von Sommaruga Howard, T. (2019). Sociopolitical trauma: Forgetting, remembering, and group analysis. Transactional Analysis Journal, 49(4), 233-247. https://doi.org/10.1080/03621537.2019.1649846
Steiner, C. M. (1987). The seven sources of power: An alternative to authority. Transactional analysis journal, 17(3), 102-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/036215378701700309
Summerton, O. (1993). Three-dimensional transactional analysis: The drama triangle and the game pentagon. Transactional Analysis Journal, 23(1), 30-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/036215379302300103
Yanoshchuk, V., Burdukova, V., Artemenko, Y. & Olga Panteleimonova, O. (Producers). (2024). Train [Потяг] [Miniseries]. Ukrainian Producers Hub (UPHub) commissioned by the State Enterprise “Multimedia Platform for International Broadcasting of Ukraine.”
Correction Reference for the last, June, TA-Talk
Blomkamp, N. (Director). (2009). District 9 [Film]. QED International. WingNut Films. TriStar Pictures.
IESA presents its latest audio blog that focuses how Transactional Analysis can explain characters in a film and help predict the story outcomes.
Sources:
Berne, E. (1961/2015). Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy. A Systematic Individual and Social Psychiatry. Martino Publishing. Mansfield Centre, CT.
Berne, E, (1969). Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships. Penguin.
Cameron, J. (Director). (2009). Avatar [Film]. 20th Century Fox.
Cornell, W. F. (2008). Explorations in Transactional Analysis. The Meech Lake Papers. TA Press, Pleasanton, CA.
Yanoshchuk, V., Burdukova, V., Artemenko, Y. & Olga Panteleimonova, O. (Producers). (2024). Train [Потяг] [Miniseries]. Ukrainian Producers Hub (UPHub) commissioned by the State Enterprise “Multimedia Platform for International Broadcasting of Ukraine.”
We are happy to share this letter from Steve Cosgrove, longtime member of ITAA and NATAA, who had the special privilege of learning TA with Dr. Martin Groder and Ken Windes in the Asklepieion Therapeutic Community in Marion Federal Penitentiary. He shares his love for TA, the many people who become friends over the years, and his hopes for TA to continue to spread well into the future.
Dear Friends April 14, 2026
I began my ITAA membership April 1, 1975 and continued seamlessly for 51 consecutive years…so proud of my membership record and support of ITAA & NATAA.
I have admired the ITAA presidential leadership from Dr. John “Jack” Dusay (1974-75) through current president, Marguerite Sacco (2025-26)…all dedicated to the progress of TA via the structure, continuing emphasis on clinical acumen and global outreach of ITAA.
The reason I write this letter…as of April 1, 2026, I’m wrapping up 51 straight years as a member of ITAA (RM)…I want to warmly express my love for, admiration for, and appreciation for Transactional Analysis, which I started learning in September 1969 and have continued as an active learner all these years. All positive…lots of positive strokes, lots of quality friendships and relationships, many enlightening professional skill development activities, memorable conferences and countless Warm Fuzzies!
I was first introduced to TA in the Asklepieion Therapeutic Community, Marion Federal Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois, known then as the world’s most maximum secure prison. Through Dr. Martin Groder and Kenny Windes, 1969-1973, and beyond, I gained valuable insight into TA. As a graduate student in the master’s Rehabilitation Counseling program at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, I was involved as a counseling practicum student at the Asklepieion Therapeutic Community (Asklepios, Greek for “House of Cure”) for 4 years, 2 months, and 22 days…some weeks 2-3 visits. I learned so much from these inmate-driven TA clinical experiences, often in the context of the Synanon Game…for me, this time served to form the foundation to learn TA as a viable psychological tool firmly riveted for life!
Marty Groder interned in his Psychiatric career with Dr. Eric Berne in the early days of the San Francisco Transactional Analysis Seminar, where he was introduced to TA. Marty created the Asklepieion program at Marion Federal Penitentiary, where he met “his brightest star,” as he referred to inmate Kenny Windes. Kenny was the first prison-institutionalized Clinical Member of ITAA, while he was still doing time. Both Marty Groder & Kenny Windes were consummate professionals, brilliant mentors, highly recognized in the TA community, and remained close lifelong friends to each other and to me, until their deaths.
