Physis—the innate life force described by Eric Berne—has always been foundational to transactional analysis. Yet a review of the TAJ archive suggests that the topic has received relatively limited focused attention. A search of the term “physis” shows 153 references “anywhere,” 19 in abstracts, and only 6 in titles. By contrast, games appears 1,557 times anywhere, 138 in abstracts, and 77 in titles; script appears 1,842 times anywhere, 287 in abstracts, and 164 in titles.

These figures reflect where our theoretical emphasis has historically rested. If TA is fundamentally a growth-oriented theory, then physis deserves more explicit exploration conceptually, empirically, and in application. This theme issue seeks to foreground physis as an organizing lens within developmental transactional analysis (DTA).

A physis-based developmental lens may offer a generative pathway forward. What does physis look like in a team? In an organization? In a community recovering from conflict? In a professional body navigating ethical complexity? How might developmental trajectories manifest at collective levels? What frameworks are needed to study and support systemic growth without reducing systems to “large individuals”?

This theme issue seeks contributions that grapple with these questions conceptually, empirically, and practically.

The focus of this issue is particularly on the application of physis within the developmental fields of counseling, education, organizations, and coaching. We are interested in how physis can inform intervention design, ethical positioning, systems work, leadership development, group facilitation, and institutional transformation.

At the same time, contributions from psychotherapy are warmly welcomed, especially those that illuminate developmental processes beyond symptom reduction and cure and articulate physis as an active clinical construct.

We invite papers that move beyond deficit-based or pathology-centered approaches and instead explore growth, vitality, and developmental potential in individuals and systems. Of particular interest are contributions that extend TA beyond individual psychology and articulate frameworks suitable for relational and systemic contexts.

Possible perspectives and areas of exploration include:

• Reexamining and retheorizing physis within contemporary TA
• Articulating physis as a central construct in developmental TA
• Original developmental frameworks for groups, teams, organizations, or communities
• Applying physis-informed approaches in leadership, governance, and institutional design
• Empirical research on developmental trajectories using a physis-based lens
• Case studies demonstrating how attention to physis influenced intervention choices
• Exploring the relationship between physis, script, autonomy, and resilience
• Ethical implications of a growth-oriented stance in complex systems
• Cultural and contextual considerations in developmental processes
• Integrating physis with systems thinking, complexity theory, or neuroscience
• Working with conflict, trauma, or systemic stress from a physis-informed perspective

We are especially interested in work that demonstrates how physis becomes visible in practice: in contracting, facilitation, supervision, organizational consulting, classroom leadership, clinical decision making, and long-term developmental design.

This theme issue aims to rebalance our discourse by placing growth—not only survival—at the center of inquiry. By bringing physis into sharper theoretical and practical focus, we hope to deepen TA’s developmental contribution across fields.

We invite scholars, practitioners, and researchers to contribute to this important conversation.

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This issue is being coedited by us (Karen Pratt ans Suriyaprakash C).

Suriyaprakash C, PhD, TSTA (Organizations, Counseling), PCC-ICF, is an integrative life coach, educator, and consultant with over 30 years of experience across academia, organization development, and personal growth. A past president of the ITAA and founding trustee and current President of SAATA, he works to advance developmental transactional analysis and growth-centered practice across systems. He lives in Coimbatore, India and can be contacted at suriya@relationswork.in or at +91 99420 81078.

Karen Pratt, TSTA (Education), PCC-ICF, Diploma in Coach Supervision, works as an educator through the roles of coaching, training, and supervising both in the TA and coaching worlds. She is part of the Faculty of Coaching Development leading the delivery of an ACC professional coach accreditation program. Karen has run her own online TA training and supervising practice since 2018, which has grown into rich experiences of trainees from many countries learning together. She is chairperson of the South African Transactional Analysis Association (SATAA). She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, and can be contacted at info@tamatters.co.za or at +27 824508331.

The deadline for submission for this theme issue is 1 August 2027. Please follow the submission requirements posted here.

If you have questions, please contact Suriya and/or Karen by email or phone as listed above.