Virginia Satir was a 20th century psychotherapist who is often referred to as the pioneer of family therapy. 

Professional Life

Virginia Satir was born in Neillsville, Wisconsin, on June 26, 1916. A bright child with an explosive sense of curiosity, she taught herself how to read at the age of three and recalled wanting to become a detective when she was very young. This early interest in uncovering the truth became a lifelong passion through her therapeutic practice.

Satir attended the Milwaukee State Teachers College, now the University of Wisconsin, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in education in 1936. She worked as a teacher for six years and continued her studies as a graduate student by taking classes in the summers at Northwestern University in Chicago, beginning in 1937. Eventually, she returned to school full-time at the University of Chicago School of Social Services Administration.

After completing her thesis and receiving her master’s degree in 1948, Satir immediately began a private practice, and within a few years, she was offered a position with the Illinois Psychiatric Institute. While there, she worked with other therapists to teach them the importance of addressing the whole family during treatment, not just the individual client. She recognized that the problems of an individual extend to the family and often stem from the family.

In 1959, after relocating to California, Satir helped to establish the Mental Research Institute. Through the organization, Satir and her staff developed the first training series designed specifically to teach family therapy techniques. She became the training director and used her years of expertise to coordinate and deliver the program to clinicians throughout the country. She also led the training program at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.

Satir devoted much of her career to helping people find the necessary mental health resources for their needs. In 1970, Satir founded the International Human Learning Resources Network, and in 1977, she created the Avanta Network. Both were intended to provide resources and support to mental health workers. Throughout her career, Satir provided hundreds of workshops and trainings in her family therapy methods, and she worked as a social worker and therapist.

Contribution to Psychology

Satir approached therapy from a new perspective. She believed that a client's present issue was rarely the real problem and that superficial issues frequently served to mask deeper ones. She argued that mental health problems were often the product of negative family experiences and roles and placed a strong emphasis on treating the entire family rather than pathologizing the individual. Satir’s Transformational Systemic Therapy, also known as the Satir Growth Model, emphasizes engaging the inner self, and analyzing a person’s situation and choices.

Her 1964 book, Conjoint Family Therapy, emphasized the importance of individual self-worth and was based on the courses she delivered at the Mental Research Institute. After she published her book, Satir gained recognition for her theories and her popularity grew. She was in demand throughout the world and she received recognition for her achievements from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Academy of Certified Social Workers.

In her practice, Satir tried to help people to accept life as it is and to reach peace of mind. She encouraged clients to meditate, use breathwork, and visualize positive results. She also suggested using affirmations to boost self-esteem.

Satir’s influence has reached across many different branches of modern psychotherapy, including family constellations.

Books by Virginia Satir

  • Peoplemaking (1972/1990)
  • Making Contact (1976)
  • Changing with Families: A Book about further Education for Being Human (with R. Bandler & J. Grinder, 1976)
  • Your Many Faces (1978)
  • Conjoint Family Therapy (1983)
  • Satir Step by Step: A Guide to Creating Change in Families (with M. Baldwin, 1983)
  • The New Peoplemaking (1988)
  • The Satir Model: Family Therapy and Beyond (with M. Gomori, J. Banmen, & J. Gerber, 1991)
  • Helping Families to Change (with J. Stachowiak & H. Taschman, 1994)

References:

  1. Stein, G. (1988, Sep 12). Virginia M. Satir, 72; family therapy pioneer. Los Angeles Times (Pre-1997 Fulltext). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/280593414?accountid=1229
  2. Virginia (Mildred) Satir. (1998). Contemporary Authors Online. Retrieved from http://www.gale.cengage.com/InContext/bio.htm.
  3. Who Virginia was and why she mattered. (n.d.). The Virginia Satir Global Network. Retrieved from http://satirglobal.org/about-virginia-satir/