1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 1

Who Is Driving Your Car? A Powerful Counselling Strategy

Adapted from Transactional AnalysisWith Dr. Dawn Lorraine McBride

Associate Professor in CanadaClinical Psychologist & Consultant/Supervisor – ethics & trauma

Please, feel free to contact me: www.dawn-mcbride.com

SWHELPER CONFERENCE – FEB 2020

A theory of human personality, a theory of social behaviour, and

a comprehensive counselling approach.

International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA)

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 2

EGO STATES -metaphor for our thoughts, feelings, & actions

GAMES - people play to get what they want

LIFE SCRIPTS -beliefs & patterns that guide our behaviour

Type & quality of TRANSACTIONS btn peopleTransactional

Analysis (TA) -4 main concepts

TA therapists believe our personality is composed of 3 sides or ego states – each ego state having a set of unique thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Each ego state has a ‘job’.

Ego States: Provide insight into our personality –how we think, feel, & behave towards ourselves & to others – from 3 different perspectives.

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 3

In TA: We want to learn, from the client, how the 3 ego states are ____________ and which ego state is:

• in “_____________________” of the person’s actions, thoughts, or feelings

• being ignored (not used)

• doing its job (& how well it is doing its job)

• being used to meet the client’s goals

• _______________________ the other ego states in a helpful or unhelpful manner

• etc.

Parent Ego

Adult Ego

Child Ego

MENTAL WELLNESS

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 4

I am in a conflict, what should I do?

I have to make a big decision –

I need some help.

How can I improve my marriage?

I want to getin shape – yet I’m

sabotaging my weight loss.

I procrastinate too much – why do I do this?

Lets figure this out:

1. Who is ________ your car?

2. Who ______ to be driving your car?

3. To meet this goal, the right ego state needs to be driving the car.

PARENT:NURTURING EGO

ADULT EGO

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 5

PARENT:CRITICAL EGO ADULT EGO

ADULT EGO

PARENT:CRITICAL EGO

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 6

Designed by Beth Millington (2019; GRA for Professor Dawn McBride)

DANGER: When there is no ‘inner

team’ to navigate the journey of

meeting goals – e.g., ‘adult’ ego state

is kicked out of the driver’s seat & the

nurturing parent ego is not in the

passenger seat “coaching” –problems

develop. Relapses occur.

CHILD EGO –rebellious & over adapted

ADULT

Designed by Beth Millington (2019; GRA for Professor Dawn McBride)

PARENT EGO

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 7

What Does Your Crash Look Like? How Many Times Have You Crashed?

Would You Like To Figure Out Why You Crashed?Crash Can Be:

o Stop working on the goal … give up, walk away, get angry, sulk, blame, etc.o Act in opposite ways of meeting the goal – e.g., binge eat, self-sabotage, etc.o Relapse

TA Therapists would ask:

Some Questions to Ask Clients o How does your child ego state get into the front seat to drive?

o Who allows the child ego state drive? Why?o Where was the adult ego state? How big is the adult ego?? Does it need to be

bigger?o How well does the child ego state listen to your inner parent ego states?

After the car crash…

Questions to Clients: (for ideas, see handout)

o What did you learn about who should drive the car?

o Where do you want the parent ego states?o How can you keep the child ego in the back

seat – in a car seat watching a movie?o How can we strengthen your adult ego so it

can be in charge when it is to be driving?

1/23/20

Prepared by Dawn McBride, Ph.D., Reg. Psychologist & Associate Professor. To contact, pls go to www.dawn-mcbride.com 8

In Conclusion: Our inner team can help us reach our goal if we:Ø keep our adult in the driver’s seat.

Ø use our parent egos to ___________________us on our road journey.

Ø use the __________________ from our child ego to keep us motivated & passionate … to stay on the road (to meet our goals). We know it is best if the child is kept in the backseat àbuckled up J.Children are _______________________________!