Satir’s Human Growth Model & Symbolic-Experiential Family Therapy

Question 1

Who are the main founders of the Satir Growth Model?

Answer 1

• Virginia Satir
• John Banmen
• Maria Gomori

Question 2

What are the 5 communication stances in Satir’s Human Growth Model?

Answer 2

(1) Congruent
(2) Placator
(3) Blamer
(4) Super reasonable
(5) Irrelevant
* 2-5 = survival stances*

Question 3

What are some main concepts of Satir’s Growth Model?

Answer 3

• People naturally tend toward positive growth
• All people possess the resources for positive growth
• Everything impacts and is impacted by everything else = circular causality
• Coaching clients on how to have authentic and congruent communication

Question 4

Define Placator

Answer 4

• Minimizes self
• People-pleasing tendencies
• Needs less directive therapy methods

Question 5

Define “Blamer”

Answer 5

• Minimizes other
• Needs to increase awareness of others’ thoughts and feelings
• Direct confrontation often strengthens therapeutic relationship

Question 6

Define “Superreasonable”

Answer 6

• Minimizes self and others
• Logic and rules reign supreme
• Counselors must refer to context to gain validity

Question 7

Define “Irrelevant”

Answer 7

• Minimizes self, others, and context
• No consistent grounding in self, other, or context
• Must increased ability to recognize thoughts/feelings of self and others

Question 8

What are some interventions of Satir’s Human Growth Model?

Answer 8

• Therapist’s self
• Ingredients of an interaction
• Facilitating emotional expression
• Softening family rules
• Communication enhancement
• Sculpting or Spatial metaphor
• Touch
• Family reconstruction
• Parts Party

Question 9

What are some main concepts when assessing the family, using Satir’s Human Growth Model?

Answer 9

• Emotional role of symptom
• Family roles
• Common problematic family dynamics (e.g., power struggles, parental conflict, lack of validation/intimacy)
• Family life chronology
• Survival Triad

Question 10

What are some main concepts when assessing the individual, using Satir’s Human Growth Model?

Answer 10

• Layers of the iceberg (help clients transform their feelings about change to make change)
• Self-worth and Self-esteem (as these increase, client becomes more realistic/tolerant of their own and others’ weaknesses)
• Mind-body connection: how body is used indicates a person’s communication stance

Question 11

Are there multicultural concerns for Satir’s Human Growth Model and Symbolic Experiential Theory?

Answer 11

• Both theories say nothing about culture. Counselor will need to tackle theory’s and adapt it to their specific client and their respective culture. Both theories can be adapted, was made to be universal but it is not.

Question 12

Who developed the Symbolic-Experiential Internal Family Systems theory?

Answer 12

Carl Whitaker

Question 13

What are the main concepts of Symbolic-Experiential and Internal Family Systems?

Answer 13

• “Therapy of the absurd,” highlighting unconventional and playful wisdom
• Focused on EMOTIONAL PROCESS and family structure
• Balancing strong emotional confrontation with warmth and support, shake up all emotions

Question 14

What are some interventions of Symbolic-Experiential and Internal Family Systems?

Answer 14

• Designed to shake up clients through emotional experiencing, to create more flexibility and openness
• Creating confusion/disorganization
• Here-and-now experiencing
• Redefining/expanding symptoms
• Separating interpersonal from personal distress
• Stories, free associations, and metaphors

Question 15

Are there multicultural concerns for Symbolic-Experiential and Internal Family Systems?

Answer 15

• Yes, both theories say nothing about culture. Counselor will need to tackle theory’s and adapt it to their specific client and their respective culture. Both theories can be adapted, was made to be universal but it is not.