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
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