Eric Berne

Eric Berne
Born	Eric Lennard Bernstein (1910-05-10)May 10, 1910 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	July 15, 1970(1970-07-15) (aged 60) Monterey, California, United States
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Psychiatrist
Known for	Transactional analysis

Eric Berne (born Eric Lennard Bernstein; May 10, 1910 – July 15, 1970) was a Canadian-born psychiatrist best known as the creator of transactional analysis.

Early Life and Education

Eric Berne was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to David and Sara Gordon Bernstein. His father was a general practitioner and his mother was a professional writer and editor. Berne attended McGill University, where he earned his M.D. and C.M. in 1935. He then completed his internship in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.

Career

After completing his internship, Berne moved to the United States and became a naturalized citizen in 1939. He served in the United States Army Medical Corps during World War II, where he worked in various psychiatric roles. After the war, he continued his training in psychoanalysis at the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute.

Transactional Analysis

Eric Berne is best known for developing transactional analysis (TA), a theory of social interaction and communication. TA is based on the idea that people have three ego states: Parent, Adult, and Child. These ego states influence how individuals interact with each other. Berne's work in this area was groundbreaking and led to the publication of several influential books, including Games People Play and Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy.

Major Works

• Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy (1961)
• Games People Play (1964)
• What Do You Say After You Say Hello? (1972)

Personal Life

Eric Berne was married three times and had four children. He passed away on July 15, 1970, in Monterey, California, from a heart attack.

Legacy

Berne's work has had a lasting impact on the fields of psychotherapy and counseling. His theories continue to be taught and applied in various therapeutic settings around the world.

See Also

• Transactional analysis
• Psychotherapy
• Games People Play (book)
• Ego psychology