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Keri Phillips - An Obituary – June 2023

The author introduces a psychological game named TAMED – the TA Myth of Explanatory Depth, which she suggests provides an explanation of unhealthy dynamics occurring within transactional analysis membership and professional associations. She illustrates this with four case examples based on personal experiences. She also provides an overview of TA theory about psychological games, the bystander role, the various roles within the drama triangle and extensions of it, and the potency pyramid. She provides a selection of materials by TA and non-TA authors to support the premise that such games are more to do with organisational and group processes than the script of the individual who is seen as the cause of the conflict. The article concludes with some initial thoughts about how TA organisational diagrams need amending to reflect the structure and dynamics of professional associations.

Editor’s Note The following is reproduced here, with permission of the UK Council for Psychotherapy and their collaborators, because it makes interesting and generally applicable points about research methodologies. The references are: UKCP (2019) https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/NICE-Depression-coalition-position-statement.pdf accessed 16 October 2019 UKCP (2019) https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.psychotherapyresearch.org/resource/resmgr/docs/downloads/StakeholderPositionStatement.pdf accessed 16 October 2019

Produced originally as the content for an opening speech and associated workshop at the ITAA/SAATA Conference in Kochi, India in August 2018, the following contains a review of theoretical contributions from authors based in India between 1993 and 2018. In particular, the wide-ranging contributions of Os Summerton and Pearl Drego are described, along with a review of the activities of Father George Kandathil and of others on the subjects of the guru, ethics, universal consciousness and conflict strategies. Two themes are extracted: practical ideas and models, and the cultural and spiritual nature of Indian society, with an expansion of Berne’s concept of autonomy into five components that are linked to Indian philosophy.

Graham Barnes - An Obituary - August 2020

Jenni Hine - An Obituary – October 2020

Prompted by preparation of a presentation at a TA learning event, Part 1 of this paper provides a largely TA-based literature review of references to psychological boundaries, related to a proposed new framework for categorising such boundaries at the person (intrapersonal, personal), people (interpersonal, family, neighbourhood), place (region, country, area, continent) and planet (environment, Earth, Universe). TA concepts seen as relevant for each boundary are described. Comments on practitioner boundaries lead into Part 2, which addresses psychological bridges across boundaries such as created through supervision and frameworks for increasing awareness of unconscious processes. A critique of the current TA field of application boundaries is included and Part 2 concludes with a model that represents a general bridge to contact. Citation - APA format: Hay, J. (2018). Psychological Boundaries and Psychological Bridges: A Categorisation and the Application of Transactional Analysis Concepts. International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 9(1), 52-81. https://doi.org/10.29044/v9i1p52

Obituary for Dr Roberto Kertész by Julie Hay for IJTARP.

Book Review by Julie Hay

Abstract Objective To test the feasibility, receptivity, and preliminary effectiveness of peer support groups for emergency medicine physicians during the COVID‐19 pandemic and gain a better understanding of their experiences with peer support. Methods This pilot study used a quasi‐experimental design to assess change in symptoms of distress, anxiety, depression and burn‐out before and after participating in a virtual, group‐based peer support intervention for a duration of 8 weeks. Pre‐post change analyses were performed using two‐sided, paired t tests. Feasibility was measured by attendance data to demonstrate the use of the intervention. Receptivity was measured using a global change rating and net promoter score at the end of each session and 8‐week period, respectively. During the final session, qualitative data on physician experience was collected and then analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results Twenty‐four emergency medicine physicians participated in the pilot study. The attendance goal was met by 20 (24, 83%) physicians and 19 (22, 86%) physicians reported they would recommend peer support groups to a friend of colleague. Positive standardized response mean effect sizes indicated modest improvement in nine of 12 symptom measurements with marginal significance (p < 0.10) for improvement in guilt [20, Effect Size (ES) = 0.45] and depression (21, ES = 0.39). Qualitative findings revealed high overall benefit with few adverse impacts of participation. Conclusions Results demonstrate high physician receptivity, feasibility, and benefit from participation in peer support groups. Promising signs of improvement in distress, anxiety, depression, and burn out symptoms warrant additional studies with larger sample sizes and more robust research designs to establish the evidence base for peer support in the physician population.