ABSTRACT
One of the aims of Transactional Analysis (TA) therapy is deconfusion of the Child ego state. Although Berne developed the term, he never defined it clearly, or explained what confusion of the Child ego state is. It is important to remember here that although TA uses commonplace language, it tends to be used in a different way, and with a different meaning to its usual dictionary definition. Therapeutic work and psychoeducation to help clients develop their emotional awareness and granulation can be especially useful when integrated into treatment plans for the first few sessions of therapy. A simple intervention to support emotional awareness is to invite clients to think about different emotions and come up with different words to describe variations in intensity of each emotion. One model specifically designed for emotional granularity is the valence-arousal circumplex chart. The model has two axes: one for emotional valence, the other for arousal, or emotional intensity.
