Viewing Conflict Through a Reconsideration of the Application of Psychodynamic Sexual Theory in Transactional Analysis

Abstract

Freudian sexual theory can provide useful insight into the nature and roots of conflict, although the scientific basis of that theory became outdated and led to its disappearance, more or less, from the psychodynamic literature. This was already beginning when Berne was studying with Federn, and although sexual theory featured in Berne’s work, he paid little attention to its scientific validity and shifted his focus away from the sexual underpinnings of relationship and conflict. In his pioneering work on the scientific aspects of relationship and conflict, Berne emphasized structure hunger as their basis. In this article, by reworking the scientific aspects of Freudian sexual theory, the author looks again at Berne’s work in light of that theory and provides a means, perhaps, by which to enhance the understanding of how transactional analysts can work with conflict.

• conflict
• sexual theory
• relationship
• groups

Notes

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

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rod Sandle

Author Biography

Rod Sandle, BSc, Dip Health Ed, CBT, Certified Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy), has practiced as a psychotherapist for 27 years and is a past president of The New Zealand Society for Bioenergetic Analysis. He studied psychology and zoology at the same time and has retained an interest in the links between them. As a Certified Bioenergetic Therapist, his psychodynamic background traces back to Paul Federn, who was an analyst of both Eric Berne and Wilhelm Reich. It was Reich’s pupil Alexander Lowen who developed bioenergetic analysis. Rod can be reached at 29 Grass Street, Roseneath, Wellington 6011, New Zealand; email: [email protected]. Some of the content of this article was previously published in Ata: The Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand, 17(2), pp. 235-246, December 2013.