Abstract
Eric Berne (1964) identified six reasons for games: biological, existential, internal psychological, external psychological, internal social, and external social. Bary and Hufford (1990) elaborated on these six factors, describing them as the basis for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning. They explained how each factor must be resolved to achieve a complete homeostatic rebalancing that allows for autonomy, awareness, spontaneity, and freedom from previous script limitations. This article suggests that a seventh factor should be added: the physiological advantage to games. Through early conditioning, a person adopts body armoring that influences the content of the six psychosocial factors. In turn, these psychosocial factors reinforce and maintain the body armoring, thus creating a closed system with strong resistance to change. With some clients this body armor will soften, adjust, shift, and change as work is done on the other factors. However, with some clients, specific bodywork must be added aimed at changing the body armor to facilitate or maintain the work done with the other factors.
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