The Importance of Research in Transactional Analysis for Transactional Analysts

Abstract

This article is the author’s acceptance speech for the 2017 ITAA Research Award, which was presented to him at the World TA Conference in Berlin in July 2017. The author argues that research is essential to the wider acceptance of transactional analysis and that research will support the expansion of TA and will act as a powerful marketing force for TA practitioners and training institutes. Therefore, it is in the interests of every member of the TA community to conduct research or actively support further TA research. The author summarizes his research into the effectiveness of TA and presents a brief synopsis of current TA psychotherapy effectiveness research. The article also includes a summary of the author’s research findings regarding the distinctive features of effective TA psychotherapy and effective TA therapists. He concludes by expressing his gratitude and thanks to a number of people who have supported him on his research journey.

Keywords:

• Transactional analysis research
• case study research
• critique of the transactional analysis community
• psychotherapy effectiveness research
• effectiveness of transactional analysis

Disclosure Statement

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Mark Widdowson

Mark Widdowson, PhD, MSc, ECP, TSTA, FHEA, is a senior lecturer in counseling and psychotherapy at the University of Salford. He is a United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and European Association for Psychotherapy registered psychotherapist. He is also associate director and academic registrar at The Berne Institute. Mark is an active researcher and is the author of Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques and Transactional Analysis for Depression: A Step-By-Step Treatment Manual, both published by Routledge. Mark was awarded the 2014 EATA Silver Medal and the 2017 ITAA Research Award for his research into the effectiveness of transactional analysis. He lives in Central Manchester, United Kingdom, where he has a small private practice. Mark can be contacted at Room 348, Mary Seacole Building, School of Health and Society, University of Salford, The Crescent, Salford M5 4WT, United Kingdom; email: [email protected].