Ego State Theory and Critique – From Structures to Self-States

Cup of TEA: Ego State Theory and Critique – From Structures to Self-States

Ego state theory lies at the heart of Transactional Analysis, yet its meaning and use have evolved dramatically since Berne’s original Parent–Adult–Child model. This seminar explores how contemporary TA schools—Classical, Co-creative, Relational, and Integrative/Relational—diverge in their understanding of what ego states are, how they are known, and how they change. Moving from fixed structural entities to relationally emergent self-states, we’ll examine tensions around ontology, epistemology, and the enduring question of the “Adult.” The first hour introduces the theoretical terrain, drawing on critiques by Tudor, Summers, Erskine, and Hargaden & Sills; the second hour opens the floor for supervision and dialogue on how these models shape our clinical presence and technique. Join us for a cup of TEA—Theory, Ethics, and Application—and re-think ego state theory for a contemporary, relational, and attachment-attuned psychotherapy.