My first eye-opening TA conference was the Southeast Institute Conference, March 1975, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, founded by Dr. Vann Joines. I use the term “eye-opening” because this is where I met Vann and so many TA rock stars (Felipe Garcia, Lucy Freedman, Bob and Mary Goulding, Jonathan and Laurie Weiss, Curtis Steele and Nancy Porter-Steele, Claude Steiner, Taibi Kahler, Fanita English, Graham Barnes, Alan Jacobs, Jacqui and Shea Schiff, Valerie Batts, Jean Maxwell, Steve Karpman, Richard Erskine, Ted Bruce, Ted and Judy Harrison, Robin Fryer, and Joe Casriel)…and other TA practitioners whom I would come to know and respect.
After that, I had the opportunity to attend ITAA conferences: Snowmass, CO…San Francisco…San Antonio…Raleigh-Durham, NC…each time, I was further enlightened to the practicality and effective application of TA to every situation, every workplace and professional environment…and to all populations, cultures, and ideologies.
Hence, my gratitude to ITAA runs deep and will accompany me always.
I have the same regard for USATAA, now NATAA…also centered around the principles of TA, wrapped in total OK-ness. Founded by Felipe Garcia, Lucy Freedman and supported by Dianne Maki-Sethi and others, USATAA/now NATAA offers an additional professional organization for TA credentials and for ready application to issues in today’s world.
I have personally benefited from TA, its wonderful core of practitioners and leaders, amid diverse learning experiences. I have learned so much and have comfortably shared my modest proficiency of TA with others, places, and situations…often rendering complex conditions as understandable.
I have incorporated TA into my personal, family, and professional life in ways that have augmented the lives of others and the organizations that I continue to work with. WHAT A BOOST TO THE QUALITY & MEANING OF MY LIFE, TA HAS BEEN!
Lastly, along with my complete (to date) collections of the TA Bulletins and the ITAA Journals (all read & re-read), and a nice library of TA articles and related books…I will one day offer these to both NATAA and ITAA for their respective libraries & collections.
It is with heartfelt sincerity that I wish the ITAA and NATAA robust growth, solvency, organizational health and success, as they continue their mission to enlighten people and organizations through the profound and practical tool we know as Transactional Analysis.
Warm Fuzzies Galore and all the best!
Steve Cosgrove, RM (ITAA Regular Member) since 1975
Editor’s Note: At the recent NATAA Virtual Annual Meeting, all the participants were given a moment to speak. Unprompted, each began with some version of “TA changed my life,” their voices full of gratitude. It was a powerful reminder of Eric Berne’s impact through Transactional Analysis. In honor of his May 10th birthday, they’ve shared a few of their stories below. – Pamela Levin, Guest Editor
Eric Berne and his theory of Transactional Analysis changed and enhanced my life in many ways, starting with the theory of OK-OK relationships supporting the idea that everybody has value and worth and the capacity to think and solve their problems. His theory of Ego States provided the awareness of the different parts of ourselves that we were born with and incorporated through adaptations and experiences. TA provided me with a variety of options in initiating and responding when communicating. Enlightening also were the concepts of transactions, strokes, games and scripts. TA inspired me to start my own psychotherapeutic practice doing individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy. My life certainly is different because of TA and I am grateful. – Felipe Garcia, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
The truth that liberation comes from asking directly for what one wants or needs remains so powerful for me. – Marion Gittings, Wilmington North Carolina, USA.
TA has transformed my life by bringing structure to what once felt like chaos. – Elane Ozhdikhina, Santa Clara, CA, USA
TA has been the vehicle through which I’ve opened my awareness, discovered my own OKness—and the OKness of others—and stepped into both the comfort and the thrill of my agency. It has opened the door to a deep appreciation of where I’ve come from, a genuine delight in where I am now, and an eager, joyful anticipation of where I’m headed. – Christopher Zimmerman, Sebastapol, California, USA
Games People Play blew me away—it was the first time someone made real sense of what happens between people. So when I had the chance to meet Eric and attend his seminar in San Francisco, I went. The first concept I learned there was ego states. It gave me a way to understand what was happening inside me and opened up new choices in how I related to others. As I went deeper into the study of “games,” I began to see what Eric taught – that it’s the hidden, or ulterior, level of communication that truly shapes outcomes.
Realizing that games are ways of shifting responsibility, discomfort, and actual expression of an issue onto someone else, everything changed. I could discover what was being shifted, why it was happening, and how to work through it.
