Abstract
This Meta Model brings together seemingly disparate schools of psychology into a new theoretical framework. It uses for its unifying criteria: a) an Elliptical Diagram, b) Four Universal Themes, and c) Epistemological and Ontological Prototypes. For illustrative purposes, this paper utilizes aspects of a) Freud's Psychosexual Oral and Anal Stages, b) Mahler's Autistic, Symbiotic and Separation-Individuation Phases, c) Berne's Scripts, and d) Beavers' Style-Function Family Approach.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Beavers, W. R. (1977). Psychotherapy and growth: A family systems perspective. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Berne, E. (1961). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy. New York: Grove Press.
Berne, E. (1972). What do you say after you say hello?: The psychology of human destiny. New York: Grove Press.
Boyce, M. (1985). TA in 2009, Transactional Analysis Journal, 15, 232–235.
Cohen, R.S. (1968). Science—life and death. Boston: Boston University Press.
Efran, J. S., Lukens, M.D. & Lukens, R. J. (1990). Language structure and change: Frameworks of meaning in psychotherapy. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
Ferguson, M. (1979). The aquarian conspiracy. Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher.
Freud, A. (1966). Normality and pathology in childhood. New York: International Universities Press.
Harman, W. W. (1991) Reconciling Science & Metaphysics. In B. McNeill and C. Guion (Eds.) Noetic sciences collection 1980–1990: Ten years of consciousness research (pp. 110–116). Sausalito, California: Institute of Noetic Sciences.
Liebert, R. M., Poulos, R. W. & Marmor, G. S. (Eds.) (1974). Developmental psychology: Edition 2. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Mahler, M., Pine, F., & Bergman, A. (1975). The psychological birth of the human infant: Symbiosis and individuation. New York: Basic Books.
Rinsley, D. B. (1980). Treatment of the severely disturbed adolescent. New York: Jason Aronson.
Saxe, J. G. The Blind Men and the Elephant, in Stevenson, B.E. (1943). The home book of verse for young folks (rev. ed.). New York: Holt.
Seeman, M. (1958). On the meaning of alienation. American Sociological Review, pp. 783–791.
Stein, J. (Ed. in Chief) (1967). The random house dictionary of the english language (Unabridged Edition). New York: Random House.
Stewart, I. & Joines, V. (1987). TA today: A new introduction to transactional analysis. Nottingham and Chapel Hill: Lifespace Publishing.
Stolorow, R. D. & Lachman, F. M. (1980) Psychoanalysis of developmental arrests. New York: International Universities Press, Inc.
Whyte, L. L., (1950). The next development in man. New York: Mentor Books.
Yalom, I. D. (1989). Love's executioner & other tales of psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
Zerin, E. (1984). The ‘q’ model. Transactional Analysis Journal, 14, 48–62.
Zerin, E., (1989). Epistemology and psychotherapy. Transactional Analysis Journal, 19, 80–85.
Zerin, E., (1991). Epistemologie et psychotherapie. Actualities En Analyse Transactionnelle, 15, 185–192.
Zerin, E., (1995). Methods of Human Knowing. Transactional Analysis Journal, 25, 150–155.
Zerin, E. & Zerin, M. (1986). The ‘q’ model for the effective management of personal stress. New York: Gardner Press, Inc.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zerin, E., Zerin, M. A Meta Model for the Unifying of Psychological Theories. Pastoral Psychology 46, 55–75 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023024004081
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023024004081