Transactional Analysis Therapy in Bolton

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a talking therapy that explores your personality and how it has been shaped by your experiences. I use it with adults at Douglas House in Bolton and online, to make sense of the patterns that keep repeating and find more choice in how you respond.

It can sound complicated. In practice, it gives us a simple, shared language, and I explain it as we go. You don’t need to know anything about TA to start.

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Free introductory call
£50 for 60 minutes
In person, online or outdoors

What it is

Transactional Analysis in plain English

TA can sound complicated at first, but I introduce the ideas gradually so you can understand and use them as we go.

Transactional Analysis was developed by Eric Berne and is used in counselling, psychotherapy, education and organisations.

At its heart is a simple idea. We each carry ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that formed earlier in life, often as sensible ways of getting by. Some still serve us well. Others can keep us stuck in reactions and relationships that no longer fit.

In my counselling work, TA is a way of exploring your personality and how your individual experiences have shaped it, so that old patterns become easier to recognise.

For a general introduction, see the International Transactional Analysis Association’s overview.

Ego states

Parent, Adult and Child

TA describes three “ego states”: three ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that we all move between. Everyone has all three, and none of them is good or bad.

Parent
The ways of thinking and behaving we took on from the people who looked after us: the rules, expectations, criticism and care.
Often heard as “you should…” or “you must…”
Adult
The grounded, here-and-now part of us that can weigh things up, make informed decisions and set boundaries. It can help us pause, weigh up what is happening now and choose how we respond.
Noticing what’s happening, and choosing a response
Child
The feelings and reactions we carry from earlier in life: curiosity, playfulness and creativity, but also fear. Something small today can put us straight back there.
How someone might describe it: “This experience today put me into my Child… I felt fearful and scared.”

Patterns

Messages we pick up, and the patterns they can create

Growing up, we can pick up messages about how to be, often without anyone saying them out loud. TA calls some of these “injunctions”, such as:

don’t feel
don’t be you
don’t be a child

Many of us also develop “drivers”: habits we fall back on to feel acceptable. As I put it:

“We do all these things because we’re searching to be liked.”Andrea Long

Please others: Saying yes when you mean no, and feeling responsible for everyone else’s mood
Try hard: Putting in huge effort, yet never quite feeling you’ve done enough
Be perfect: Going over things again and again, and struggling to let them go
Hurry up: Rushing even when there’s time, and feeling restless when you slow down

Not everyone has the same patterns, and these aren’t diagnoses. They’re simply a way of noticing what you do, so you have more choice about it.

Understanding, not blame

Understanding a pattern isn’t blaming anyone

Most patterns started for understandable reasons, often as the best way of coping at the time.

Looking at where a pattern began isn’t about blaming your parents, your past or yourself. The focus in TA is on what you notice now, and on what you would like to do differently.

In sessions

What this can look like in a session

You don’t need to arrive with a topic. We can begin with something ordinary that happened that day, which can tell us a lot about how you cope.

As we go, I share the TA ideas that seem useful, so you can start to recognise them for yourself.

I bring TA ideas into our sessions when they’re useful, so you can begin recognising the patterns for yourself.

An everyday example

Say a short message from your manager leaves you on edge for the rest of the day. We might start there: what you felt, what you told yourself, and what you did next. You may notice a critical voice saying you should have done better, or a younger, anxious part of you reacting. Naming that can be the first step towards responding from your Adult instead.

A hypothetical example, not a client’s story.

Over time

From noticing to more choice

One way I use TA is to help you notice which ego state may be shaping your response. That awareness can create more room to pause, consider what is happening now and choose how you respond, for example:

Making informed decisions
Feeling more confident in life
Setting good boundaries for yourself

This is a process rather than a quick fix, and it won’t look the same for everyone. TA is my way of working, not a diagnosis or a guaranteed solution.

A first step

Curious whether this approach would suit you?

You don’t need to know anything about TA beforehand. In the free introductory call I’ll explain a little about how I use it, answer your questions, and we can both see whether working together feels right.

Arrange a free introductory call

Prefer to start with a message? WhatsApp me

Free introductory call
No obligation to book
Sessions are £50 for 60 minutes

Ways to meet

Where we can meet

In person · Bolton BL1

Face-to-face counselling in Bolton

A private, quiet room at Douglas House on Belmont Road, with free parking nearby. Press button 3 when you arrive.

Visiting the room

Andrea’s therapy room at Douglas House in Bolton, with two armchairs and a window

Anywhere in the UK

Online Counselling

The same approach, by video, for adults anywhere in the UK, at the same £50 fee.

Explore online sessions

Outdoors

Walk and Talk Therapy

Talking side by side outdoors can suit some people. We agree a location in advance, weather permitting.

Explore walking sessions

Andrea Long, counsellor and psychotherapist

Who you’ll be talking to

I’m Andrea Long

I’m a BACP-registered counsellor and psychotherapist (MBACP 414595). I work using Transactional Analysis and see adults in Bolton, online and outdoors.

Part of what I value about TA is that clients can learn its ideas as we go, and begin to use them in their own lives.

More about Andrea

Questions

Questions about Transactional Analysis Therapy

For general questions about starting counselling, see what to expect.

What is Transactional Analysis therapy?

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a talking therapy, developed by Eric Berne, that looks at how your personality and patterns have been shaped by your experiences, using ideas such as Parent, Adult and Child. It’s the approach I use in counselling to help you notice those patterns and find more choice in how you respond.

Do I need to understand TA before I start?

No. You don’t need to read anything or learn any terms beforehand. I explain the ideas as we go, only where they’re useful, and many people find they start using them in everyday life.

What are injunctions in Transactional Analysis?

In TA, injunctions are early messages about how to be, often picked up without anyone saying them out loud, such as “don’t feel” or “don’t be you”. TA writers describe a number of common injunctions. In counselling we only look at the ones that feel relevant to you, and they’re never used as labels.

How is TA different from other talking therapies?

Each approach has its own focus. TA pays particular attention to patterns that began earlier in life, the different ego states we move between, and how we relate to other people. It isn’t better or worse than other approaches. What matters most is whether the approach, and your relationship with your counsellor, feel right for you.

Can Transactional Analysis help with anxiety or grief?

It can be one way of working with both, by looking at the patterns and early messages that may be involved. Everyone is different, so I can’t promise particular results. You can read more about support with anxiety and counselling after a bereavement.

Can I have TA therapy online?

Yes. Online sessions use the same approach and are available to adults anywhere in the UK, at the same £50 fee as face-to-face sessions. More about Online Counselling

How much does it cost?

Sessions are £50 for 60 minutes, in person, online or outdoors, and the introductory call is free. You can pay by card, bank transfer or cash. I ask for 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel; late cancellations are charged at £25.

Free intro call