Adapting Virginia Satir Techniques
to Hispanic Families
Diana Bermudez
The George Washington University
This article analyzes the application of Virginia Satir’s model of fam-
ily therapy to Hispanic clients based on consultation with expert
clinicians and a literature review. To better serve the therapeutic
needs of Hispanic families, the article proposes an adaptation of
Satir’s concepts and techniques (family map, family life chronology,
family rules, ropes, communication stances, and sculpting) that
incorporate Hispanic cultural and contextual factors.
Keywords: Satir; Hispanic; family therapy
T his article presents an analysis of the appropriateness of
Virginia Satir’s model of family therapy with Hispanic
families and suggestions for adapting Satirian techniques for
this population. Given that Virginia Satir created her model
between the 1960s and the 1980s, in the context of her work
with primarily middle-class Caucasian families (Satir, Gerber,
& Gomori, 1991), it is necessary to question its appropriateness
to Hispanic families two decades later. This population has
grown in the past few decades with continuous immigration
and is presenting particular therapeutic needs that therapists
must address (Marotta & Garcia, 2003). A review of litera-
ture on the use of this model with Hispanics yielded one arti-
cle on this topic and a few articles on the use of the Satir
model with other ethnic minorities that can be applied to
Hispanic clients. A professional consultation with experts
on the Satir model was then conducted to complement the
analysis.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Satir practiced and taught her model in more than 15
countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, and
Asia using interpreters. There are few references in her writ-
ings to multicultural aspects of therapy, perhaps reflecting
the general lack of attention to multiculturalism at the time
Author’s Note: Correspondence concerning this article should be
addressed to Diana Bermudez, George Washington University;
e-mail: dbermude@gwu.edu.
THE FAMILY JOURNAL: COUNSELING AND THERAPY FOR COUPLES AND FAMILIES, Vol. 16 No. 1, January 2008 51-57
DOI: 10.1177/1066480707309543
© 2008 Sage Publications
she wrote (1960s through early 1980s). Satir (Satir et al., 1991)
reported feeling very comfortable and welcomed in Asian
countries because of her ability to connect beyond language
differences, particularly through the use of metaphors.
By the spring of 2007, there was only one study on the use
of the Satir model with Hispanic families. A qualitative disser-
tation study by Serrano (1995) explored stories and metaphors
expressed by clients using the model in Venezuela and Canada.
The stories and metaphors told in both countries coincided
with the themes of survival and coping, independently from
differences in culture, age, education, or economic status.
The author did not find differences between clients from the
two cultural groups, but rather highlighted their common
yearning to be loved, accepted, safe, free, nurtured, and
supported.
Additionally, the following literature regarding other eth-
nic groups may help to clarify this topic. Caston (1997)
tested the effectiveness of the Self-Directed Skills Nursing
model, an intervention based on the Satir model, with
African Americans who were primary caregivers of elderly
individuals. After treatment, the caregivers’ burnout and bur-
den decreased significantly, and self-esteem increased,
whereas enmeshment and health services utilization did not
change significantly. This appears to be the only study that
tested a Satir-based intervention with a minority population.
Although it did not intend to adapt the Satir model to
African American culture, it suggests the model’s effective-
ness with an ethnic minority population.
Cheung and Chan (2002) proposed that the Satir model
might be incompatible with collectivistic cultures because
of its component of individual self-enhancement. The
authors observed that Chinese clients felt alienated and
refused to take part in this therapeutic model because they
felt guilty about betraying collectivistic values. However,
the authors pointed out that the problem is specific to the
first level of Satir’s model of congruence, which encom-
passes awareness, ownership, and management of feelings
as an individual process. Instead, they proposed a more
effective way of engaging with Chinese clients by focusing
51
52 THE FAMILY JOURNAL: COUNSELING AND THERAPY FOR COUPLES AND FAMILIES / January 2008
on the second and third levels of congruence, which relate to
harmony with the self and others, wholeness, centeredness,
universality, and spirituality.
