Meeting 6
Person-Centered Theories:
Satir’s Communication &
Human Validation Process
© Cheung, M., & Leung, P. (2008). Multicultural practice and
evaluation: A case approach to evidence-based practice.
Denver, CO: Love.
Instructors who adopt this book may use this PowerPoint to
teach your course without prior permission. Please address
questions and comments to mcheung@uh.edu.
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
1
Watching Carl Rogers in Action
Interviewing Gloria
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http://www.youtube.com/user/esherborne3
Please watch this on your own
Pay attention to Rogerian techniques that can be used in social work
—not as a pure approach—transtheoretically with other approaches
Rogerian techniques:
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Use of minimal encouragers
Active listening
Validating client’s answers (by echoing, positive regard)
Rapport building
Providing feedback
Reflecting meanings
Reflecting feelings
Paying attention to client’s nonverbal responses
Listen to Rogers’ self disclosure as a learning process
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
2
Satir’s Humanistic Theory:
Human Validation Process
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Focus:
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© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
Expanding one’s
past experience to
include what the
current experience
is
Touching base with
one’s vulnerability
Identifying ways to
live with nurture
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5 Postures that Explain
Human Interactions
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Placating: Not able to see self worth and can’t fulfill
needs to grow
Blaming: Not able to communicate effectively with
others; being a loner
Computing: Ignores and denies feelings that belong
to self or others; always calculates cost–benefits
Distracting: Takes focus off the conflict through
attention seeking
Leveling: Is empathic and positive when interacting
with others
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
4
Satir Communication Theory
1. Dysfunctional families do not appropriately practice communication skills
• Thus, the individual’s growth will be blocked
2. Family communication patterns are passed from one generation to the next
• Thus, we must create a nurturing environment for
our children
3. Families are guided to understand that sometimes failure is a normal part
of life
• Thus, no blaming is necessary to pass through
problems
4. Therapy usually ends when the family is able to communicate well with
each other and self-esteem has been restored
• Thus, it is not good to end when the individuals
still obsess with a sense of unfinished business
(c) Love Publishing:
Dr. Monit Cheung
Cheung & Leung
5
Techniques
The therapist’s role is always active and encouraging,
trying to help each family member gain access to the
fullest potential:
Techniques
Communication
Stances
(The therapist’s
role is always active
and encouraging)
Family Sculpture
Family Sculpture
 Communication
Family Stress Ballet
Stances
Ropes
 Family Stress
Family maps
Ballet
Role Playing
 Ropes
Chronologies
 Family maps
 Role Playing
 Chronologies
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(c) Love Publishing:
Dr. Monit Cheung
Cheung & Leung
6
Family Sculpture
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A nonverbal experiential technique, in which
family members position themselves in a tableau
that reveals significant aspects of their
perceptions and feelings
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Therapeutic Procedures:
 Volunteers standing for the family’s weaknesses
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Therapist standing for the clients to perform the
mapping
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Drawing in regard to positions and postures
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
Chronologies’
goal
Chronologies
Goals:
To empower family members to think about
each member’s characteristics and relationship
patterns
To locate thought patterns that
have formed the basis for the developed or
developing relationships within the family
(c) Love Publishing:
Dr. Monit Cheung
Cheung & Leung
8
Chronologies
Birth of grandparents
Birth of parents
Parents met each other
Parents’ education, occupation
Parents’ marriage or other significant events
Birth of I.P.
Birth order of siblings
Education of siblings
Marriages or other events related to siblings
(c) Love Publishing:
Dr. Monit Cheung
Cheung & Leung
9
Therapeutic Comments According to
Humanistic/ Validation Process Approaches
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It sounds to me…
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I’m noticing that…
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
10
Practice:
Therapeutic Comments
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It sounds to me …
My sense is …
Does that fit for you?
Is that working for you?
Please acknowledge your
feelings.
Check that feeling out.
Let’s process that feeling.
Can you stay in the now?
What are you feeling right
now?
Would you change “he” to “I”
in this statement?
Thank you for noticing what I
just said.
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I’m noticing that …
What’s coming up close to me
is …
What I see is …
What you said is …
It’s been clear that …
What’s true for me is …
It’s important that you take a
look at …
Have you asked yourself …
Are you willing to take a risk?
I would like some feedback
from you …
How about sharing more?
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
11
Five Stages of Therapy
Stage One: Late Status Quo
Stage Two: Resistance
Stage Three: Chaos
Stage Four: Integration
Stage Five: New Status Quo
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© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
Video: Forgiving Parents
Video: NLP Comprehensive. (1989). Families
and relationships: #3--Forgiving parents.
2897 Valmont, Boulder, CO.
 What specific techniques did Virginia use to
help Linda understand her communication
problem with her mother?
 What techniques did Virginia use to help
Linda?
 What are the strengths in this approach?
 What are the weaknesses in this approach?
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© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
Time for Joy (Satir, 1972)
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I am me.
In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. There are
persons who have some parts like me, but no one adds up
exactly like me. Therefore, everything that comes out of me is
authentically mine because I alone chose it.
I own everything about me—my body, including everything it
does; my mind, including all its thoughts and ideas; my eyes,
including the images of all they behold; my feelings, whatever
they may be—anger, joy, frustration, love, disappointment,
excitement; my mouth, and all the words that come out of it,
polite, sweet or rough, correct or incorrect; my voice, loud or
soft; and all my actions, whether they be to others or to myself.
I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears.
I own all my triumphs and successes, all my failures and
mistakes.
Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted
with me. By so doing I can love me and be friendly with me in
all my parts. I can then make it possible for all of me to work in
my best interests.
… I am me and I am okay.
© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung
References
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Cheung, M., & Leung, P. (2008). Multicultural
practice and evaluation: A case approach to
evidence-based practice. Denver, CO: Love.
Goldenberg, H., & Goldenberg, I. (2008). Family
therapy: An overview. Belmont, CA: Thomson
Brooks/Cole.
Satir, V. (1972). Peoplemaking. Palo Alto, CA:
Science and Behavior Books.
Satir, V. (1983). Conjoint family therapy. Palo Alto,
CA: Science and Behavior Books.
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© Love Publishing: Cheung & Leung