ABSTRACT
Transactional analysis ego state theory lends itself to a contemporary interpretation of the mind as a multiplicity of discrete self-states that form a nonlinear dynamic system. This model suggests that a healthy mind develops when differentiated self-states are integrated to create a complex, flexible, coherent system. The interpersonal context determines which experiences can become conscious and which remain unformulated. This idea is consistent with the importance of interpersonal dynamics in determining intrapsychic structures within transactional analysis theory. Working with traumatized clients ultimately involves rebuilding trust and the possibility of depending on the other. M. Mazzetti vividly described the loss of trust in humanity that arises from severe trauma. The interpersonal context is crucial not only to the development of trauma but also to the therapeutic process. Theories of enactment, in contrast, view the events as opportunities for dissociated experience to be symbolized. Dissociation and enactment offer a powerful form of self-protection while compromising the potential for intimacy.
