Effect of Transactional Analysis Training on Self‐Knowledge and Its Constituent Ego States in School Counsellors

ABSTRACT Background Developing self‐knowledge and ego state regulation is essential for counsellors' professional growth and therapeutic effectiveness. Transactional Analysis (TA) training offers a structured approach to fostering self‐knowledge, yet empirical evidence among practicing school counsellors remains limited. Aims This study examined the effectiveness of TA‐based group training in enhancing overall self‐knowledge and its dimensions—Adult, Parent and Child ego states—among school counsellors in Iran. Method From a pool of 68 volunteers, 30 eligible counsellors were randomly assigned to an experimental group ( n = 15) or a control group ( n = 15). A pre‐test/post‐test randomised controlled design was employed using a 29‐item Self‐Knowledge Questionnaire. The intervention consisted of 10 weekly 2‐h TA sessions focusing on ego state awareness and self‐reflection. The control group received no intervention during the study period but was offered the training afterward. Data were analysed using MANCOVA, controlling for pre‐test scores. Results The TA group showed statistically significant improvements in total self‐knowledge and across all ego state dimensions (Adult, Parent, Child) compared with the control group (Hotelling's Trace = 1.04, F (3, 23) = 10.00, p = 0.001, η 2 = 0.51). Univariate follow‐up analyses confirmed large effect sizes, particularly for the Child ego state (η 2 = 0.48) and total self‐knowledge (η 2 = 0.47). Conclusions Findings suggest that TA training effectively enhances counsellors' self‐knowledge and awareness of ego states, which may contribute to improved emotional regulation and counselling competence.