The Many Faces of Life Script – Rethinking TA’s Central Concept

The Many Faces of Life Script – Rethinking TA’s Central Concept

This evening’s seminar revisits one of the most enduring—and contested—ideas in Transactional Analysis: Life Script. From Berne’s original notion of an unconscious life plan formed in childhood to later developments across cognitive, relational, and cultural approaches, the concept continues to evolve. Drawing on contemporary research and internal critiques, we will explore how scripts manifest in multiple forms—narrative, embodied, relational, and sociocultural—and how each version shapes both identity and therapeutic process. The session will ask: do we pathologise clients when we speak of “script,” or can the concept still illuminate patterns of becoming and belonging? The first hour provides theoretical grounding; the second invites open discussion and supervision around live material. Join us for a cup of TEA—Theory, Ethics, and Application—as we examine how to keep script theory alive, relevant, and responsive to the complexity of human experience.