Adaptive Parent:

The adaptive parent — in transactional analysis (TA) developed in the 1950s by psychiatrist Eric Berne — is the parent ego state. It’s the part shaped by accommodating, modifying, or softening parental rules in response to context and relationship. Unlike the rigid or critical aspects of the “parent”, the adaptive parent can be flexible, responsive, and attuned — able to uphold values while adjusting expectations. When healthy, it supports guidance with compassion. When distorted, it may over-accommodate, moralize gently, or prioritize harmony over truth.