Satir Family Therapy

Assumptions-Tend toward positive growth - actualize one’s potential, pain symbolizes the need for growth

-All people have what it takes to achieve positive growth

-Everything is connected - Gregory Bateson; reciprocity; growth is the result of relationships and interactions

-Client as the expert - each person responsible for themselves; all relationships are equal

Parent Parent

Child

Child

Body, Mind, FeelingsThe second Triad

Communication

Self-Worth

Survival Stances

PlacaterBlamer

Superreasonable

Irrelevant

Congruence

Goals of Therapy

Assessment

Therapeutic Structure

Status Quo

• A family with one acting out member

• How do family members maintain the status quo?

Intro of Foreign Elements

• Tragedy, crisis, off-balance system

• You disrupt the status-quo

Chaos

• Things feel uncomfortable - change is initiated - what do we do?

• Therapist over functions; normalizes feelings; examines FOO, family rules (games)

New Possibilities

• Interprets change in a way that makes sense to the family/couple/individual

• Dormant resources (hidden empathies - mom plays the role of “observer”) What change is possible?

Practice

• Can each person grow? Are symptoms improving?

• Unexpected

• Implementing new changes and practicing those changes; enactments; how has awareness changed?

New Status Quo

• No symptomatic member - all have the same capacity to grow and thrive.

Iceberg

Worth and Esteem

• Esteem can be artificially high

• Self-Compassion: acceptance of limitations and value

• esteem: perception of qualities/characteristics

• worth: perception of inherent value

Ingredients of an Interaction• Facts

• Meanings

• Feelings

• Feelings of feelings

• Defenses

• FOO Rules or Beliefs/Myths

• Reactions/Responses

Satir Video