Transactional Analysis Cumbrian Conference 2026

Here you will find an archive of workshops from our 22nd annual conference

Love Matters: Expanding OK-ness in a Troubled World

Nicole Lenner – Keynote Address

We were delighted to invite Nicole Lenner to give our keynote address at the 2026 TA Cumbria Conference. On their chosen theme

What role do life positions (Ernst, 1971) play in organizations? How do they affect relationships within a team, between teams, and between the organization and its environment? During the workshop, I will connect Anita Mountain and Chris Davidson’s three-dimensional model of life positions (2015) with Bernd Schmid’s role model (2008). We will examine how the roles we or our clients play influence the way we see ourselves and others in professional relationships. We’ll then identify strategies to actively strengthen OK-OK relationships.

James Longwell – TA Consultant In A Troubled World TACC 2026

In a world that is increasingly complex, divided, and polarised, the foundational ideas of TA remain highly relevant for organizational work. Organizations impact nearly every aspect of our daily lives, making a TA-informed approach to consulting crucial. This workshop will explore a TA informed consulting model that integrates the ‘Cynefin’ framework, developed by complexity thinker Dave Snowden (outside of TA). Cynefin (pronounced “kuh-nev-in”) is a Welsh word that loosely translates to “place of multiple belongings.” Together, we will use these ideas to co-creatively examine topic(s) of mutual interest.

Piotr Jusik – Many Tongues, One Okayness TACC 2026

This workshop will delve into the complexities of multilingualism and invite participants to investigate their lived experiences of language and culture. In order to, create shared realities we need to step back and consider how the languages we speak shape our awareness. By taking this perspective, we can better appreciate the subtle influences of multilingual communication on the therapeutic and learning encounter. We will explore how multilingualism affects Ego States and engage in problem-solving exercises that draw on the ways we inhabit the past, present, and future. Using the model of Wieczorek (2023), participants will coach each other around a chosen issue, expanding their awareness and deepening their self-understanding through dialogue. As a result, learners will develop a felt sense of how language and multilingualism affect their transactions. They will evaluate their personal relationship with multilingual communication, enhance their capacity for empathy, and cultivate a nuanced appreciation of language that expands OKness.

Gunjan Zutshi, CTA-P PTSTA-P – Love matters – But what about hate?

The theme of the conference resonated very much but as I dwelled more upon it, I was faced with this question – sure love matters, we all know that, but for who? Who do we find easier to love and who do we struggle to find love for? The same me who has immense capacity to love one can hate other with as much intensity. So what is this process of love for one and hate for other? What stops us from accessing love, especially for those who evoke our hatred? So this workshop is to explore these and other questions about our capacity to love and hate at the same time. We understand this from Klein’s seminal work in object relations and many others who built upon it later, that we learn very early on to love and hate, so any exploration of love cannot happen without exploring the other side of the coin. The hope is that in exploring both, we can enhance our capacity to love because love matters! We will explore this in our wider context as members of different communities we are part of and also in our professional roles. The workshop will draw upon relational principles and ideas from Vedanta, one of the schools of Indian philosophy that offers an ancient perspective on OKness.

Anna Zuykova, Psychologist CTA trainee – “Love is the answer” – TA emotional legacy

This workshop is based on Claude Steiner’s idea of Emotional Literacy, its theory and practice, as well as other TA models. Together, we will share and explore, look for the answer “what is love” from a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual perspective, and how it influences our life script, OKness, relationships, frame of reference and general feeling of self. And how to keep a connection with its core and find common ground in the differences of perceiving it, especially when outer and inner processes are not supporting it. There will be a theoretical part combined with exercises, sharings and discussions.

Adam Bekier, MSc, PTSTA-P, CTA-P, ICF PCC – Love in the Time of Cholera – Building OK-ness in the face of fear and uncertainty

In the face of uncertainty, crises, and global threats, it is natural for humans to flee from fear. However, as Heidegger reminds us, awareness of our finitude—being-towards-death—is an inevitable part of human experience. Accepting this perspective, rather than avoiding it, opens up space for a fuller experience of love, authenticity, and closeness. During the workshop, we will explore how transactional analysis can be used to integrate an existential awareness of transience with the development of an OK-ness attitude towards oneself, others, and the world. A particular focus will be on using the concept of resilience—the ability to adapt and regenerate in difficult conditions—as a tool to support patients in moving from fear to acceptance, from paralysis to action, from isolation to connection and relationship.

Nea Clark PTSTA, MSc, Supervisor, ADHD Coach and Author – Learning to Love Our Neurodivergent Selves: Expanding OKness from Within

Neurodivergent individuals often struggle with deep self-criticism, shame, and even self-hatred, leaving them vulnerable to depression, procrastination, and self-doubt. These patterns undermine potential and erode confidence, keeping people from experiencing their full aliveness and worth. In this workshop, we will compassionately explore the origins of these painful internal voices and work together to discover pathways toward self-love. Through reflection and practical strategies, participants will learn how to support themselves or their clients in developing healthier self-worth, confidence, and resilience. Our aim is to expand OKness by embracing the neurodivergent self with kindness, courage, and love.

Milena Markovic, Psychologist (MA), PTSTA(P) – “Am I Good Enough?”: Expanding OK-ness and Professional Confidence in TA

Feelings of self-doubt, shame, stagnation, or the persistent question “Am I good enough?” are common among practitioners, even after years of experience. This workshop presents a new conceptual framework – the Tripod for Professional Confidence and Growth – developed by the presenter to explore how professional confidence can be intentionally nurtured. The tripod rests on three interdependent pillars: • Competence: the practitioner’s evolving integration of theory, skill, and clinical judgment. • Contact: sustained connection with colleagues, supervisors, and the wider professional community. • Reflexivity: the ongoing capacity for self-reflection and for navigating the emotional and ethical dimensions of psychotherapy. Rather than viewing confidence as a fixed personal trait, the model situates it as a relational and developmental process. Central to this process is the cultivation of self-love and a sense of OK-ness, which allows practitioners to meet uncertainty with resilience and compassion. In the wider context of a troubled and divided world, the “tripod” offers a way of expanding our capacity for integrity, love, and professional presence. The workshop will combine theoretical input with experiential and reflective methods, enabling participants to assess their own strengths and vulnerabilities within the “tripod” and to identify concrete steps toward sustained growth.

Mihaela Leocadia Hartescu CTA-P; PTSTA-P, PMH-C and Valeria Villa, CTA-P; PTSTA-P – 50 Shades of Love: From Womb to World, Radical Care in Troubled Times

In this workshop, we will reflect on the cradle of love – our conception stories and the womb as the first spaces of human holding – and explore the roots of love through imagery and theory. Expanding beyond the mother-infant dyad, we view caring for love as a radical political act in the current troubled world. Drawing on our Three-Ego-State Model of Co-Regulation and Layers of support model for intervention, developed through our experience as TA practitioners within perinatal and parental psychotherapy and supervision, alongside insights from other modalities, we will open dialogue on the beauty and cost of love, and on how we can support our clients and ourselves. From a systemic perspective, we aim to normalize ambivalence in parenthood, reduce pathologizing narratives, cultivate compassion for parents and activate layers of support from our communities. This experiential workshop invites participants to co-create a reflective space where theory and practice emerge in dialogue.

Join us for our plenary session and votes of thanks to those involved in making the Conference happen