Ja sam još uvek OK, ti si još uvek OK / I'm still OK, you're still OK

Sto godina od rođenja Erika Berna, osnivača transakcione analize

Ja sam još uvek OK, ti si još uvek OK

Progonilac, Žrtva i Spasilac, Ego stanja, Roditelji-Odrasli-Dete, životni skript i reketiranje samo su neki od pojmova koje mnogi ljudi koriste ne znajući da potiču iz transakcione analize. Danas, ceo vek nakon rođenja osnivača ove uticajne psihološke teorije i dalje raste interesovanje za njene koncepte, jer ljudi i dalje žele da se emocionalno opismene, da bolje žive i razumeju sebe i druge, a ovaj razumljivi pristup to obezbeđuje onima koji su spremni da zavire u sebe



Piše MILENA STOŠIĆ (milena.stosic@wavemagazine.net)




Erik Lenard Bernštaj (1910-1970) mogao bi da bude čovek koji je promenio ime u 33. godini života u Erik Bern. Mogao bi da bude psihijatar koji je krenuo stopama psihoanalize. Mogao bi da bude i triput razveden. Tragač za intimnošću. Mogao bi da bude dete koje koje je izgubilo oca u jedanaestoj. Mogao bi da bude i samo crno-bela slika uz tekst. Ali, MOGAO bi da bude i pionir izgradnje značajnih ideja o međuljudskim odnosima i načinima njihovog unapređenja, kao preduslova jednog kvalitetnijeg i autentičnog života.

Erik Bern svakako je najpoznatiji kao osnivač transakcione analize, gde reč transakcija predstavlja osnovnu jedinicu komunikacije između ljudi. Pedesetih godina prošlog veka Bern je predstavio danas jednu od najpoznatijih ideja transakcione analize, koncept - Ja sam ok, ti si ok. Nakon objavljivanja knjige "Koju igru igraš" (Games people play) 1964. godine, Bern postaje poznat širokoj javnosti, a knjiga svetski bestseler, ostavši aktuelna i decenijama kasnije.

- Jedinica društvenog odnosa naziva se transakcija. Ukoliko se dvoje ili više ljudi sretne... pre ili kasnije neko od njih će progovoriti, ili nekim gestom pokazati da registruje prisustvo onog drugog. To se naziva transakcioni nadražaj (stimulus). Druga osoba će potom reći ili uraditi nešto što je na neki način povezano sa tim stimulusom, a što se naziva transakcionalni odgovor - navodi Bern u ovoj knjizi.

U Bernovoj interpretaciji Igre ne nose nimalo pozitivan predznak. On definiše Igre kao "seriju skrivenih, međusobno komplementarnih transakcija, koja se razvija do jasno definisanog, predvidljivog ishoda". To je serija interakcija između ljudi koje su naizgled uverljive, ali koje sadrže neku vrstu skrivenog motiva. Igre koje je opisao nose jako karakteristična imena poput "Da, ali", "Drvena noga", "Šutni me", "Sad te imam, kučkin sine" itd. Zapravo, kompletan jezik transakcione analize osmišljen je na način koji je pristupačan svima, a ne samo profesionalcima koji se bave ovim pristupom.

Kako navodi Toni Vajt, učitelj i mentor transakcione analize, u svom članku iz 2002 - "Transakciona analiza - Ko, gde i šta" ("Transactional Analysis - What, Where and Who"), Bern se zalagao za prava pacijenata. To podrazumeva da je pacijent koji je na lečenju podjednako važan i odgovoran kao i doktor.

Prema mišljenju transakcionog analitičara Boba Avarija, jedan od najbitnijih Bernovih radova je onaj u kojem je napisao da je "transakciona analiza prvenstveno studija o stanjima ega", za razliku od Frojdove studije o "Idu, Egu i Super egu".

- Bernu se nije sviđao koncept "dugoročne terapije"; njegov cilj bio je da pronađe i primeni "lek" već tokom prve seanse - objašnjava on za WAVE magazine.

On je razvio TA (transakcionu analizu) kao metod "lečenja" svojih klijenata. Opisao je "lek" kao razvijanje intimnosti, autonomije svesti i spontanosti.

Nije samo za psihologe

Filozofija TA je da su ljudi OK i da svi imaju kapacitet da misle i prave izbor.

- Meni se dopada TA zbog svog veoma praktičnog pristupa razumevanju ljudskog ponašanja i odnosa. Ona nastavlja da se razvija i raste zbog ovih ideja - kaže Bob Avari.

- Već sam radio kao poslovni savetnik kada sam prvi put pročitao knjigu "Koju igru igraš" još 1970, mislim. Školovao sam se za računovođu, a TA pristup mi se toliko svideo da sam počeo trogodišnii program obuke kako bih postao "ovlašćeni" terapeut - objašnjava on.