Teaching this to others became deeply fulfilling—it brought me a meaningful career, friends around the world, and a way to contribute to something larger. For all of that, I’m incredibly grateful. – Pamela Levin, California, USA
I started reading Eric Berne’s book What Do You Say After You Say Hello? because I liked the title and started learning Transactional Analysis, after doing my 101. At that time, I was very young and couldn’t continue reading this book because each time, I was crying!
Then when I did my TA training, I started in therapy. My therapist was a woman. At that time, talking about my life story, I realized that as mentioned in Berne’s book, the Fairy Tale “Little Red Riding Hood” was similar to my life story. Of course that was my Script, and why I was crying. We can change our Script, I have done this. However, when we are very tired, sick or too anxious, we may go back to it because our Adult Ego State stops functioning well, and we go back to our Script, in our Child ego state. After all, script is built from our life history, and history can’t be changed.
Still, there is a solution. It starts with becoming aware and going back to our Adult ego state, which is only in the here and now! When you know your Script you can recognize when this happens. – Gloria Noriega Gayol, PhD. Colonia Escandón, Ciudad de México.
For me, Transactional Analysis became an introduction to both my inner and outer worlds from the most profound depths. Understanding life scripts explained many complex situations that previously seemed impossible to comprehend. TA gave me the clarity I needed to navigate life’s challenges with awareness. – Inna Kadantseva ,Düsseldorf, Germany.
I believe Dr. Berne was a genius because after sharing his PAC with ages 8 to 80 in my coaching career there wasn’t one person who didn’t get it. They all had “ah ha” moments. – Cathy Katz, Huntington Beach, California, USA.
TA changed my life as it gave me a clear structure and understanding of my psychic processes and made it easier for me to connect to my inner self. I could use the structure to explore with clients and explain to them what is going on. It is not only an approach for me, it is love from the first glance. TA also changed my life as I met amazing teachers and colleagues who share common values and interests. This is awesome! – Natalia Lopatina, St. Petersburg, Russia.
TA was the explanation of human behavior that I was searching for. It gave me a wonderful basis for starting a career. I found many excellent teachers who were the frosting on the cake. – Abe Wagner, Denver, Colorado, USA
TA gave me an acknowledgment of my personal journey to autonomy and encouraged me to continue with my ‘winner’s script’. The concept of Integrating Adult is allowing me to nourish flexibility in this era of instability and unpredictability. – Alexsandra Stanosevic, Victoria, BC, Canada
TA changed my life. I went to my first TA workshop mostly because some of my colleagues were going. I hadn’t read anything about TA, but hanging out with my favorite colleagues sounded like fun. By noon of that day of training, I was hooked. TA sounded like an effective, interesting method. By 5 pm I was ready to sign up for training. It was a bit challenging because I had two young children, and there was no training available in my state, but I made it work and had fun along the way. My life was never the same after that. – Valerie Chang, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Even though I did not have the privilege to meet Eric Berne in person (he died three months before I arrived in CA) his legacy changed my life. Everyone was buying Games People Play because it was a runaway best seller, but it wasn’t until I had my first course in TA under the late Dr. David Steere, TM a few months later that it came alive for me. I then read it from cover to cover enthralled by his genius. It has been so ever since. – John McNeel, San Jose, California, USA
TA gave me a way to understand what was going on and make changes. – Wayne Hart, San Diego, Ca. USA
Transactional Analysis helped me speak the same language as my clients. – Viktoriia Kotova. Los Angeles, California, USA
Discovering Transactional Analysis felt like a childhood moment when you first realize that “Mom” has a name. A simple truth that was always there, yet unseen. Seeing my life script was the same kind of revelation. Beneath what felt like freedom, I began to sense a pattern shaping my path. To see it was to step slightly outside of it. And in that distance, something new appeared: the possibility of choice. – Ekaterina Shtein, Los Angeles, Califonia, USA
I discovered TA this year. It positively affected my life by giving me tools to reaffirm my belief that we should be objectively responsible for ourselves and our future. I’m grateful to Eric Berne for creating an incredible masterpiece. I’m grateful to you and other members of the organization for keeping it alive. I’m grateful to Viktoriia for introducing me to TA. – Alexander Landa, Los Angeles, Ca. USA
When I discovered Transactional Analysis in 2005, it marked a profound turning point in my personal and professional growth. It restored my self-respect, taught me to practice genuine empathy—for myself and others—and helped me understand the underlying dynamics of my relationships. By recognizing the unconscious life scripts I was following, I began making choices from a more conscious place. Thanks to this journey, I navigated a marriage in crisis and built the strong family I have today. – Sandra Stafuza, Atlanta, GA. USA
