Our much-valued and widely respected colleague in Transactional Analysis (TA), Diane Salters, has retired. On Dec. 20, Diane marked this milestone with her husband, Peter Willis, signifying a major moment in a long and distinguished career.

Diane Salters’ engagement with TA began in London in 1976 after reading "I’m OK, You’re OK" and joining a therapy group with Mavis Klein—an experience she describes as life-saving. She soon began using TA in her work with young people in a specialist unit for school refusers and excluded pupils.

After moving to Gloucestershire in 1980, Diane found herself unexpectedly co-running a TA group in a children’s home when the director disappeared, leaving both financial and relational chaos behind. With immediate support from Gordon Law, who stepped in to co-facilitate, this period became a formative and invaluable apprenticeship. She joined the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA) and the Institute of TA (UK) in 1981 and began training at Metanoia in 1982 with Petrūška Clarkson’s first training group.

Diane achieved her Certified Transactional Analyst (CTA) designation in 1985, later training in Integrative Psychotherapy. She remained active internationally through Training Endorsement Workshops (TEWs), academic study, and professional development, including achieving Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (TSTA) status in 2012. Alongside her clinical work, she was deeply engaged in political and community work, particularly in South Africa, using TA in non-governmental organization (NGO) and local government contexts.

Her service to the TA community has been extensive: an ITAA Board member, Regional Representative for Africa and Asia, Secretary of the South African Transactional Analysis Association (SATAA), co-chair of the 2008 World Conference in Johannesburg, Vice President of Development, and ITAA President (2017–2019). She has been recognized with the Hedges Capers Award and the ITAA Service Award.

Diane retires having made a lasting contribution to TA as a practitioner, leader, and advocate for ethical, socially engaged practice. We very much hope this is not the last of her involvement, and that her wisdom, presence, and contribution will continue to be part of the life of the ITAA.