Similarly, Innes (2002) critiqued the Satir model for propos-
ing a societal change from an individualistic theoretical basis.
Specifically, Satir proposed that a change in the self-esteem and
communication congruency of individuals improves the family
and, in turn, causes societal change. Although the model is
comprehensive in considering intrapsychic, interpersonal, and
systemic family components, it overlooks overpowering social,
political, economic, and cultural factors, which contradicts
family systems theory.
Satir saw all people as equal but in different contexts and
family dynamics as similar but with different content.
Therefore, she trained her students to be continually inven-
tive to accommodate different situations, and to consult with
the clients about whether interventions fit their contexts. The
model is characterized by acceptance and respect for the
uniqueness of others, as Satir believed that people connect
on the basis of being similar and grow through being differ-
ent (Satir et al., 1991). Satir (1988) encouraged her students
to form relationships with people from other races and dif-
fering levels of socioeconomic status and to learn about the
historical context of societies to understand humanity. Thus,
her model is adaptable to culturally diverse populations.
Satir’s model has great potential to benefit minority families;
yet, it cannot be assumed that the model’s effectiveness with
Caucasian families (Winter, 1993) generalizes to minority fam-
ilies. Given the variety of social forces that affect minorities,
including poverty, racism, and discrimination, the model needs
to be adapted to include cultural specificity and societal fac-
tors, as suggested by Innes (2002). In particular, its use with
collectivistic cultures should emphasize harmony with self
and others, wholeness, universality, and spirituality, as pro-
posed by Cheung and Chan (2002).
CONSULTATION
The consultation consisted of six semistructured inter-
views with clinicians who were members of Avanta, the
Virginia Satir Network. To ensure that the participants were
experts in the subject, only therapists who had used this model
for at least 5 years were included. The six experts interviewed
had 10–30 years of clinical experience with Hispanic and
African American families, as well as with families from sev-
eral countries of Asia and Europe. Three of the experts had
received training directly from Satir.
The consultation questions referred to strengths and lim-
itations of the Satir model for use with minority families,
recommendations for therapist training, and advice on
adapting techniques. The purpose of the interviews was pro-
fessional consultation rather than a formal survey. I then
integrated the clinicians’ advice with the literature reviewed
and my own clinical experiences. Therefore, the results
reflect such synthesis, rather than the specific views of any
of the consulted clinicians.
The experts who were consulted for this article consid-
ered the Satir model appropriate for use with ethnic minor-
ity families based on experiences in which the model was
effective and well received by families from a variety of eth-
nic groups. Clinicians highlighted the “universal qualities”
of the model, such as building on the existing strengths of
the families and enhancing self-esteem, a need that they
considered common to human existence. The experts also
made several suggestions for adaptations of concepts and
techniques, which were incorporated with my recommenda-
tions in the following sections.
PROPOSED ADAPTATIONS
Bernal and Saez-Santiago (2005) created a framework of
eight elements for culturally sensitive interventions with ethnic
minorities that will be used here as a guideline for proposing
adaptations to the Satir model for use with Hispanic families.
1. Language that is clear and understandable to patients. Satir
promoted and practiced the use of plain language that was
understandable to clients of all ages and education levels.
In working with Hispanic families commonly composed of
Spanish-speaking parents and bilingual children, the therapist
would preferably be fully bilingual and bicultural. However,
understanding the experiences of Hispanic families is possible
for therapists with limited experience if they have a keen
ability to connect beyond cultural differences and with the help
of an interpreter. Furthermore, it is helpful to know specific
country-of-origin vocabulary and accent to ease communica-
tion and promote therapeutic alliance.
2. Patient’s comfort with ethnic/racial similarities or differ-
ences with the therapist. Satir did not address ethnic/racial
differences or similarities between the therapist and the
clients. However, acknowledging the possible differences
and assessing the client’s comfort with them is congruent
with the model’s attention to the client’s unique internal
experience and the therapist’s transparent approach.
