During my training, I was able to grasp a lesser-known but revealing trait of Eric Berne's personality. I first discovered it through the early writing of the young doctor E. Lennard Bernstein: "Who Was Condom?" In the archives, I had found the title page dating back to December 1940, and I then looked for the text: The tone is brilliant. Moving between historical references, linguistic hypotheses and observations of customs, Berne questions the origin of the term "condom." The text highlights his disposition: an ability to address issues related to sexuality without moralising, while integrating scientific curiosity and cultural sensitivity.

The precursors of this attitude emerge early in his childhood, which Berne narrates extensively in "A Montreal Childhood." Here, he tells us about his first piece of writing, "an ironic article … it was a conversation between two French giraffes and was about amorous effusions" (Berne, 2012, p. 89), which was supposed to be published in his primary school newspaper. Unfortunately, the text was never published. This seemingly marginal episode testifies to an early curiosity and a narrative disposition toward emotional and relational themes.

The book, completed on Dec. 25, 1966, represents a particularly important document for understanding the author's personal and emotional development. This autobiographical work traces his growth from childhood to preadolescence, offering insight into his important relationships with his father and mother. It also provides a significant testimony, reading between the lines, of his emotional and sexual education.

In the same year, Berne held conferences on sexuality at the University of California (UC), the transcripts of which would later flow into the book "Sex in Human Loving," published in 1970. I have the impression that the work of building awareness regarding the sexual component of the script begins precisely with this "contamination." The work presents an image of Berne capable of sharing important aspects of his own history and sexual-affective background with considerable awareness, offering the reader a direct and unidealised look at his development. The autobiographical narrative serves as a gesture of openness and intellectual generosity. It is an implicit invitation to connect with the author's most intimate dimension while reflecting on the universal processes of building an affective and relational identity.

"That year from a schoolmate I had already learned something of Canadian sex, which was, incredibly but undoubtedly, what parents did to have children (even though Archie Masserman, from the house across the street, stubbornly denied that his parents had ever done such a thing). Instead, at Edgemere there was an American type of sex" (Berne, 2012, p. 107).

This type is defined by the use of the condom: "He showed us the prophylactics he had brought with him for the purpose of having sex... I did not know what a prophylactic was, nor even that such a thing existed, but they explained it to me, and that is how I learned about American-style sex. Returning home, this worldly knowledge immediately elevated me to the level of the older boys on the street, who had heard of prophylactics but had never seen one. I put on airs in front of them, thanks to the charisma bestowed upon me by having touched the mystical object in its full reality and having personally known the girl who was about to use it" (Berne, 2012, p. 108).

Eric Berne describes himself as a curious and intelligent young boy who sought information about sexuality in his father's medical tomes. He gave lectures to his schoolmates on the topic of masturbation, discussing the theories in vogue at the time, and attended his first parties. "I went to my first petting party at thirteen: we played Spin the Bottle and then, when the lights went down, Post Office. I mistakenly thought that vigour rather than sensitivity was required, and I tried to excel by giving louder kisses than the others, showing one of the first signs of that social awkwardness that gradually reached its peak of unpleasantness during my college years" (Berne, 2012, p. 124).

Sexual and affective education takes the form of an informal and often fragmentary process. In this process, knowledge, norms and attitudes are acquired through multiple channels, including the family, peer groups, educational institutions and the cultural context. All of these are visible in the text. In particular, dynamics of curiosity, social pressure, imitation and confusion emerge, accompanied by complex emotional experiences such as shame, fear and guilt.

"My chastity was not a simple matter. First it was shyness and fear of disclosure. Then temperance, fear of excess, and a desire not to hurt her. There was pride, fear of rejection, and apprehension, fear of unknown consequences. There was an intransigence in not yielding to just any temptation that was not for the woman who would dispel them all. But these were vague thoughts. More explicit was the desire not to embarrass Mom, upon whom the outcome of any scandal would fall" (Berne, 2012, p. 118).

At 66 years old, Eric Berne reflected on how, there and then in his preadolescence, he viewed his virginity, his first intercourse, his approach to sex and his own arousal. "I blamed their music for my excitement, as if to reply to a hypothetical accuser: 'See? I am not responsible: they started it by sitting at the piano'" (Berne, 2012, p. 137). These experiences are not presented with sensationalist intent. Instead, they serve as revealing elements of how sexual knowledge is acquired in peer relationships and how it is structured in the mind of an adolescent. Eric Berne remains surprisingly relevant today.

During adolescence, a crucial phase for the construction of identity, these dynamics intensify. The comparison with peers, the need for recognition and communication difficulties help shape behaviours that are often characterised by uncertainty and relational awkwardness. Far from being marginal, these elements actively participate in defining the ways in which the individual will experience intimate relationships in adulthood.

From a personal and professional point of view, encountering these texts represented a significant step for me. Even though I had studied Berne's works since the beginning of my training in Transactional Analysis (TA) in 2002, I had not previously delved into "Sex in Human Loving" or his autobiography. At the same time, my training in sexology had developed separately, keeping the fields of sexual-affective education and TA distinct. Reading "A Montreal Childhood" represented a significant discovery for me. It gave me the important permission to combine my two training paths and to use TA to describe sexual development.

In the book "A Layman's Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis," Berne dedicates several pages directly to exploring the strongest human impulses. He states, "For this reason, libido finds its most intense manifestation in sexual desire" (Berne, 1957, p. 50), and he questions when sex first arises. He writes, "We cannot attribute to simple curiosity what may happen between little boys and little girls. In some secluded corner or behind a haystack, events that already provoke very strong emotions at the moment and that can leave indelible memories" (Berne, 1957, p. 100).

That haystack reminds us of what happened to him during his mountain holidays. He then continues by exploring concepts such as sexual perversion, masturbation, homosexuality, transsexuals and transvestites. This reveals a modern Berne who invites his readers to ask questions openly.

A comprehensive systematisation of Berne's reflections on sexuality can be found in "Sex in Human Loving." This is one of the author's most complete contributions on the subject. Sexuality is analysed not as an isolated dimension, but as an integral part of human behaviour and relational dynamics. The author proposes an approach that integrates biological, psychological and social aspects, emphasising how sexual well-being is closely connected to the awareness of one's own behavioural and relational patterns.

The path outlined by Berne involves the reader in a progressive reflection on words, acts, behaviours and relationships, explicitly including sexual intercourse as a significant expression of human interaction. Berne's effort to build awareness around such a delicate and important theme in the construction of one's life is highly commendable. However, the dimension of sexual pleasure, and pleasure in general, is completely excluded from the work. Sex is viewed solely as a reproductive activity. This is an old and now obsolete vision, directly traceable back to the experiences of young Berne.

Yet, it is a vision that broadens, or seeks to broaden. As he noted, "According to the current attitude of broad-minded people, sex is a clean, accepted thing that is here to stay, and therefore we should all face it openly" (Berne, 1970, p. 9). In this journey, the "older" Berne looking back at the "young" Berne seems to accompany those in training as well, guiding them to explore their affective and sexual roots openly. It is as if what has been—even in its most uncertain, curious or imperfect forms—could be recognised and integrated as an essential part of building one's personal and professional identity. This is exactly what happened to me, and from this integration, my Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (TSTA) exam was born.