”Eric Berne as we never knew him”

On April 6, 2025, as part of the Transactional Analysis Festival organized by the MIR-TA Institute in St. Petersburg, a live video conversation was held with Terry Berne – writer, translator, and the son of Eric Berne, founder of transactional analysis. This dialogue connected two locations – St. Petersburg and Spain, where Terry now lives, and offered a rare chance to see Eric Berne not only as the author of a theory but as a living person, a father, and an explorer. Terry shared personal memories of growing up with his father, the atmosphere in which transactional analysis took shape, and the people Eric Berne worked and built friendships with. The conversation is full of warm recollections and vivid personal details. Through Terry’s voice, Eric Berne comes alive as a man of his time, beyond the boundaries of his theory. The format of the meeting – moderated by Yulia Gradova, Director of the MIR-TA Institute, and interpreted by Ekaterina Ermishina-Martyukova, member of the editorial board of the journal ”Transactional Analysis in Russia” – gave the conversation an open and relaxed tone, while the attention to Russian culture and the memories of Terry’s first visit to St. Petersburg added a special note to the dialogue.