3. Metaphors, symbols, and traditional sayings common in the
patient’s culture. Metaphors, symbols, and traditional say-
ings are an integral part of this model. The therapist’s
knowledge of the client’s culture is necessary to use ele-
ments that are meaningful to the client. For example, Satir
used the metaphor of an iceberg to represent behavioral and
psychic levels of the person. An iceberg is an unfamiliar
image to most Hispanics as there are no icebergs in most
Latin American countries, except for those closer to the
South Pole. A more meaningful metaphor for this popula-
tion could be “Molas,” which are indigenous Central
American decorative textiles with underlying layers of dif-
ferent colors that partly show through the top layer.
4. Knowledge and respect for the client’s cultural values. Although
the Satir model’s emphasis on unconditional acceptance of the
client includes acceptance of cultural values, this process can be
obstructed by ignorance. The use of the model with Hispanic
families requires understanding and incorporating the following
Hispanic values that are of great relevance to treatment: familism,
respect, and simpatia. My comments on these cultural values dis-
cussed later are based on my experience as a member of the
 Bermudez / VIRGINIA SATIR TECHNIQUES AND HISPANIC FAMILIES
Hispanic culture and as a therapist who specializes in
Hispanic families.
Familism is the importance of family closeness, interde-
pendence, cohesiveness, and collaboration (Santiago-Rivera,
Arredondo, & Gallardo-Cooper, 2002). In my clinical work
with Hispanic families, individual decisions are made with the
input of family members and in accordance with the needs of
the family. Children and adults are expected to be emotionally
and geographically close to parents, and to help each other.
Therefore, focusing on interpersonal rather than individual
aspects of the model is appropriate with Hispanic families.
Respect refers to obeying the hierarchical position of par-
ents, elders, and authority figures (Santiago-Rivera et al.,
2002). I have observed that Hispanic parents and elders are
regarded as wiser and unquestionable. As a result, Hispanic
children are less autonomous than most Caucasian children.
Respecting this hierarchy in family treatment is key to form-
ing the therapeutic alliance and implementing interventions
that are feasible in the reality of the family. A non-Hispanic
therapist may regard family dependence as unhealthy, yet a
Hispanic family would see it as an important traditional
value (Torres, Huici, & Bermudez, 2005).
Simpatia is the value of being friendly and is related to the
tendency to seek approval, and to avoid direct interactions and
confrontations (Santiago-Rivera et al., 2002). In my experi-
ence, direct expression of feelings and opinions that contra-
dict or displease others—particularly elder family members
or authorities—is considered offensive and is discouraged in
Hispanic culture. The Satir model views this indirect commu-
nication as incongruent and encourages the honest expression
of feelings. As Waller (1996) pointed out, practicing and
expecting congruent communication can be counterproduc-
tive with clients who consider it impolite or intrusive and who
prefer to express feelings with actions rather than words.
Again, certain values may be important for families to pre-
serve traditions. Therapists should interpret assenting behav-
ior as politeness rather than unhealthy agreeableness, explore
the value that it has for a particular family, and consider
whether changing it would be helpful to that family.
5. Treatment concepts framed within the patient’s cultural
values. Virginia Satir framed treatment concepts within
her European American cultural values. Some statements
that she made could be interpreted as disregarding the
experiences of disempowerment and discrimination that
minority groups have suffered (M. Suarez, personal com-
munication, December 21, 2005). For example, the state-
ment “people do the best they can at any given moment”
can be interpreted as a justification for the actions of
oppressors. An ethnic group that suffered ethnocide under
a dictator would find this concept offensive. Similarly, the
statement “the problem is not the problem, coping is the
problem” may connote blaming the victims of traumatic
events for not coping well (M. Suarez, personal commu-
nication, December 21, 2005).
53
The Satir model advises clinicians to modify treatment
concepts and use them carefully. For example, Margarita
Suarez (personal communication, December 21, 2005) has
changed the statement “the problem is not the problem,
coping is the problem” to “the event alone does not deter-
mine the behavior.” Clinicians should take into account the
multiplicity and complexity of factors involved in historical
events of oppression (e.g., persecution by a dictatorship)
and liberation. The concept of circular (rather than linear)
causality implies that one factor does not directly cause an
event, but multiple factors influence each other.