Transakciona analiza, prema njegovim rečima, može biti od koristi i menadžerima i može zaista unaprediti rad i profit.

- TA im pomaže da prepoznaju različite igre koje zaposleni možda igraju, pomaže im da smanje broj igara koje oni sami možda igraju sa drugim zaposlenima, da nađu produktivnije načine da se izbore sa lošom radnom etikom i da privuku i zadrže kvalitetnije radnike.

Dakle, pored primene u savetovanju i terapiji ova teorija ima široku primenu i u organizacijskom i korporativnom kontekstu, kao i u pedagoško - andragoškoj oblasti.

Ono što je takođe vredno pomenuti, a što dokazuje i primer našeg sagovornika Boba Avarija je da transakciona analiza nije rezervisana samo i isključivo za psihologe, psihijatre i doktore. I to ne važi samo za Srbiju, gde još uvek ne postoji zvanična zakonska odrednica o ovom i sličnim pitanjima.

- Pitanje kvalifikovanosti i obavljanja terapeutske prakse veoma je delikatno i na njega, po mom mišljenju, nema jasnog odgovora. U Australiji svako može da obavlja praksu terapeuta ili savetnika - potvrđuje poznati australijski psihoterapeut i učitelj i mentor za transakcionu analizu Toni Vajt za WAVE magazine.

- Postoji nekoliko terapeuta sa veoma visokim kvalifikacijama na koje ne bih uputio ni svog psa, koliko su loši. Da se borim sa depresijom i čujem da postoji neko ko mi može pomoći, ne bi me interesovalo da li je kvalifikovan ili ne, samo bih želeo da se osećam bolje. Verujem da bi većina ljudi slično postupila - objašnjava on.

Budućnost

Procenjuje se da TA danas ima oko 10.000 sledbenika širom sveta, a broj ljudi koji su u ulozi klijenta ili su u nekom drugom kontekstu došli u dodir sa njom je nepregledan. Koristi se u praksi za lični razvoj, kao i za rešavanje širokog spektra životnih problema i poremećaja. Obično se navodi da se ovim pristupom uspešno prevazilaze depresija, anksioznost, panični poremećaj, fobije, kao i sijaset svakodnevnih teškoća u međuljudskim odnosima, ali praksa pokazuje da se TA tehnikama može dopreti čak i do psihotičnih bolesnika.

Kako se navodi u jednoj recenziji: TA može biti od koristi nekim pacijentima jer naglašava jednakost između pacijenta i lekara, ne odobrava stereotipnu podelu uloga među polovima i obeshrabruje mentalitet žrtve, naglašavajući pacijentovu posvećenost u procesu lečenja. Ipak, može se smatrati isuviše intelektualnom, bez preteranog izliva emocija koji mnogi ljudi očekuju od terapije.

U svakom slučaju, činjenica je da se mnoštvo ljudi pronašlo u baš ovom pristupu, ali i da naravno, od pojedinca zavisi koji će pristup i terapeuta odabrati u skladu sa svojom ličnošću i potrebama.

- Verujem da će TA nastaviti da se razvija i raste zbog svojih praktičnih i raznovrsnih primena - zaključuje Bob Avari, a možemo samo pretpostaviti da bi se i Bern složio.


Linkovi:

http://bobavary.com/
http://serbian-translations.vox.com/ - prevodi Toni Vajta na srpski
http://www.ynot1.com.au/ - web strana Toni Vajta
http://www.itaa-net.org/
http://www.ericberne.com/



(Objavljeno: 15.06.2010. u Wave magazinu)

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Century after the birth of Eric Berne, founder of transactional analysis

I'm still OK, you're still OK

The pursuer, rescuer and the victim, Ego State, Parent-Adult-Child, life script and racketeering, to name a few, are terms many people regularly use not knowing they stem from transactional analysis. Today, the whole century after the birth of this influential psychological theory founder, the interest in its concepts is still growing, since people are still eager to become emotionally literate and live better lives understanding themselves and those around them. This user-friendly approach enables this to those who are ready to look inside their souls


By MILENA STOŠIĆ (milena.stosic@wavemagazine.net)



Eric Lennard Bernstei (1910-1970) could be a man who changed his name to Eric Berne when he was 33. He could be a psychiatrist who followed in the footsteps of psychoanalysis. He could also be a three-time divorcee. A pursuer of intimacy. He could be a child who lost its father at the age of 11. He could be a mere black and white photo accompanying an article. But, he COULD also be a pioneer in creating important concepts about interpersonal relationships and ways of their improvement, as a prerequisite for a quality and authentic life.

