Section 1 – Introduction
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Handbook
1.2 TA and EATA
1.3 The four fields
1.4 Abbreviations Explanation of Terms and Abbreviations
1.5 Updating Policy
1.6 Acknowledgements
1.7 Contact Details
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Handbook Version March 2025.
This eighth edition of the handbook includes text updates based on member enquiries from the ‘Handbook Queries or Requests’ spreadsheet published on the website in December 2024 and updated in April 2025. The formatting has been adjusted for better readability, with increased spacing, and pronouns have been updated to he/she/they. While PTSC acknowledges the use of other pronouns, only these have been included for clarity. Some information regarding Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Accessibility has been added and a new ‘Expression of Accessibility Requirements Form’ has been developed that we encourage all members to use. Finally some textual and formatting changes have been made so that the handbook is congruent throughout.
1.1 The Handbook
This Handbook contains all the information concerning requirements, rules, forms and guidelines related to Transactional Analysis training and Transactional Analysis examinations in all the four fields.
It contains the regulations and guidelines on how to train to become a Certified Transactional Analyst, a Certified Transactional Analyst Trainer and Supervisor of Practitioners and a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst 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).
The official language of EATA is English and the English version is the official version of the Handbook.
1.2 An Introduction to TA and to EATA
Transactional analysis (TA) is a theory of human personality, a theory of social behaviour, and a comprehensive system of psychotherapy originated by Eric Berne, MD, (1910-1970), in the late 1950s. Among the meaningful features of TA is that it is applicable to situations as diverse as counselling, education, supervision, coaching, organizational development, consultation, management training and psychotherapy.
The purpose of the European Association for Transactional Analysis is to promote knowledge and research on transactional analysis, to develop its theory, and to ensure agreed standards of practice. Its goal is also to promote co-operation in Europe in the field of transactional analysis.
1.3 The Four Fields
Anyone who trains in transactional analysis can specialize in one or more of four fields, Counselling; Education; Organizations; and Psychotherapy. Further details are given in Section 2. Wherever possible the regulations in this Handbook apply equally to each field, but where necessary there are particular regulations for each of the fields.
1.4 Terms and Abbreviations
In the Handbook you can find the following abbreviations.
Abbreviation — Meaning
CoC — Commission of Certification – This committee organises and runs EATA examinations.
CTA — Certified Transactional Analyst – This designation represents professional training and qualification in transactional analysis. See Section 4 for Contracts and Sections 7, 8 and 9 for exam information.
CTA TS — Certified Transactional Analyst Trainer and Supervisor – After completing the TEW and receiving endorsement from EATA, candidates undergo further training to qualify as a CTA TS (Certified Transactional Analyst Trainer and Supervisor), enabling them to train and supervise TA practitioners. See Section 4 for Contracts and Section 11.
EATA — European Association for Transactional Analysis
IBOC — International Board of Certification – This committee organises and runs ITAA examinations.
ITAA — International Transactional Analysis Association
PCTA TS — Provisional Certified Transactional Analyst Trainer and Supervisor – Once their training contract is endorsed by EATA, candidates may use the title PCTA TS while completing their training to become a CTA TS. See Section 4 for Contracts and Section 11 for Exams.
PSC — Professional Standards Committee (ITAA) – this committee is responsible for making decisions on and regulating training standards for ITAA
PTSC — Professional Training Standards Committee – this committee is responsible for making decisions on and regulating training standards for EATA
PTSTA — Provisional Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst – Once their training contract is endorsed by EATA, candidates may use the title PTSTA while completing their training to become a TSTA. Section 4 for Contracts and Section 12 for exam information.
STA — Supervising Transactional Analyst – Section 4 for Contracts and Section 12 for exam information.
T&C — Training and Certification (Now PSC)
TA — Transactional Analysis
TA101 — Basic introductory course in transactional analysis – See Section 6 for full information.
TAB — Transactional Analysis Bulletin – this was replaced by the TAJ.
TACC — Transactional Analysis Certification Council – now TAWCS
TAJ — Transactional Analysis Journal – Published by the ITAA.
TAWCS — Transactional Analysis World Council of Standards – is a coordinating body made up of representatives from EATA and ITAA. Its function is to ensure compatible and appropriate standards of training and certification worldwide.
TEW — Training Endorsement Workshop – A Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA) can apply to attend a TEW to begin training as a TA trainer. See Section 10 for full information.
TSTA — Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst – After completing the TEW and receiving endorsement from EATA, candidates undergo further training to qualify as a TSTA enabling them to train and supervise TA practitioners and future TA Trainers and Supervisors. Section 4 for Contracts and Section 12 for exam information.
