Could counselling help you change your Life Script?

In Transactional Analysis (TA), a life script is a subconscious life plan formed in early childhood, based on decisions made in response to experiences, parental messages, and interactions. It shapes an individual’s beliefs, behaviors, and expectations about themselves, others, and the world, influencing how they live their life.

Key Points about Life Scripts:

1. Formation: Developed primarily in childhood (often by age 7), based on interpretations of events, parental injunctions (e.g., “Don’t be successful”), and permissions (e.g., “It’s okay to be happy”).

2. Unconscious Nature: Scripts operate outside conscious awareness, guiding decisions and behaviors unless examined and challenged.

3. Components: A life script includes:

• Script Decisions: Early conclusions like “I’m not good enough” or “I must always please others.”

• Script Beliefs: Core beliefs about self, others, and life (e.g., “People can’t be trusted”).

• Script Patterns: Repetitive behaviors or roles (e.g., always being a victim or rescuer).

4. Types of Scripts:

• Winning Script: Leads to success and fulfillment.

• Losing Script: Results in failure or self-destructive patterns.

• Non-winning Script: A mediocre, “good enough” life without major highs or lows.

5. Changeability: Through TA therapy, individuals can become aware of their script, challenge limiting decisions, and create new, healthier patterns.

For example, a child criticized harshly might decide, “I’m unlovable,” leading to a script where they seek approval or avoid intimacy. TA aims to help people rewrite such scripts for healthier outcomes.