Write an overview of Ruth Cohen’s TCI.
Indian Journal of TCI
October 2010
6 & 7th Issue
What is TCI ?
TCI is a new star in the firmament of applied humanistic
psychology. It has provided new dimensions to the encounter groups of
the 60s promoted by Carl Rogers. TCI presents a holistic world view,
an attitude and methodology for life enhancement. In addition to the
elements of humanistic psychology, it has in it group therapy and group
dynamics. It promotes transformative learning. It celebrates the fact
which William James highlighted, namely that one can alter his life by
altering his attitudes.
TCI originated in Europe. It was developed by Ruth C. Cohn,
the renowned psycho-analyst who worked with famous psychologists
like Carl Rogers and Virginia Satir. This school used psychology more
for promotion of human potential than for corrective clinical purposes.
Ruth started her career like any other psychiatrist, helping people to
sort out their problems. Later she chose to shift to work in the domain
of life-promotion, with the vision: “that they may have life, and have it
in abundance.” She started using “encounter groups” with certain valueadditions.
Ruth who had to flee to Switzerland during the hard days of
Nazi regime migrated to United States where she developed and
practiced TCI. Later she came back to Switzerland and she passed away
on the 30th of January 2010 in the residence of her friend Helga
Hermann at DÜsseldorf. TCI–known as TZI in German
(Themazentrierte Interaktion) has become popular in Europe as a method
of working with groups in different settings including the corporate
sector. Corporates like Luftansa and Cadbury have been availing the
expertise of TCI-facilitators in their HRD programmes and OD
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October 2010
processes. TCI workshops, offered by qualified facilitators, are in high
demand in Europe.
It was in the late sixties that Ruth developed TCI. But it stayed
on in Europe largely because most of its literature was in German
language. It was Mary Anne Kuebel, a TCI trainer with her basic
qualification in pedagogical sciences, who brought TCI to India in 1991.
She translated into English some of Ruth’s key writings as well as some
papers written on TCI by other experts. Her book is entitled ‘Living
Learning: A Reader in Theme – Centered Interaction.’ In 2009 the second
edition (revised) of this book was published from Kottayam (Kerala),
India.
I had the good fortune to be one of the first Indians to meet TCI.
It appealed to me as an excellent tool for personal and professional
development in India. Being convinced of its relevance in adult and
continuing education I got the Syndicate of Mahatma Gandhi University
to permit me to offer a Diploma Course in TCI from the Department
of Adult Continuing Education, Extension and Field Outreach in 2000
(I was HOD of that department at that time). Mary Anne succeeded in
finding out a team of senior European TCI facilitators who were willing
to come to India to lead the course. We were able to offer Diploma in
TCI to three batches of enthusiastic learners.
TCI is an effectiveness mantra, a vision and formula to make
ourselves more self-fulfilling and effective. This is not an abstract
philosophy. It is an attitude to life and a way of life. Given below are
the essentials of TCI.
Ruth Cohn formulated three axioms which form the fundamental
assumptions of TCI. One of them is that every human being is
psychologically and biologically distinct, and at the same time part of the
universe. Therefore he is autonomous and interdependent at the same
time. The second axiom states that reverence is due to every thing living
and to its growth. This respect for growth necessitates value judgments
in decisions. The third axiom says that free will occurs within
conditional internal and external boundaries; expansion of these
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boundaries is possible. The quality of the exercise of free will will be
higher if we are healthy, intelligent, materially secure and spiritually
mature. Its quality is likely to be poor if we are sick, lacking in good
sense, not reconciled to the facilities available to us, or if we are
under threat or lacking maturity to take decisions.
Within this philosophical frame Ruth developed the TCI symbol
which is a triangle within a circle.
It
We
I
The emblem indicates that “I”, “We”, “It” and “Globe” are the
four systematic elements always present in all contexts of interactive
human life, i.e., in all group processes. All four are connected with one
another and are equal in worth. The factors are:
– The individual whose attention is directed towards himself / herself,
towards the others in the group and to the task which is the focus of
his attention (“I”),
– The participants in the group, who become a group through
their attention to the theme and the interaction within the group
(“We”)
– The task, with which the group is concerned (“It”),
– The environment which influences the group and is influenced
by the group, i.e., the environment in its immediate and farther
consequences (Globe).
