The workshop aims to explore TA theories (some of them) and their use in practice from a vitality perspective. I propose two ideas for reflection and debate.

The first one is that theories have their own vitality. Thus, we will use D. Stern’s (2010) meaning of vitality as a whole (Gestalt) emerging from the experiences of movement, time, space, force and intention, attempting to capture the vitality experience of TA theories. We will play with different words, by which people generally express the vitality or the lack of it, which we will be associated with different theories of TA (e.g. pulsation, wilted, volcanic, tense, dry, etc.)

The second proposed idea is that the vitality in professional practice (psychotherapy, but not only) also depends on the theories which the practitioner uses (more or less consciously). The theories we choose affect our clinical thinking, the way we work, and how feel about the work and the client. The theories not only help us manage ours and client’s subjectivity, but through the theories we choose, we express our own subjectivity. In therapy, we bring both ourselves and our theory (always implicit and sometimes explicit) and the client captures some of both, even though such knowledge remains implicit and unarticulated. We will look at our experience with the theories in practice and their vitalizing or devitalizing influence of it.

The workshop will be interactive and the discussions will be in small groups and in plenary. The participants will be invited to contribute with their own experience with TA theories in practice. The workshop is addressed to all those who know and use TA theories in their professional practice.

---