“In the Manner of”: Transactional Analysis Teaching of Transactional Analysts

Abstract

This article explores transactional analysis (TA) teaching—that is, teaching “in the manner of TA”—and distinguishes it from teaching TA from a generic educational perspective, an activity that may or may not be analyzed in transactional analysis terms. The author applies transactional analysis philosophy, practice, and theory to the teaching and training of transactional analysts and, in doing so, reviews the literature on TA teaching, as distinct from teaching TA. Drawing on literature about education and learning, as well as about teaching and training, the article makes the point that all transactional analysis trainers are, in effect, in the educational field of application. Therefore, those trainers in the clinical (psychotherapy and counseling) and organizational fields could—and perhaps should—draw more on the experience and expertise of colleagues in the educational field. This, together with a previous, parallel article on transactional analysis supervision (Tudor, 2002), forms essential reading for practitioners teaching and supervising TA as well as those preparing for the Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analysis examination.