There is a resurgence of interest not only among facilitators but also among development practitioners and leaders on the concepts and practices of personal growth and change processes. One such an approach is the Satir Model. It relies on the idea that the process of change can be more empowering if the change comes from within. Rather than focusing only on behaviour (that seems to be the focus of most interventions, today), we can learn to take charge of and change our feelings, our perceptions and our expectations. There are now workshops that allows the participants to discover their own capacity for positive change and growth. They focus on helping people to discover the richness of their inner worlds and their internal resources. Eventually, participants discover their relationship patterns and to open up to new possibilities. Through experiential exercises and activities, participants will learn how to tap their Life Energy to discover more joy and vitality.
The Satir growth model model offers one such possibility. This model aims to effect lasting change in individuals by enhancing awareness and understanding of communication patterns; discovering family of origin learnings and coping patterns; building self-esteem; expanding self discovery and self responsibility; diagnosing dysfunctional dynamics and reshaping relationships; enhancing congruence and tapping internal resources for external change. The I am Me poem by Virginia Satir is particularly interesting . There are Satir Centers in Asia, notably in Singapore that offers short (four days) to long (Diploma) Satir courses for facilitators, counsellors and therapists. There are even institutions that offer webinars and a dedicated users journal.
One of the most influential Satir’s message for facilitators and trainers focus on their constant desire to win at all cost and in all situations. Satir offers when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point. Satir improved the classical Kübler-Ross model of change (See figure). In the Satir model, the resistance stage is triggered by a foreign element. Next, people get out of the dip by discovering a transforming idea that shows how the foreign element can benefit them. So as facilitators, you need to : 1. discover the foreign element (it could be you!); 2. Find out how this can become a transforming idea; 3. Stay in relationship and keep away from being right advised Luc Galopin in his blog
Luc’s Thoughts on Organizational Change.
Virginia Satir (1916-1988) was referred by many as the “mother of family therapy”. Her books People Making and Conjoint Family Therapy are two of the central texts of humanistic psychology. Satir held high hopes and great enthusiasm for the ability of the human spirit to make this world a better place to live. More on the Viginia Satir maybe obtained from Solutions for Life, Love, Work and Art site as well as videotape reviews on her works in the use of self in therapy and systemic transformational change.
