CTA Contracts & Treatment Planning in TA 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a therapeutic contract in TA?
- To protect the therapist legally
- To establish a clear, mutual agreement about the goals and methods of therapy (Correct answer)
- To set payment terms
- To diagnose the client
Correct answer: To establish a clear, mutual agreement about the goals and methods of therapy
A therapeutic contract in TA establishes a clear, mutually agreed upon statement of the goals and methods of therapy, reflecting both therapist and client responsibility.
Question 2: According to TA, what are the three levels of contract?
- Legal, Ethical, Clinical
- Administrative, Professional, Psychological (Correct answer)
- Social, Professional, Existential
- Behavioral, Emotional, Cognitive
Correct answer: Administrative, Professional, Psychological
TA identifies three levels of contract: administrative (practical arrangements), professional (therapeutic goals and methods), and psychological (the deeper, often unconscious aspect).
Question 3: What makes a TA contract 'Adult to Adult'?
- Both parties are over 18
- Both therapist and client engage as autonomous, informed adults with mutual agreement (Correct answer)
- The contract uses adult language
- It excludes emotional content
Correct answer: Both therapist and client engage as autonomous, informed adults with mutual agreement
An Adult-to-Adult contract means both therapist and client operate from their Adult ego states — making informed, autonomous, and mutually agreed upon commitments.
Question 4: What is a 'psychological-level contract' in TA treatment planning?
- A secret agreement
- The deeper, often implicit agreement that reflects the client's script and resistance (Correct answer)
- A psychoanalytic term
- A nonverbal contract
Correct answer: The deeper, often implicit agreement that reflects the client's script and resistance
The psychological-level contract addresses the deeper, sometimes unconscious elements of the therapy agreement, including how the client's script may influence the therapeutic relationship.
Question 5: What is the difference between a 'business contract' and a 'treatment contract' in TA?
- They are the same thing
- The business contract covers practical and administrative arrangements; the treatment contract addresses therapeutic goals (Correct answer)
- The business contract is verbal; the treatment contract is written
- The treatment contract is only for long-term therapy
Correct answer: The business contract covers practical and administrative arrangements; the treatment contract addresses therapeutic goals
The business contract addresses practical matters (fees, scheduling, confidentiality), while the treatment contract focuses on the specific goals and methods of therapeutic work.
Question 6: What characterizes a 'good' therapeutic contract in TA according to Claude Steiner's criteria?
- It should be long and detailed
- It must be specific, measurable, achievable, legal, and involve mutual consent (Correct answer)
- It should address every possible outcome
- It must be written by the therapist alone
Correct answer: It must be specific, measurable, achievable, legal, and involve mutual consent
A good TA contract is specific (clear behavioral terms), achievable, legal, within the therapist's competence, and agreed upon by both parties.
CTA Contracts & Treatment Planning in TA 1
What is the primary purpose of a therapeutic contract in TA?