TTA — Teaching Transactional Analyst – Section 4 for Contracts and Section 12 for exam information.
(C), (E), (O) (P), are abbreviations for, Counselling, Education, Organization, Psychotherapy and follow these designations.
1.5 Updating Policy
Periodic updates to the information contained in this handbook are published on the EATA website www.eatanews.org as PTSC Updating, in the PTSC-COC Connect Newsletter, in the EATA monthly Short and Sweet emails along with the full current version of the handbook. Trainers and candidates must also contact their National Association to check about their regional or national requirements and any revisions of them (see Section 3 para 3.1)
1.6 Acknowledgements
1989 — The first edition of this Training and Examination Handbook was based on the Training Manual originally produced by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transaktionsanalyse. The Professional Training and Standards Committee wishes to thank the DGTA for permission to use their work, and to Charlotte Christoph-Lemke for translating the manual into English.
1993 — The second edition was compiled by Ian Stewart, the EATA Editor, with major contributions from Mary Cox, then Chair of CoC, and Nelly Micholt, past Co-Chair of the Professional Training Standards Committee, (PTSC), and Bernd Kreuzburg, past Co-Chair of PTSC. PTSC is grateful for additional help given by Pio Scilligo and Anne-Marie Guicquéro, then Co-Chairs of PTSC. The proof revisions of the Handbook were coordinated with a major revision of the Training and Certification Manual produced by the Training and Certification Council of Transactional Analysts, (T&C), (November 1991). PTSC is grateful to Robin Maslen, then President of ITAA, and all who contributed to the revision of the manual.
1997 — The third edition was compiled by Ian Stewart, the EATA Editor. It retained the basic format of the second edition but incorporated all the amendments and additions to EATA’s policy on training and examinations that had been introduced in the four years from 1993 to 1996.
2003 — The fourth edition has been updated and extensively revised by a team drawn from TACC, (members of PTSC and T&C). PTSC gratefully acknowledges the Chair, Charlotte Sills, and the many others who contributed – especially Barbara Traynor for her extensive work on presentation and content and Charlie King for creating the forms. Following a new agreement, this Handbook is accepted as the official manual by TACC: the training bodies of EATA and ITAA. The two handbooks now differ only in the matter of administrative detail.
2008 — The fifth edition has been edited and revised by a task force with Dave Spenceley EATA supervising examiner, Charlotte Sills, past chair of PTSC, and Marco Mazzetti, Chair of CoC, with the support of Sabine Klingenberg, chair of PTSC. It incorporates all the amendments and additions to EATA’s and ITAA’s policy on training and examinations that were agreed by TACC and introduced in the five years from 2003 to 2008.
2014 — The sixth edition has been edited and revised by a task force with Elyane Alleysson, chair of PTSC, Sue Eusden, Chair of CoC, and Marco Mazzetti, past chair of CoC and PTSC. It incorporates all the amendments and additions to EATA policy on training and examinations introduced in the years from 2008 to 2014 and regularly published on the PTSC Telegram.
2022 — The seventh Edition has been edited and revised by a PTSC task force led by Sylvie Rossi Chair of PTSC, with the contribution of Christine Chevalier Chair of CoC and with the support and suggestions of innumerable people who have shared their concerns about acknowledging and understanding different realities and perspectives, thus contributing to clarification and better articulation of issues related to training and qualification. This version introduced online options. A special thank you to Giles Barrow, Trudi Newton, Rosemary Napper, Mara Scoliere, Keith Tudor, Cathy McQuaid, Andreas Becker, Sylvia Schachner, Raffaele Mastromarino, Robin Hobbs and all the TSTAs who contributed with their time, questions and reflections to the development of some parts of this Handbook, especially, but not only, in relation to the online meta perspective, as part of the new dimensions of our “online living”. A thank you also to all the trainees and trainers, including all the ones who participated to the WEW (Written exam workshops for Evaluators) who with their questions, have helped us to widen our multicultural frame of reference in our clarifications of training standards.
2025 — The eighth edition this has been updated by PTSC (Alan Jones, Berit Fahlen, Bev Gibbons, Cathy McQuaid (Chair), Christoph Seidenfus (Chair CoC), Mara Scoliere, Patrick Odendall) considering questions and queries raised by members. It incorporates all the amendments and additions to EATA policy on training and examinations as clarified in the spreadsheet published on the EATA website in December 2024 and April 2025. The new formatting of the forms was undertaken by Nicole Lenner and the handbook was completed by Cathy McQuaid.
1.7 Contact Details
See Appendix 1 at end of the Handbook, which gives contact addresses, office holders, and bank details. The Euro is the official currency of EATA. The appendix is updated separately when needed.