Why Transactional Analysis?

I’m sure we’ve all wondered at times on questions like: ‘how come interactions with that person at work always end badly?’, ‘why can’t I get my point across to that person?’. And more importantly: ‘how can I change those things?’ or ‘how can I speak to that person in a way they can hear me?’

These are all questions that find answers in Transactional Analysis (TA). This is a set of models and theories that describe how people communicate, the ways we behave in the world and the patterns of behaviours we can get stuck in at times. TA is also rooted in the idea that we can change those difficulties, to live easier, more fulfilling lives.

TA was originally designed to be accessible to all. The key concepts are described in everyday language and the basic theories are deceptively simple. You can pick up the fundamentals of a theory of communication in 5 or 10 minutes. More importantly, you can also put that concept into practice straight away. The concepts are so easily applicable that we can start to apply them to ourselves, use them to make sense of our day-to-day situations, and make positive changes immediately.

On the other hand, there is a great depth in the theory, so that it can be used to shine a light on complex situations such as trauma or conflict, to guide ways forward. The theory is used not only in psychotherapy and counselling, but also in teaching and education, and in working with organisations to improve their ways of working.

At the Iron Mill, we run three TA courses suitable for people from any background. The TA101 is a 2-day course that covers key concepts of TA in our daily lives, allowing people to think about and apply the theory to themselves. Having learnt that much, many people are keen to progress on to the Certificate course. This lasts 1 year, and expands on and adds to the TA101, looking at many TA models, how they fit into our everyday experiences, and how we can use those insights to make changes in our lives. Following that, our 3-year Advanced course focusses on training to work with people as a psychotherapist.

Students at all levels of this training report that they are learning and using models and theories that make a difference to their lives, and those around them. Graduates of our advanced course have an extremely good record of finding work in the field of psychotherapy. Just as importantly, the training groups link students up with like-minded people who are a supportive community – some of them friends for life.

Karen Minikin 

TA Course Lead

UKCP-Registered Psychotherapist