About WPATA
Identity Statement PDF Print

WPATA was founded in 1982 by Margaret White, and her husband Jeff White, to meet the need for a Transactional Analysis training and examining body in the Western Pacific region. The WPATA organization sustains the theory and philosophy of Transactional Analysis originally developed by Eric Berne.

The organization continued to develop and in November 1996, WPATA was granted National Accreditation for its courses. Growth continued and in early 2000 WPATA became the sole organization representing TA training and examining for all of Australia. It continued to form close links with other eastern countries and had Jessica Leong from Singapore on its board. In 2002 a mutual recognition agreement was signed between ITAA and EATA which means WPATA has Mutual Recognition within the International Training and Certification Body for Transactional Analysis and European Training Association. WPATA is a mutually re-cognized body in Transactional Analysis Certification Council Association. By 2009, the board consisted of members from Australia and New Zealand.

The original intent of WPATA was to be the regional body for Asia, Australia and New Zealand.  The mutual recognition of WPATA’s training and examining processes proved advantageous.  However, governmental restrictions prevented Singapore from active involvement in a regional body.  There were increasing demands on Australia with Australian training and course accreditation and the newly formed Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and these were not regional issues.  It became increasingly clear that a new regional body needed to be formed on an equal basis with New Zealand.  In 2008, both WPATA and NZTAA voted in changes to their own respective constitutions and agreed to form the new regional body.  This means that WPATA will become an Australian TA organization and belong to the co-jointly formed regional body with New Zealand.   As at 2009 all of these processes are in implementation.

 
Mission Statement PDF Print
WPATA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the understanding and acceptance of transactional analysis and its theories and practice. WPATA is committed to the promotion of transactional analysis nationally and internationally through liaison and cooperation with ITAA, EATA, with other associations worldwide, and adhering to a stated strict code of professional ethics.
 
Aims and Objectives PDF Print
  • To promote excellence in the practice of transactional analysis in countries of the western side of the Pacific Ocean.
  • To encourage and foster the provision of transactional analysis based therapeutic and counselling services to the community by training transactional analysis practitioners to the highest professional standards.
  • To conduct and co-ordinate Level I & Level II examinations for WPATA candidates.
  • To establish appropriate examination pre-requisites and continuing education for the WPATA region.
  • To foster cooperation, and to foster reciprocity of certification with other international and national regional bodies having similar intents and standards, and to provide an examination system of similar standards and structure to those of ITAA.
  • To encourage publication in the sphere of transactional analysis and if the Board chooses, to publish material in its own right.
  • To collect funds for furthering the primary objects of WPATA.
  • To do all other acts of things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects of the Association.
 
History PDF Print
By Kate Meredith

In the early 1980's the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA), to meet the requirements of the National Health Department in the USA, needed to increase its training standards. This led to the birth of two TA children called EATA and WPATA: the European Association of Transactional Analysis and the Western Pacific Association of Transactional Analysis.

At the 1984 TA Conference in Switzerland, representatives from England, France, Germany and other European nations, as well as members of the Western Pacific region, Australia and many Asian countries, discussed the implications of the changes in ITAA's required hours of training. It was decided by many non-US countries that it was not necessary for them to adopt the raised hours required by ITAA.

Furthermore, from this discussion, it was decided to be separate from ITAA. Jeff and Margaret White, along with ten founding members, started a training and examining body for the Western Pacific region of the world. This body, the Western Pacific Association of Transactional Analysis, formed in 1985, encompasses all of Australia, Asia and New Zealand.