Conducting family therapy can feel like an impossible juggling act, where complicated dynamics can make effective interventions elusive to the best of us. Successful clinicians must make sense of a family’s needs as a whole, as well as facilitate work within the relationships that impact the entire system. In this video, renowned family therapist Virginia Satir leads a powerful session with a family dealing with substance abuse and codependency. Satir’s natural facility with families is astounding even today, and you’ll gain a deep appreciation of her legacy as she progresses this challenged family several steps closer to resolution.
After introducing her “universal family map,” explaining the various relational configurations within families, Satir conducts a stirring session with a family struggling with the repercussions of 29-year-old son Michael’s longstanding drug addiction. You’ll witness Satir’s skill at building authentic rapport with the five members, while shedding light on their complex family dynamics using a series of hands-on interventions. Even through the intensity and resistance that arises during the interview, Satir maintains a grounded environment that supports honest cross-communication, staying one step ahead of the family in order to address their most pressing relational issues.
Throughout the session, Satir draws upon her considerable intuitive skill to develop interventions in the moment; builds a quick and easy rapport with the family through her plain language, humor, and warmth; physically immerses herself in the family unit as she facilitates experiential constellations; and applies a firm, at times confrontational, attitude toward family members, all while furthering their sense of hope and possibility.
This is an essential resource for therapists looking to learn more about family systems, assessment, creative interventions, and Satir’s unique, bold style. With both commentary and a full-length bonus video from Satir’s early students, plus a didactic introduction from Satir herself, this is a video you’ll enjoy from start to finish.
This video is part of the 5-video series, The Virginia Satir Series. Other videos in this series include:
- A Family at the Point of Growth
- Of Rocks and Flowers: Dealing with the Abuse of Children
- The Essence of Change
- Blended Family with a Troubled Boy