Thirty-five years ago, I was a troubled teenager navigating a life that often felt unpredictable and heavy. Then I picked Eric Berne’s books. In their pages, I found more than psychology, I found clarity, compassion, and a way out of the patterns that had held me captive. What began as a lifeline has become the quiet framework of freedom that continues to guide me. TA didn’t just change how I saw myself, it gave me the power to redesign my life, and through that, to nurture a home of healing for everyone I love. – Antonio Fernandez, Fayetteville, GA, USA
When I first heard about TA and Eric Berne, I was drawn to the belief that people can think for themselves and deserve to be co-creators with their therapist. As a beginning practitioner, I was especially helped by the book Principles of Group Treatment, because it explained how to intervene during the group process. It was concrete in a way that enabled me to manage the dynamics in my first few TA groups. I appreciate all the other books and actively use the Structure and Function of Organizations and Groups as we develop NATAA today. – Lucy Freedman, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA, USA
At 17, I was struggling with asthma during one of the hardest periods of my life, I picked up Games People Play. Reading Berne, I began to notice something I had never seen before: my body had its own script. Under stress, I would unconsciously stop breathing fully — my chest tightening as a silent response to pressure I hadn’t learned to name yet. TA gave me the self-awareness to catch it in real time. I learned to breathe deeply. I learned to recognize stress before it spoke through my body. The asthma resolved. That is the power of this work — it doesn’t just change how you think about people. It changes how you inhabit yourself. Having just completed my TAP, I’m only now beginning to understand how much more there is to carry forward. – Aibi Piard, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The First Strategic Session: Clarifying Direction Through Transactional Analysis
When a person comes to a strategic session with a coach or consultant, something important has usually happened internally.
They have reached a point where they cannot fully determine their direction alone. They may feel confused, stuck, or pulled in several directions at once. Sometimes they have goals but lack energy to pursue them. Sometimes they are unsure whether the goals they have are truly theirs.
The role of the coach or consultant in the first strategic session is not immediately to build a strategy. The first task is something more fundamental: to clarify the client’s starting point.
Before we decide where to go, we must understand where we actually are. Transactional Analysis (TA) provides a powerful framework for this process.
Why Clients Often Arrive in a “Confused State”
In many cases, when a client comes to a strategic consultation, their psychological state is not fully centered in the Adult ego state. Instead, part of their thinking may be influenced by the Child ego state. This does not mean something is wrong. In fact, it is natural.
The Child contains our desires, creativity, emotional energy, and impulses. Very often, genuine aspirations come from the Free Child — the part of us that wants to explore, create, build, and experience life.
However, goals can also come from another part of the Child: the Adapted Child. When goals originate from the Adapted Child, they are often influenced by:
family expectations
cultural norms
internalized rules about success
pressure to meet external standards
fear of disappointing others
In these cases, a person may say they want something — a career change, a business, a promotion, a specific lifestyle — but internally something does not move forward.
This is where symptoms often appear:
procrastination
lack of motivation
confusion about priorities
repeated stops in progress
a feeling of being stuck
From the outside it may look like the client “lacks discipline”. From a TA perspective, however, something deeper is happening. There may be internal conflict between ego states.
The First Task of the Strategic Session: Clarification
The first stage of the session is what we could call psychological clarification. The consultant and the client together explore questions such as:
Where are you now in your professional or personal situation?
What exactly feels unclear or stuck?
What do you think you want?
What makes it difficult to move toward it?
At this stage, the goal is not yet to create a strategy. The goal is awareness. Often the client begins to see that their goals may come from different internal voices.
For example, a client may say: “I want to start my own business, but every time I begin planning, I stop.”
When we explore further, we may discover:
a Free Child that wants independence and creativity
a Critical Parent saying “This is risky and irresponsible”
an Adapted Child trying to avoid making mistakes
These internal dynamics can create confusion and paralysis.
Working With Contamination in the Adult
In Transactional Analysis, we sometimes talk about contamination of the Adult ego state. This happens when the Adult — the part responsible for realistic thinking and decision-making — is mixed with beliefs or fears coming from the Parent or Child.
For example, a client may believe:
“If I change careers, I will disappoint my family.”
“Successful people must always work extremely hard.”
“If I fail once, it means I’m not capable.”
These beliefs often sound like objective reality to the client. However, they may actually originate from internalized parental messages. During the session, the consultant helps the client examine these beliefs:
Where did this idea come from?
