We are delighted to receive the news that the International Transactional Analysis Association has selected Janice Dowson as the recipient of this year’s Muriel James Living Principles Award.
Here is an excerpt from her nomination:
Janice has made significant contributions to transactional analysis, the ITAA, and the TA worldwide community. In doing so, and in her personal life, she has consistently lived the principles of TA, including demonstrating clear Adult thinking, joyful creativity, compassionate ethics, and a lack of gaminess in transactions.
She models egalitarian relationships and promotes an “I’m OK, You’re OK” atmosphere in both professional and personal arenas and has thereby improved the quality of life and development of individuals, groups, and the community at large. She has, in many ways, been active in the international advancement of the principles of transactional analysis both professionally and personally.
Although Janice’s many contributions would qualify her for other ITAA awards, this one is particularly meaningful because of Janice’s warm personal relationship with Muriel, including staying in touch and visiting her during Muriel’s later years.
In addition to the three primary nominators—Lucy Freedman, Charlotte Daellenbach, and Bill Cornell—the following ITAA members and friends are supporting this nomination: Inger Acking. Tom Burton, Leonard Campos, Richard Erskine, Felipe Garcia, Thorsten Geck, Robert Hempel, Gloria Noriega, and Reiko True.
Congratulations to Janice and much appreciation for all you do to support TA, NATAA, and ITAA!
We don’t announce everyone’s birthdays in our NATAA community – but when it’s a 104 th birthday, of someone who is still leading an amazing life – we are delighted to be able to send our love and greetings to our dear Fanita English.
In July, the International Transactional Analysis Association held an awards ceremony, where they presented her with the Fanita English Lifetime Achievement Award, named in her honor. Fanita gave her acceptance speech over zoom, to the admiration and appreciation of the worldwide community, even as some were participating in the middle of the night in their far-flung time zones. The reason for all this attention is not “just” a long life.
Fanita’s achievements in the field of TA are as both a theoretician and a practitioner. She was Eric Berne’s first student at his institute in Carmel, California, founded her own Institute in Philadelphia, and conducted training and therapy in many countries as well as giving presentations at conferences and serving on the Board of the ITAA.
Among her contributions are the concepts of substitute feelings, childhood adaptations, episcripts, and motivators. Her articles have appeared in the Transactional Analysis Journal, including those for which she received the Eric Berne Memorial Award in 1978 and again in 1997. You can find many details of her life and work at this dedicated site created by her trainee and friend Joachim Karnath.
While we recognize her many awards and achievements, it’s Fanita as a person we are celebrating. From her creative and clever solutions to challenges she faced in her childhood and through World War II, her solving problems in mental health, especially with institutions serving children, to her commitment to theory and teaching in many discussions with colleagues, Fanita has always been energetic, interesting, interested, and willing to challenge the status quo. Her unique style creates an impression that people never forget. And if she wants you to get a point that she is making, she will do her best to ensure that you get it!
One of Fanita’s qualities is being a learner about life, taking in new ideas and practices, and passing them on. For example, in recent years, she has shared her practice of being able to meditate for short or long periods of time, letting go of the urgency of the immediate moment.
So let us celebrate Fanita and all the joys, sorrows, and wisdom of a life that is still being well-lived!
The 2018 ITAA Service Award has been given to NATAA member Lucy Freedman. For many years, Lucy has shared and promoted the message of Transactional Analysis. She has organized several international TA conferences and has overseen the annual Jamaica Gathering. Lucy is currently is working with leaders of the Southeast Institute in planning the upcoming 50th Anniversary Conference next summer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Lucy’s many contributions are too numerous to list here, but we thank her for all of them. Well done, Lucy!
Recently Abe Wagner was presently NATAA’s M&M Award by council member Laurie Weiss.
Laurie said “On behalf of the NATAA council, we are delighted to present the M&M award to acknowledge your many years of service and leadership to NATAA. This award is presented to honor a member who embodies the spirit of two of our guiding founders, Muriel James and Mary Goulding. It honors your leadership, which includes your work on the development of TA world-wide by teaching TA in over 35 countries, all 50 states, over 700 CEOs in chapters of YPO and Vistage, as well as your years of serving on the NATAA Council.”
The M & M Award was first presented in 1991 in Stamford, Connecticut. The M&Ms in this bowl commemorate the M&Ms Muriel and Mary used to celebrate the inauguration of the 1984 NATAA conference in San Francisco.
Abe offered his thoughts “I was both quite surprised and very honored to receive the M&M Award. It means so much to me to be recognized by my peers. I’ve had an ongoing love for TA and the practitioners that I’ve had the honor of knowing and working with since 1970. The TA world has been a major priority of mine because it stands for the values I hold dear and wonderful practical content and techniques that so many people benefit from. I’ve now completed roughly 800 seminars for executive groups. I continue to train, at age 82, and limit myself to 60 engagements a year for Vistage, YPO and the corporate and nonprofit world. I will also be one of two keynote speakers at the Singapore and Australia TA conference this year.” Congratulations Abe Wagner!
We welcome new NATAA members from Singapore, and congratulate them as new TA Practitioners.
Dr. Jessica Leong Lai Cheng, TSTA who is a Transactional Analysis Practitioner Instructor, has certified 34 individuals have met the requirements that are required for the TAP Certificate. We are delighted to know that we have new TA friends and colleagues in Singapore!
Networking is a priority for our NATAA community. Like your group, we seek to keep up with the latest advances in TA theory and practice, as well as share the TA message at home, at work, and at school. We have our TA Circles that may be a resource for you in your particular area of interest. Our groups include, Psychotherapy, Coaching and Self-Development, and Social Justice. We are adding to our TA resources regularly (including online TA workshops), and welcome your suggestions, blog posts, photos, stories, and links for TA resources.
We welcome you to NATAA!
Sincerely,
Catherine O’Brien,
GC of NATAA
TAP Instructor and LMFT
Knowing how to play is one of the characteristics found in NATAA members, and especially, our Council. We spent two days meeting in Tucson this spring, covering everything from membership and budget to social media and visions for the future. We even beamed in Cheryl Leong from San Francisco by laptop for part of the meeting. Thanks to Dianne Maki for making comfortable and fun arrangements. As you can see, we enjoy each other’s company as well as our productive work.
