Published works
Articles
Over the course of his career, Claude Steiner published dozens of articles in professional journals and popular outlets. We are working to compile a comprehensive listing and, where permissions allow, make the full texts available here.
Work in progress
This section is being developed. We are locating, digitising, and securing permissions for Steiner's published articles. If you have copies of his articles or can help with permissions, please get in touch.
Key publications
The following are among Steiner's most influential published articles. Full texts will be added as they become available.
Script and Counterscript
1966 · Transactional Analysis Bulletin
An early exploration of the life script concept, examining how individuals follow unconscious plans and how those plans can be disrupted therapeutically.
A Script Checklist
1967 · Transactional Analysis Bulletin
A practical clinical tool for identifying the key elements of a patient's life script, designed for use in group therapy settings.
The Alcoholic Game
1969 · Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol
A detailed analysis of the interpersonal games surrounding alcoholism, building on Eric Berne's game theory with specific attention to addiction dynamics.
The Stroke Economy
1971 · Transactional Analysis Journal
Perhaps Steiner's most widely cited article, introducing the concept of an artificial scarcity of recognition and warmth in human relationships.
Radical Psychiatry: An Alternative to Traditional Psychiatry
1971 · The Radical Therapist
A manifesto for a new approach to mental health, arguing that alienation, not illness, lies at the root of most psychological distress.
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