Is it objectively true today?
Is it helping or limiting you?
This process gradually decontaminates the Adult, allowing the client to see the situation more clearly.
Exploring the Inner Parent
Another important part of the strategic session is identifying internal parental voices. The Critical Parent may say things like:
“You should already know what to do.”
“You must not fail.”
“That is unrealistic.”
These messages often create pressure or fear.
When these voices remain unexamined, the client may unknowingly organize their life around them.
Bringing these messages into awareness allows the client to begin separating inherited expectations from authentic desires.
Reconnecting With the Free Child
Once the internal pressures become clearer, space opens for another important question:
What does the Free Child actually want?
The Free Child is connected to:
curiosity
creativity
genuine interest
vitality
intrinsic motivation
Many strategic breakthroughs happen when clients reconnect with this part of themselves. Instead of pursuing goals that feel heavy or obligatory, they begin identifying goals that feel energizing and meaningful.
Returning to the Adult: The Moment Strategy Becomes Possible
Only after this clarification process does the strategic conversation truly begin. Now the client is more likely operating from a decontaminated Adult, supported by the energy of the Free Child rather than the pressure of the Adapted Child or the Critical Parent.
From this position, the client can realistically evaluate:
current resources
constraints
opportunities
next steps
At this stage, strategy becomes much clearer.
Instead of forcing decisions, the client can ask:
What direction makes sense for me now?
What is the first realistic step?
What resources do I already have?
What support might I need?
Sometimes this process leads to a longer coaching journey. But interestingly, in many cases one well-facilitated strategic session is enough. Once the client reconnects with their Adult and Free Child, they regain the ability to move forward independently.
The True Value of the First Strategic Session
The real value of the first strategic session is not simply creating a plan. It is helping the client move from confusion to clarity.
From the perspective of Transactional Analysis, the session supports the client in:
recognizing internal dynamics between ego states
separating inherited expectations from authentic goals
freeing the Adult from contamination
reconnecting with the energy of the Free Child
When this shift happens, strategy becomes much more than a plan. It becomes a conscious choice. And from that place, meaningful action becomes possible.
Three of us attended the Jamaica Gathering this year: Alyson, Jarvis, and me. For all of us, the decision to go was not automatic. In the months before the gathering, we engaged in thoughtful, ongoing debate about whether to attend or wait another year, considering the hurricane’s significant impact on Jamaica. We talked together about timing, readiness, and responsibility, and we took those questions seriously.
In the end, we decided to return together, guided by the belief that showing up thoughtfully, relationally, and with economic care could be supportive rather than intrusive. What followed confirmed for each of us that this choice was both ethical and welcomed.
Jarvis: Returning Relationships and Embodied Practice
For Jarvis and me, this was our second time attending the gathering in Jamaica, and that sense of continuity mattered. Jarvis experienced the week as a return to familiar relationships rather than a first visit. He especially valued reconnecting with local Jamaican people he had previously met, including Dean and Anthony. Seeing familiar faces reinforced a sense of mutual recognition and warmth that went beyond surface hospitality.
Professionally, Jarvis was particularly engaged with learning about mini scripts and time structuring. These concepts strongly resonated with his work as a massage therapist, where clarity of roles, pacing, and relational boundaries are vital to ethical practice. During his presentation for us, Jarvis provided a role-play demonstrating time structuring in massage therapy, working with Brendan, a local participant from Kingston. This demonstration grounded Transactional Analysis theory in real, physical experience and showed how relational frameworks remain relevant across different disciplines, not just within traditional counselling settings.
Dawn: Ethical Deliberation, Sensory Learning, Safety, and Place
For me, the most meaningful insight started even before we arrived. The ongoing debate about whether to attend lingered throughout the week. Once there, it became clearer that our presence was appreciated. We felt very safe, warmly welcomed, and treated with kindness and consideration. It was also obvious that local residents were benefiting from visitors returning and spending money in their community.
We made deliberate choices to support the local economy. We ate at local establishments, relied on local transportation, and enjoyed a great deal of jerk chicken along the way. One particularly memorable experience was our drive from Port Antonio to Kingston airport with local Ras Rad. Instead of a hurried transfer, he offered us a very relaxed, scenic drive, pointing out landmarks and taking us to a local food spot where we ate the best food of the entire trip. The drive itself felt personal and unhurried, reflecting the hospitality we experienced throughout the week.
