Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

SAGE celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Counselling in Action in November 2008. To view the video - click here

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Praise for the First Edition :

`Ian Stewart has made the difficult link between theory and practice clear without being patronizing. This is valuable for everyone interested in TA since many concepts can only be fully assimilated when linked to actual examples. Even if you are not in clinical practice, this book would be a useful addition to your library and, for anyone in training or beginning practice, this is required reading′ - Group Relations

Transactional Analysis Counselling in Action, Third Edition meets a demand for a clearly-written step-by-step account of the process and practice of using transactional analysis to promote personal change.

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This book retains the successful overall structure and organisation of the popular earlier editions, but has been fully revised. Key features of this new edition include:

" concise, "hands-on" descriptions of current techniques and concepts in transactional analysis, presented in an accessible style that is immediately useful to the practitioner

" the sequence of chapters ordered to reflect successive stages in the typical process of therapeutic change using transactional analysis. This assists in building understanding and application of transactional analysis step by step, in the order that is likely to arise during actual psychotherapy or counselling

" expanded discussion of the protective procedure known as "closing the escape hatches" (no-suicide, no-homicide, no-go-crazy decision), including possible contra-indications

" a single extended case history that runs through the book to illustrate practice and theory

" "Key Ideas" panels which provide summaries of the main ideas that are described in each section or chapter

" "Self-supervision sequences" offering suggested checklists of questions that readers can use in appraising their own work with clients.

In this revised Third Edition of his bestselling guide, Ian Stewart offers trainee and practising psychotherapists and counsellors an introduction to the core concepts and basic techniques of transactional analysis.

Ian Stewart is Co-Director of The Berne Institute, Nottingham. He is accredited by the ITAA and the EATA as a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Part 1 The TA Framework
• Counselling with TA
• Planning the Route to Change
• Mapping the Structure of Problems
• Separating Past from Present
• Part 2 The Process of Counselling With TA
• Taking the First Steps
• Exploring a Childhood Life-plan
• Blocking Tragic Outcomes
• Making Contracts for Change
• Challenging Outdated Beliefs
• Making New Decisions
• Ending Counselling

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Stewart (University of Nottingham), a tutor in transactional analysis (TA) and a supervising examiner to the European Association for Transactional Analysis, has recently coauthored a textbook on the basic theory of TA (I. Stewart and V. Joines, TA Today, 1987). This present book is intended as a practical guide to the use of TA in counseling. With a focus on practical application, it includes only a brief introduction to TA and then provides in-depth coverage of selected areas of current TA which have the most to offer the practicing counselor. Two linked concepts provide structure to the presentation: treatment direction and treatment sequence, with an extended case history running through the book to illustrate practice and theory. Although the writing is succinct, the book succeeds in presenting TA as an important, interesting, and intelligible framework for understanding and promoting constructive psychological change. It is written primarily for counselors or counselors-in-training whose backgrounds have been in counseling methods other than TA and who are interested in adding TA resources to their counseling skills. It is also suitable for the general public. References; combined author and subject index. D. Sydiaha University of Saskatchewan

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Ian Stewart is Co-Director of The Berne Institute, Nottingham. He is the author of Eric Berne (Sage, 1992) and Developing Transactional Analysis Counselling (Sage, 1996), and co-author (with Vann S. Joines) of TA Today (Lifespace, 1987)