The task becomes a theme when it is personalized and localized; that is
when the task moves down (too at the emblem) to the centre of the triangle,
making the process theme-centred interaction. This process of thematizing is
the secret of the effectiveness mantra of TCI.
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In this process of thematizing, two postulates (dictates) are involved,
and they are derived from the TCI axioms.
– First postulate : Be your own Chairperson. That means : Be aware
of yourself and your internal realities and your environment. Look
inside, look outside, and then deside. Give and take according to
how you wish to be responsible for yourself and others.
– Second postulate : Disturbances and strong involvements have
precedence. That means, be aware of obstacles (that are within
you, and those of others) which have the negative potential to
hamper your task-accomplishment. If they are not dealt with,
progress will be difficult, if not impossible.
Ruth Cohn suggested a few “auxiliary rules” to guide group behaviour.
She wanted them to be seen as ‘helping’ rules only, not as
prescriptions, meaning we may use them if we find them helpful
and appropriate. In other words they are suggestive rather than
prescriptive.
– Speak per ‘I’ and not per ‘We’ or ‘One’. That means, speak for
yourself without taking shelter under ‘We’, or ‘One’.
– Decide for yourself as to what you must, may, can, should, have to,
say or do (as well as the opposites of these). That means be aware
of the delicate shades of difference in meaning involved in the
choice of the auxiliary verbs mentioned above, and make a
deliberate choice of how you want to express yourself. Precise
wording is of consequence.
– Be selective and authentic in your communication. That means,
only truth must be said, but not all truths need be said. Decide
for yourself.
– Only one person speaks at a time. Those who wish to speak at
the same time agree among themselves as to who begins.
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– Be cautious with generalizations. They tend to ignore the
uniqueness of individuals and their situations. They are often
judgmental, and they have the tendency to obstruct creative group
process.
– If you ask a question, say why you ask it and make it clear what
that question means to you. Otherwise the purpose of the question
can be misunderstood and it can invite negative responses. Choose
to speak your mind instead of trying to ‘interview’ others.
– Hold back your personal interpretations of others (and situations)
as long as possible. It is preferable to state your own perceptions.
– Be aware of your body’s signals and be aware of those of others.
– If you have to make comments, about the conduct or the character
of another participant or of a person not present in the group, be
careful to make it clear that it is your perception, that fact is how
you see it
Dynamic Balancing : Earlier we saw that there are four systemic
elements (I, We, It, Globe) which are connected to one another and
equal in worth. That means, we require to balance these elements.
What is envisaged here is a dynamic balancing, and not a static one.
Over a period of time of interaction in any group situation, there are
moments when the emphasis has to shift among ‘I’, ‘We’, ‘It’ and
‘Globe.’ For example, let us look at a typically effective day in family
life, seeing family as a group. There are moments, when each
individual needs to be with himself / herself; there are times when
the ‘We’ is emphasized when the entire family eats together, prays
together or discusses something. There are times when ‘I’ am or
‘We’ are at the ‘task’, without much attention to the self or groupfeeling. All this happens with varying degrees of attentiveness to
awareness about the globe. What is true of family as a group is true
of any other group-setting.
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October 2010
This presentation of TCI in a nutshell is like collecting on hand
dew drops from leaves of grass early in the morning. The substance
(H2O) would have been captured, but the sparkle, the charm, the magic
would have gone. The magic of TCI can never be adequately conveyed
through a narration. It has to be experienced. So look for the next
available workshop, which is being led by a really competent TCI
facilitator.
6 & 7th Issue
A Teacher’s Prayer
Dr Elizabeth Samson (Asha)*
braham
Dr. C. Thomas A
Abraham
Give me, Divine Master,
A sincere love for my students,
respect for each one’s unique gift.
May I impart knowledge humbly,
listen attentively,
collaborate willingly,
and seek the lasting good of those I teach.
May I be quick to understand,
slow to condemn, eager to affirm,
while I teach ideas and give training to my students.
May my life and my integrity
open minds and hearts to truth.
May my warm hearted interest in each one
give them a zest for life and a passion for learning.
*Asha, who is Reader in English, CMS College, Kottayam, just completed her
International Basic Certificate in TCI (2010).
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