ABSTRACT
The Ware sequence is a commonly taught piece of TA theory, and one which has immediate appeal in its simplicity, and also its sense of being systematic, and guiding the therapist in their interventions. The division of a client's experience into thoughts, feelings and behaviours is in many respects a false ‘trichotomising’ (ibid.) which does not account for the complex and multifaceted nature of a client's experience, which will at any given moment include thoughts, feeling and behaviour as a whole. Focusing on one aspect of the client's experiencing also does not pay sufficient attention to the client's unfolding phenomenological process in the moment. The three ‘doors’ of the Ware sequence are the open door, or where the client is most receptive, the trap door or where the client is most defended, and the target door or the area where the most change will take place.
