Section 3 – Status of Training

This section outlines how TA training status is defined, how it relates to national regulations, how the training process is structured, and what responsibilities trainers and principal supervisors carry.

Contents

• 3.1 Status of Training and National Requirements for Psychotherapy and Counselling
• 3.2 Mutual Recognition
• 3.3 Training Process
• 3.4 Trainer’s Responsibilities

3.1 Status of Training and National Requirements for Psychotherapy and Counselling

Transactional Analysis training is a professional training. Qualifications involve the fulfilment of certain requirements for the number of hours of training, supervision and practical experience, and the successful completion of the examinations.

TA training imparts personal and professional competence, and certification as a transactional analyst, and it provides a full license to practice as a transactional analyst within the legal requirements of each country.

The practice of psychotherapy and/or counselling is officially recognized in some European countries and regulated in others. There may be national legal restrictions on who can practice as a psychotherapist or as a counsellor, the trainee may therefore need to meet specific national requirements for training and accreditation as well as the requirements for TA training before becoming a recognized practitioner in their country. The trainee’s national TA organization(s) needs to be aware of these requirements. It is the responsibility of both trainee and Principal Supervisor to be fully informed of this when choosing their field of specialization. In all cases, such national provisions are in addition to the training and accreditation requirements of PTSC and are not substitutes for, nor alterations of, any PTSC requirements.

This handbook contains the regulations and guidelines on how to train to become a Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA), a Certified Transactional Analyst Trainer and Supervisor of Practitioners (CTA TS) and a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst Trainer of Practitioners and Trainers and describes the requirements laid down by the Professional Training Standards Committee (PTSC) of the European Association for Transactional Analysis (EATA) (see Section 1.1).

3.2 Mutual Recognition

There is mutual recognition between EATA’s and ITAA’s certification systems: examination and accreditation procedures of each association are reciprocally acknowledged (see Section 1.6).

3.3 Training Process

A. Fields of application

There are four fields of application within TA, as follows:

1. Counselling
2. Education
3. Organization
4. Psychotherapy

The trainee agrees the field of application with his/her/their Principal Supervisor, i.e. the TSTA, PTSTA or CTA TS with whom they have a training contract (see Section 2 for fields of application).

B. Accredited trainers

Only Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analysts of Practitioners and Trainers (TSTA, TTA and STA) or Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analysts (PTSTA) and Certified Trainers and Supervisors of Practitioners (CTA TS) can provide accredited TA training.

C. Eligibility for training

Those interested in training and accreditation as a Certified Transactional Analyst should check with their national or regional organization to confirm their eligibility.

In general, the prerequisites are:

• The individual fulfils the educational requirements of the national organization and legal requirements of the country.
• The opportunity for practical application of TA exists in a relevant profession.
• It is possible for the candidate to take the necessary training and supervision by those qualified to give it, i.e. TSTAs, PTSTAs or CTA TS.

D. Contractual basis of training

Training is formally based on a training contract

• Between the trainee and trainer, who must be either a TSTA, CTA TS, PTSTA or PCTA TS, who becomes the trainee’s principal supervisor.
• Between the trainee and EATA (see Section 4.6).

The trainee usually signs a CTA training contract with his or her principal supervisor during or after several years of training.

Training received before the start of the contract can be taken into account towards final completion of requirements only with the principal supervisor’s consent.

As part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and accessible training and examination environments, we invite all trainees to actively reflect on and communicate their individual learning needs. These may relate to neurodiversity, disability, mental or physical health, cultural background, language, or other aspects of identity and lived experience that may impact engagement in training or assessment processes.

To support this, we have developed an Expression of Accessibility Requirements Form (13.4.7). This form can be used as part of the learning contract between the trainee, the trainer and a supervisor as well as in preparation for examinations.

Trainees are encouraged to complete this form to identify any adjustments or support that would help them participate fully in training and demonstrate their learning in assessments. This may include preferences around teaching formats, processing time, communication styles, rest breaks, or specific access needs. Trainees are also invited to review and update the form regularly, and to share it with those involved in their training and assessment journey, such as trainers, principal supervisors, and examiners, where appropriate.

We also encourage trainers, supervisors, and examiners to reflect on how neurodiversity and other learning needs may show up in the training room or in written or oral assessments. For example, differences in attention, processing, or communication may affect how a trainee participates in group discussions or how they structure their written work. These differences are not deficits, and recognising them helps to foster a psychologically safe, respectful, and enabling learning environment.

