as well as its extensive use of diagrams and tables, which make it a ready-to-use guide for practitioners. The reviewer also shares her personal experience, noting that the book helped her formulate TA ideas more succinctly for professional social media. Although working with acute emotional states is not among the book’s aims, it is nevertheless regarded as a valuable resource for psychologists, coaches, and other helping professionals.

This article reviews the VI MIR-TA Student Conference on transactional analysis. The conference program was devoted to exploring how people maintain contact with themselves and others as their perceptions of the future, forms of communication, relationship with the body, and experiences of intimacy change, while the past continues to influence the present. Autonomy emerged as the central theme of the conference – the capacity to recognize one’s needs and feelings, distinguish between internal voices, maintain contact with oneself and others, and choose the next step. Transactional analysis concepts helped interpret the content of the presentations into clinical questions, refine working hypotheses, and determine the therapeutic focus. The review demonstrates the conference’s significance for psychotherapy, training, and professional development and emphasizes the need to consider the client’s request and the boundaries of the practitioner’s professional competence.