For me, coaching is a powerful, future-focussed enabling process which facilitates positive change. I use many resources when I am working with individuals but the psychodynamic approach of Transactional Analysis (TA) with its framework of interlocking concepts and tools, gives my coaching practice a robustness and depth which underpins all my coaching conversations.

Listening to the language the coachee uses gives me clues about what might be going on for them, what drives their behaviour, where they might be holding themselves back and not achieving their potential. Teaching them the models and tools means that they can go away and reflect, practice, apply and analyse for themselves what is happening and what options they might have going forward.
I will be listening to hear where they might be discounting – limiting beliefs about self, others or the situation. I may be tracking which Ego State they are in (Parent, Adult or Child) and be looking to decontaminate the Adult by some reality-checking questions. I may teach them Game theory, racket analysis or Working Styles – it all depends on what the coachee is presenting with, and what our contract is between us, and the organisation too if they are paying for the coaching programme.
All the while I am listening and observing my client, I am aiming to monitor myself – which Ego State am I coming from? Am I tracking the contract? Am I getting into one of my drivers – how is that impacting on our conversation? Am I staying out of game invitations, running my rackets, giving enough positive strokes when appropriate?

Over the coming weeks, I will be writing more about the use of TA in the coaching relationship, taking some of the TA tools and showing how they might be applied in the coaching context.
If you have any queries, please be in touch through my website (www.trianglepartnership.com) or Twitter.