Norwich: Game Over! Understanding the Dynamics of Everyday Relationships

We all play games – sometimes without even realising it.

From “Poor Little Me” and “Look What You Made Me Do” to “Sweetheart” and “Hit and Run”, these familiar patterns of blame, avoidance, and manipulation show up everywhere – in our clients, in our families, and even within ourselves!

Based on Eric Berne’s classic “Games People Play,” this engaging and often humorous workshop takes a deep dive into the fascinating world of psychological games – the subtle, often unconscious ways we try to get our needs met, avoid intimacy, or protect ourselves from vulnerability.

We’ll explore:
• Why we play these games, and how they develop as attempts to gain strokes, the vital “oil” of human communication.
• How our early experiences of being parented shape the Free Child, Adapted Child, Nurturing Parent, and Critical Parent parts of us.
• How hurt, shame, anger, and rebellion can arise from critical or rejecting early patterns, and how these emotions drive our relational behaviour.
• The Drama Triangle of Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor – how we get drawn into it (and how to get out!).
• Why our desire for belonging and intimacy can lead us to repeat painful dynamics, and what we can do instead.
• The “degrees of games” – from milder misunderstandings to deeply destructive patterns.
• How to recognise, reflect, and respond when others invite you into a game – and how to stop playing them yourself.

Along the way, you’ll get a clear overview of Transactional Analysis (TA) – the brilliant, practical model that helps us understand why we relate the way we do, and how we can change. You’ll see how TA offers fresh insights for counsellors, coaches, and anyone working in a helping profession.
Expect a session full of insight, laughter, challenge, and growth – one that will help you see human behaviour (including your own!) in a whole new light.

You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of:
• Yourself and your patterns
• Your clients’ relational dynamics
• How we can bring more authenticity, awareness, and compassion into every interaction.

Includes all materials and CPD certificate
Refreshments provided; please bring your own lunch