2029-5820.26.2.3 Family therapy using the Satir process

Abstract

This article illuminates the contributions of Virginia Satir to the field of family therapy both in terms of theory and practice. She pioneered the concept of viewing the family as a system as well as choosing to focus on the family member’s inner resources rather than their symptoms and pathology. She termed her model, the “Growth Model” versus the “Medical Model”.

Satir’s therapeutic process is described by the author as having six phases: Making Contact, Validating, Facilitating Awareness, Promoting Acceptance, Eliciting Posi­tive Choices and Changes and Reinforcing them. These phases are described along with examples of how Satir applied them in her work with families.