It is also important to name the beauty of Port Antonio and the surrounding area. The landscape is stunning, lush, coastal, and vibrantly alive. The food culture stood out just as much. While we certainly enjoyed jerk chicken, the week offered a reminder that Jamaican cuisine goes far beyond what many visitors expect. We ate breadfruit, ackee—which, when cooked, resembles eggs—sweet potato cake, festivals, and richly spiced vegetable stews. These meals reflected care, history, and creativity, reinforcing that food itself is a form of cultural sharing and connection.
Learning was also profoundly influenced by location. Due to rainy weather, many sessions were held at one of the Frenchman’s Cove villas (where Lori stayed), offering stunning ocean views. Waves crashed forcefully against the rocks below, creating a steady, thunderous sound. Engaging with Transactional Analysis concepts while immersed in that sensory environment was unexpectedly powerful. The sounds, movement, and visual surroundings supported focus rather than distracting from it, reinforcing that learning is embodied and shaped by nervous system state, not just cognition.
Alyson: Perspective, Place, and Relational Value
Alyson’s main takeaway was the chance to meet and learn from a variety of perspectives within Transactional Analysis. Hearing how others understand and apply TA across different professional, cultural, and personal settings reinforced for her that TA remains a relational and evolving framework, shaped by those who use it rather than fixed by doctrine.
She was also deeply impacted by the venue itself. Frenchman’s Cove beach was experienced as spectacular in its natural beauty and atmosphere. At the same time, the facilities reflected what could be described as a faded glory, offering visible reminders of what once was. Rather than experiencing this as a limitation, Alyson experienced it as an important lesson. Gathering together with a shared purpose made it easier to focus on the place’s beauty and, more importantly, the beauty of the people. For her, the setting offered a quiet but powerful reminder to orient toward relational value rather than material polish, and to notice what is present rather than what is missing.
Alyson’s TA presentation reflected this relational focus. She presented on how tapping can strengthen the Adult ego state, offering conceptual clarity and practical tools that aligned well with the overall tone of the gathering.
Shared Learning, Giving, and Gratitude
The range of presentations reflected the depth and humanity of the week. Martha offered a presentation on Havening, which many of us found deeply nourishing and well aligned with Alyson’s work on strengthening the Adult ego state. Martha also extended her care beyond the conference room by bringing many brown dolls for Jamaican children, a gesture that carried cultural sensitivity and warmth.
Other sessions included my presentation on ethical charting of therapy sessions from a Transactional Analysis perspective; Lucy Freedman’s introduction to TA, followed by a detailed overview of scripts and time structuring; and Lori’s presentation on Integral Theory (drawing on Ken Wilber’s work) supported by colourful, hand-drawn flipchart posters. Together, these offerings balanced theory, practice, and creativity, illustrating how Transactional Analysis speaks to a wide and diverse audience.
As a group, we also arrived with large suitcases filled with clothing, donations, and solar lights, which we left behind to support local families. These gestures were modest in scale yet aligned with our intention to show up responsibly and relationally.
We were also honoured to be treated to guest appearances by local Jamaicans. Mama G joined us, bringing warmth and presence, and Akin offered a sound bathing experience that added a grounding, embodied dimension to the week.
During one of the group lunches, we were delighted by a visit from Galvin Weston, whose father was the original developer of Frenchman’s Cove and is now its owner. He stopped by to say hello and to share reflections on the long-standing friendship his father had with the Transactional Analysis community, a connection that helped shape TA gatherings being held at Frenchman’s Cove. His visit offered a quiet reminder of the relational history that underpins this work and this place.
We also want to thank locals Pauline and Brendan for attending again; Ulla, who has attended 13 times; and Carol, whose presence reminded us of the importance of welcoming new voices into this learning community. Most importantly, we thank Lucy Freedman, who poured countless hours into making this gathering happen. From preparation to on-site coordination, she managed the many moving parts with care, steadiness, and grace. Thank you, Lucy, for your time, dedication, and ongoing commitment to NATAA.
Closing Reflections
Returning to Jamaica this year reaffirmed that thoughtful presence matters. Our shared debate about whether to attend ultimately deepened our understanding of how we present ourselves as learners, guests, and professionals. We left feeling revitalized, welcomed, and assured that our presence made a positive impact. Once again, this TA gathering showed that learning about TA is grounded in relationship, responsibility, and place – all of which can be personally enriching, professionally meaningful, and ethically sound.
