Satir Family Therapy

What is the main focus of Satir Family Therapy?

Improving self-esteem and congruent communication within the family.

What are Satir’s five communication stances?

Placater, Blamer, Super-Reasonable, Irrelevant, Congruent communicator.

What is the placater stance?

Self-effacing, seeks approval, denies own needs.

What is the blamer stance?

Domineering and critical; blames others to maintain control.

What is the super-reasonable stance?

Detached, overly logical, avoids emotions.

What is the irrelevant stance?

Distracts others and avoids engagement or decisions.

What is a congruent communicator?

Authentic, honest, and aligned in verbal and nonverbal messages.

What is metacommunication?

Messages about messages—nonverbal cues that shape meaning.

What is incongruent communication?

Mismatch between verbal and nonverbal cues, creating confusion or double binds.

What is the corrective emotional experience (CEE)?

Experiencing safety, acceptance, and new emotional responses in therapy.

What is family reconstruction?

Experiential re-enactment (through role play, sculpting) to revise old family-of-origin patterns.

What is the parts party?

Exercise helping clients recognize and integrate multiple parts of themselves.

What are I messages?

Assertive statements expressing one’s own feelings without blaming others.

What are Satir’s stages of therapy?

1) Making Contact, 2) Chaos, 3) Integration (New Status Quo).

What is the therapist’s role in Satir’s model?

Warm, nurturing facilitator who models congruence and empathy.

What is the goal of Satir Family Therapy?

Promote self-worth, emotional openness, and authentic communication.