When evaluating written assessments during training, we invite trainers to focus primarily on the substance of the trainee’s thinking—how they understand, apply, and reflect on key concepts—rather than on grammar, spelling, or presentation. While clarity of expression is important, it is vital that this does not become a barrier to recognising insight, integration, and clinical competence. Trainees may express their understanding in different ways, and a more flexible and responsive approach to evaluation can help ensure that all trainees have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their learning.

These conversations and adjustments are about upholding fairness and recognising that different learners may need different forms of support to meet those standards. Needs may evolve over time, and we encourage ongoing, open dialogue as part of creating a truly inclusive and reflective training and examining community.

E. Length of training and curriculum

Trainees are encouraged to undertake training at their own pace, acquiring the necessary training hours and fulfilling the national and EATA requirements and preparing in terms of personal readiness. There is no standard curriculum for TA training.

Trainers are free to organize the content, form, style and order of training within the framework of the guidelines set out in this handbook, with special regard to the core competences of the relevant field of specialization (see Section 2).

F. Trainer‑trainee relationship

One of the basic principles of TA training is that trainees actively plan and structure their training and take responsibility for their personal and professional development as well as for their training process.

The principal supervisor is responsible for guiding and assisting the trainee according to his/her/their individual personality, learning style and particular circumstances. The principal supervisor bears part of the responsibility for the trainee’s adequate preparation before he/she takes the examination. Where he/she thinks it necessary and appropriate, the principal supervisor can require that the trainee fulfil certain extra training requirements.

It is important and easier for the trainee to develop their own personal style if they have a broad range of training experiences, and it is therefore important for the trainee to work with several TSTAs, CTA TSs, PTSTAs or PCTA TS with different personal styles and with different emphases on the various approaches to TA. The relationship between principal supervisor and trainee is based upon mutual choice and personal trust. When a trainee decides to change his/her/their principal supervisor, this should be done without prejudice to the trainee. The same applies to the principal supervisor who decides to terminate the contractual relationship with the trainee (see Section 4.8).

3.4 Trainer’s Responsibilities

A. Keeping up to date

It is the professional responsibility of trainers to keep up to date on all current regulations and requirements laid down by the Professional Training Standards Committee (PTSC), and by the Commission of Certification (CoC) as it relates to exam organization. Current information is available from different sources:

• The current EATA Training and Examination Handbook
• The EATA website – PTSC Updating
• The PTSC/COC Connect Newsletter
• Direct mails sent through EATA to all trainers

Principal Supervisors Responsibilities are:

• To have an EATA Training Contract with the candidate, stamped by EATA, the date of stamping is the date of contract validation.

A CTA contract is valid for five years and is renewable (see Section 4).

For written exam submission – there is no time requirement to have a contract in place. It is however recommended to have a contract signed and endorsed 18 months before having submitted the written exam. For CTA oral examination – the contract must be valid (stamped by EATA) no less than 12 months before the date of the oral exam and the candidate must have had 40 hours of supervision with the principal supervisor prior to oral exam (see Section 9).

CTA TS contracts are valid for seven years and can be renewed only once for seven more years. The second contracts must be renewed before the expiration date of the first contract (see Section 4 and 11).

TSTAs contracts are valid for seven years and can be renewed only once for seven more years. The second contracts must be renewed before the expiration date of the first contract, unless elsewhere specified (see Section 4, 11 and 12).

A contract is automatically cancelled if either the trainee or the trainer does not renew his/her/their membership to EATA (see Section 4.6).

Candidates and all Trainers/Supervisors must:

• Ensure they are aware of his/her/their responsibilities: (see Sections 7, 8 and 9 for CTA; Section 11 for CTA TS; Section 12 for TSTA and Section 4.6 for all).
• Raise their awareness of the relevant training and certification requirements.

Principal Supervisors of CTA and CTA TS candidates must in addition:

• Have evaluated at least one written exam.
• Have examined 5 times on at least three separate occasions.
• Have completed a Written Examination Workshop for evaluators.

Principal Supervisors of TSTA candidates must in addition:

• Have evaluated at least one written exam
• Have examined 5 times on at least three separate occasions.
• It is recommended that they have completed a Written Examination Workshop for evaluators.

B. Variations

No variation of the rules will be granted for candidates on the grounds that the trainer did not know the details of current regulations.

C. Exam Documentation

It is the responsibility of candidates and their principal Supervisors, and not of the Commission of Certification (CoC), to ensure that candidates’ exam documentation is complete and accurate.

Trainers must make sure to check the candidate’s documents for completeness and accuracy.

Any candidate who does not present accurate and complete documentation will not be accepted for examination, nor examined.