Professional Development


20 - Complementary transactions
For example: "Can I go? I don't feel well." And the reply from the Respondent: "Of course. I hope you feel better soon. Take care." Obviously the one who is speaking about how they feel is a Child and the Child addresses a Parent, looking for the protective Parent, and this is exactly what they find: the protective Parent who gives affection and says "Why not. Of course you can go. Hope you feel better. Take care." In this situation, too, we see, in an even more overt way than the previous example, that there is an emotional transaction, but without producing an emotional change; the sender has a need for affection and that is what they get. So, if transactions are complementary, communication continues indefinitely until it achieves its objective and, in general, these should be the most appropriate conversations in the organization and in interpersonal relationships in general.