Some Recollections of Virginia Satir

SUMMARY

The following excerpts are taken from several hours of conversation with Virginia Satir in which Virginia shares her personal reminiscences of herdevelopment as a therapist and the intellectual environment that stimulated some of her most creative work. She reflects on her association with Gregory Bateson and other prominent theorists in the field. In deceptively concise language, she puts forth her own seminal ideas on the complex nature of change and the processes that underlie family therapy and group therapy.     

The Tao of Virginia Satir

SUMMARY

This article looks at the Tao of Virginia Satir which is exemplified by her apparent effortless manner of facilitating change with respect and congruence. She worked with the ‘rejects’ of the psychiatric community and was successfully able to make changes to their lives by contacting their inner ‘spirit’ while loving them. Her apparently simple and respectful Tao of communication and ability to contact the life force accounted in part for the powerful transformations she made with individuals and large systems.     

Virginia Satir: An Integrated, Humanistic Approach

This article traces professional and personal influences that helped Virginia Satir to shape her worldview. She was an integrative humanist who included body, mind, emotional, and spiritual processes to transform systems ranging from the molecular to the cosmic. Her theories and techniques offered a wellspring of hope and possibility to individuals as well as large assemblies. The presentation of a case with young, abused children demonstrates her use of self (through physical touch) by sensitively reframing the cycle of violence as an opportunity for safe, cooperative contact.     

The Triadic Concept in the Work of Virginia Satir

SUMMARY

For Virginia Salir the primary family triad is the major source of learning during the developmental years. In spite of the difficulties inherent in its structure, the triad holds the potential of being a great source of strength and nurture for the individuals involved. The various ways in which Virginia has used the triadic concept in her work are discussed.     

The Impact of Virginia Satir on Prevention of Destructive Behaviors and Promotion of Wellness

SUMMARY

This paper reviews the impact of Virginia Satir's communication work as reflected in the Say It Straight program for prevention of destructive behaviors and promotion of wellness with young people, parents and other adults in many settings such as classrooms, student support groups, juvenile detention, cooperative learning teams, chemical dependency treatment and prison. Results of 13 years of research and training with the Say It Straight program show the applicability of Virginia's work in preventing alcohol/drug related school suspensions, juvenile criminal offenses, precocious sexuality/pregnancy, and in promoting good communication skills, self-esteem, positive relationships, and quality of life.     

Youth Suicide Intervention Using the Satir Model

Youth suicide is a social issue that needs serious consideration among families, therapists and helping professionals. This article presents an actual case of a youth who completed suicide, and discussion of the hypothetical Satir model treatment of this youth while alive. The Satir model has numerous interventions that have current applications toward dealing with suicidal youth in a humanist and hopeful way, fostering youths' desire to live and to become more positively involved in their lives. In the past, Satir focused on coping stances in communication, and now the coping stances give a deeper understanding into the internal world.     

Theory and Practice of the Satir System

SUMMARY

A brief overview of Ihe theory and practice of the Satir System showing the major dynamics of past and present family systems; how the present is influenced by past learnings -conscious and unconscious; the many innovative ways creating the possibilities of new views of old matters; the concept of taking responsibility for behavior changes in meeting the realities of the present more productively.     

Correction to: Development and Validation of Perceived Self-Transformation Scale for the Satir Model

Contemporary Family Therapy -     

Development of a Congruence Scale Based on the Satir Model

The Congruence Scale derives from the construct of congruence, the goal of therapeutic change in the Satir model. Congruence is conceptualized as a state of awareness, openness, and connection in three human dimensions: the Intrapsychic, Interpersonal, and Universal-Spiritual. Procedures in developing the Congruence Scale are described. Results provide evidence of concurrent validity with the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Outcome Questionnaire. Four factors of the Congruence Scale are extracted from factor analysis: Intrapsychic-Interpersonal, Spiritual, Creative, and Communal. Further research to confirm the reliability and validity of the congruent construct is recommended.     

From Self-Culture to College Lecture

Abstract

The Jewish Chautauqua Society (JCS), founded in Philadelphia in 1893 by Reform Rabbi Henry Berkowitz, evolved from an organization dedicated to popularizing Jewish knowledge among Jews to one devoted to teaching non-Jews about Judaism. Emulating the forms of Chautauqua Institution, the Society created reading circles, published textbooks for the study of Judaism, and held annual assemblies for forty years. In 1939, the Society came under the sponsorship of the North American Federation of Temple Brotherhoods, a lay Reform Jewish organization. It expanded the most ambitious of its programs, rabbinically-taught college courses on Jewish studies. Since its inception, the Jewish Chautauqua Society has sought to combat anti-Semitism, dispel prejudice and create “understanding through education” about a minority religious and ethnic component of American society.