The Four Fields of Specialisation

The theory and practice of Transactional Analysis is applied in four different areas – called the Fields of Specialisation. It is possible to undertake training and certification in each of these fields. The four fields are Counselling, Educational, Organisational and Psychotherapy.

TA Counselling is a professional activity within a contractual relationship. The counselling process enables clients or client systems to develop awareness, options and skills for problem management and personal development in daily life through the enhancement of their strengths, resources and functioning. Its aim is to increase autonomy in relation to their social, professional and cultural environment.

The Educational field of specialisation is for practitioners who work in the area of learning and study in pre-school, school, university, and post-university contexts. It is also concerned with the support of child, adolescent and adult learners within the family, the institution or society. The work may be applied to the development of teaching teams and institutions. The aim is to further personal and professional growth, both scholastic and social.

The Organisational field of specialisation is for practitioners who work in or for organisations, taking into account organisational frames of reference and contexts as well as the organisation’s development. Their work is aimed at the development, growth and increased effectiveness of people working within organisations.

The Psychotherapy field of specialisation is for practitioners who aim to facilitate the client’s capacity for self-actualisation, healing and change. The psychotherapeutic process enables the client to recognise and change archaic, self-limiting patterns –”to deal with the pain of the past in the present so that they are free to live their lives in the future”’. The aim is for clients to understand themselves and their relationships and create options to live their lives in an aware, creative, spontaneous way and open to intimacy.

Source: The EATA Training and Examination Handbook (2014), section 5, page 2.