Eric Berne is certainly best known as the founder of transactional analysis - the word transaction here representing the basic unit of communication between individuals. In the 1950s Berne presented one of today's best known ideas of transactional analysis - a concept entitled "I am OK, you are OK". After publishing the book "Games people play" in 1964, which became a global best-seller and is still relevant, decades after, Berne gained worldwide recognition.

- The unit of social intercourse is called a transaction. If two or more people encounter each other... sooner or later one of them will speak, or give some other indication of acknowledging the presence of the others. This is called transactional stimulus. Another person will then say or do something which is in some way related to the stimulus, and that is called the transactional response - says Berne in his book.

Games, in Berne's view, do not bear a positive connotation. He defines such games as "an ongoing series of complementary ulterior transactions progressing to a well-defined, predictable outcome". They are a series of interactions between people that are superficially plausible, but contain some kind of hidden motive. The games he described are peculiarly entitled - "Yes, but", "Wooden leg", "Kick me", "I've got you, you son of a bitch" etc. Actually, the whole language of transactional analysis is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to everyone, not only professionals dealing with the matter.

As Tony White, Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (TSTA), points out in his article "Transactional Analysis - What, Where and Who" (2002), Berne 'campaigned' for patient power. What this meant was that the patient in treatment is just as important and responsible as the doctor.

Bob Avary, a transactional analyst, thinks that one of the most important of Berne's works, is where he wrote, "Transactional Analysis is essentially the study of ego states", as opposed to the study of the "Id, Ego, Super Ego" as studied by Freud and others.

- Berne disliked the idea of "long term" therapy; his goal was to find and administer a "cure" in one session - he explains for the WAVE magazine.

He developed TA as a method of 'curing' clients. He described cure as developing intimacy, awareness autonomy and spontaneity.

Not only for psychologists

The philosophy of TA is that people are OK and everyone has the capacity to think and make choices.

- I like TA because of its very practical approach to understanding human behavior and relationships. It continues to grow because of these ideas - says Bob Avary.

- I was already a practicing 'Management Consultant' when I first read the book "Games People Play" back in 1970, I think. I had an accounting background and I liked the TA approach so well, I began a three year training program to become 'Certified' - he explains.

Transactional analysis, in his words, can be useful even to the executives; it can really boost the work and profit.

- TA helps them to recognize the various games employees may play, helps them to reduce the various games they may play with their employees, helps them to find more productive ways to deal with poor behavior, helps them to improve their "stroking" relationships and to attract and retain the better employees.

Basically, apart from its counseling and therapeutic application, this theory has a broad specter of application even within organizational and corporate contexts, as well as in the field of pedagogy and andragogy.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that transactional analysis is not reserved exclusively for psychologists, psychiatrists and medical doctors, as we can see in the example of Bob Avary, our interviewee. This does not apply to Serbia, where there is still no official legal regulation regarding this and similar issues.

- The question of qualifications and practicing as a therapist is a very vexed one, to which, in my view, there is not a clear answer. In Australia anyone can practice as a therapist or counselor, a well-known Australian psychotherapist and teacher and supervisor of transactional analysis - Tony White confirms for the WAVE magazine.

- There are some very highly qualified therapists who I would not refer my dog to, as they are that bad. If I had depression and heard of someone who was good at helping then I would not care if they are qualified or not, I would just want to feel better. I think most others would do the same - he explains.

The future

It is estimated that TA today has around 10,000 followers around the world, while the number of people who, at some point, were clients or got in touch with it in some other context, is incalculable. It is practically used for personal development, as well as for solving a wide variety of life problems and disorders. It is usually stated that using this approach one successfully overcomes depression, anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, as well as dozens of everyday troubles regarding interpersonal relationships; however, the practice shows that TA methods can even get through to psychotic patients.

As stated in one revision: TA can be helpful for some patients in that it emphasizes equality between therapist and patient, discouraging prejudicial sex roles, and it de-emphasizes the victim mentality, stressing the patient's commitment to the work. However, it can be considered too intellectual, without much of the emotional outpouring than many want and expect from therapy.

At any rate, it is a fact that lots of people have found exactly this approach to be the most helpful, as well as, of course, that it is up to an individual to decide which approach or therapist to choose, in accordance with their personality and needs.

- I see the continued growth of TA because of its practical and diversified applications - concludes Bob Avary, and we could only guess that Berne would agree as well.


Links:

http://bobavary.com/
http://serbian-translations.vox.com/ - Tony White's translations into Serbian
http://www.ynot1.com.au/ - Tony White's webpage
http://www.itaa-net.org/
http://www.ericberne.com/



(Published: 12.06.2010. in Wave magazine)