Ego State Theroy and Therapy

Question 1

What are the three ego states?

Answer 1

Id, Ego and Superego

Question 2

And in recent years?

Answer 2

Parent, Adult, Child states of consciousness

Question 3

How was the child state broken down even further?

Answer 3

Adaptive Child and Free Child ego

Question 4

How was the parent state divided down even further?

Answer 4

Critical Parent and Nurturing Parent ego states

Question 5

Describe the Critical Parent (CP)

Answer 5

You should, you shouldn’t, you have to - pointing your finger, you better not, you are bad.

Question 6

Describe the Nurturing Parent (NP)

Answer 6

Looking down on someone with empathy, sympathy or pity and followed by statements such as you’re a good person, you don’t deserve this, take it easy, take a break

Question 7

Describe the Adult ego state

Answer 7

The adult has time perspective which enables all of the reality testing functions in which humans engage. Goal setting, time management, reflection, and learning from past experience (conscious rather than instinctive or classically conditioned way). The function of the ego state is to coordinate and mediate between the other ego states.

Question 8

What makes someone dysfunctional

Answer 8

when the adult ego state is not in control. The adult ego state allows for rational, objective, decision making and provides balance and perspective. It allows one individual to put him or herself in the place of another (mentally and emotionally) to develop identification with, and understanding of, other people (and relationships with them)

Question 9

Describe the Free Child (FC) ego state

Answer 9

where creativity, spontaneity and joy, anger, rebellion (adolescent rebellion against authority) reside in and emanate from this ego state. When one is participating in large motor physical activities and/or creative endeavours, there is considerable free child involvement.

Question 10

Describe the Adaptive Child (AC)

Answer 10

Strong emotions of anxiety and depression are assc with this state. What do I have to do to be loved and accepted and how can I avoid being rejected and or abandoned? Think of this child as under 5 years of age, they have little or no time perspective.

Question 11

Pay attention to when people are in the Adaptive Child state because

Answer 11

they are depressed or might have anxiety and they have lost the awareness that there is any other way of perceiving the world or experiencing emotions. Merely explaining ego states to your client can be an intervention.

Question 12

What is the goal of Therapy?

Answer 12

To help clients shift ego states - out of the Adaptive Child and back into the Adult state to regain perspective and objectivity.

Question 13

Another way to use ego state models?

Answer 13

Is to conceptualize what is occurring with cognitive-behavioural therapy. Very negative or toxic self comments are automatically emanating from the Critical parent. Constant self-deprecation is directed from the critical parent ego state toward an adaptive child state.

Question 14

Another way is through Egograms

Answer 14

Another word for it is histrograms.

Question 15

Ego State Deprivation

Answer 15

Can increase clients self-awareness regarding deprivations of particular ego states. There could be a self-sabotage mechanism occurring psychologically as a result of free child deprivation. Free child activities are often needed. Because some people don’t receive the nurturing from their parents it is good to assign homework that increase self-nurturing.

Question 16

Using Future Self

Answer 16

Using imagery/hypnosis is facilitating communication between one’s own adult and nurturing parent states and the other states. Imaging walking on a road talking with your future self. This client can often provide wisdom and perspective concerning their own current problems and emotional states by consulting with their own future selves.

Question 17

Develop Awareness of “core self”

Answer 17

Get in touch with one’s core self. take deep breaths and focus on their breath physically . Become aware of colours which are part of themselves, become aware of sounds, shape/object, scene or type of movement. This deepens their awareness of their own future selves.

Question 18

Using Screens

Answer 18

When exploring traumatic experiences have the client put a screen between the events and their current selves as they observe. Behind the screen is their future self who provides commentary on the scene and the activities they observe. They help the client to develop perspective and insight regarding events which were previously experienced only in the child states.

Question 19

Using Ego States in Couples Work

Answer 19

If one partner is talking to the other partners child ego state from his own child ego state there are no problems. If the communication is adult to adult or parent to parent or parent to child and child to parent. Problems occur when one partner is trying to speak adult to adult while the other is speaking from his or her child ego state to the other partners parent ego state. This is known as crossed communication and both partners will experience frustration and disappointment.

Question 20

In order to function the relationship must include both free child and critical parent along with a healthy dose of adult egostate activity and energy.

Answer 20

If one partner is hogging all the free child (spontaneous, irresponsible, fun activities) and the other partner will have to spend their time in the first two ego states (CP and A). Or a couple who is emersed in their free child ego states and neglects the other states who experience the financial and physical collapse of their surroundings after a series of months ignoring their responsibilities and obligations

Question 21

One final benefit of the concept of ego states in psychotherapy

Answer 21

is the facilitiation of communication regarding complex emotional and intellectual experiences between clients and therapists, using these ego state terms. Often allowing clients to diagram their ego states activities or have therapists diagram their recommendations or interpretations provides considerable clarification over mere verbal descriptions, recommendations and experiences)