6. Treatment goals that fit with the patient’s cultural values
and expectations of therapy. The goal of treatment in the
Satir model is to integrate the needs of each family member
for independent growth with the integrity of the family sys-
tem through strengthening and enhancing coping skills, as
well as instilling hope. Integrating family with individual
needs fits with the Hispanic value of familism. Depending
on the specific family, more emphasis may be needed on
the predominance of family well-being.
7. Culturally acceptable treatment methods. I propose that Satir’s
experiential treatment methods are culturally acceptable overall
to Hispanic families. Experiential exercises involve the use of
movement, close interpersonal exchanges, and humor, which
are compatible with the interpersonal closeness and warmth
that characterize traditional Hispanic families. However, clini-
cians should be careful when using direct communication (as
explained above) in experiential therapeutic interventions.
8. Contextual issues such as immigration status, acculturation,
social support, family relationships in country of origin, bar-
riers to treatment, and financial difficulties. The Satir model
does not address these contextual issues that permeate the
lives of Hispanic families and that should be part of any ther-
apeutic intervention. Some sociocultural aspects that affect
the lives of minority persons and that need to be addressed are
discrimination and inequality. This requires looking beyond
the individual and the family into the social system that may
support or hinder the family’s growth process. For minority
families to improve, family treatment must involve coping
with the sociocultural context, simultaneously promoting ele-
ments that alleviate inequality, such as access to health care,
affordable housing, and higher education.
THERAPIST TRAINING AND QUALITIES
Satir emphasized that humanness is the most important
tool that a therapist has. For therapists to practice this model
successfully, they must appreciate life in all its conditions,
believe that every life is oriented toward growth when given
the proper conditions, and be humble to accept that they
may not know what is best for the client. Satir also placed
great emphasis on the self-development and wellness of the
therapist as a prerequisite for promoting client wellness.
The clinicians consulted for this article recommended
that therapists using the Satir model with Hispanic families
disclose their own cultural background to clients, share the
extent of their knowledge of Hispanic culture, recognize
their limitations, and encourage the clients to point out
54 THE FAMILY JOURNAL: COUNSELING AND THERAPY FOR COUPLES AND FAMILIES / January 2008
aspects of the interventions that might not be culturally sen-
sitive. Important qualities for a therapist to have include
genuine curiosity about and respect for different cultures,
flexibility to change plans in the moment, a nonjudgmental
attitude to accept diverse ways of being and relating, open-
ness to self-disclosure, a strong self-understanding and self-
esteem, a sense of humor, and hopefulness for change.
The consulted experts agreed that using an interpreter or
even speaking the language that the family speaks is not suf-
ficient for understanding the nuances of communication and
maximizing the benefits of treatment. The meaning of com-
munication is determined by values, history, and traditions
that vary from culture to culture. It is necessary for therapists
to be knowledgeable of the family’s culture, how it affects
family dynamics, and how to adapt the model when required.
Mental health providers who have had training in family
therapy are welcomed to use the proposed adaptations
within the limitations and recommendations for professional
training described above. Professionals who have not stud-
ied and practiced family therapy are discouraged from using
the interventions until they have acquired such training.
Although specific training in the Virginia Satir model is not
necessary, readers will benefit from familiarity with the
model (see References).
ADAPTED INTERVENTIONS
The interventions proposed here have not been empirically
tested, thus, their effectiveness cannot be assumed. Until such
research is done, clinicians are advised to use the interven-
tions with careful clinical judgment and to complement them
with other family therapy interventions that have been proven
effective. Familiarity with the Satir model is necessary for
making such clinical judgments. In addition, these interven-
tions are intended for use after the therapist has built rapport
and set treatment goals with the family. Given that poverty is
prevalent among Hispanic families (Marotta & Garcia, 2003),
I recommend that the therapist first inquire whether their
basic needs of shelter, food, employment, and safety are met.
If these needs are unmet, case management or referral to
social services should be the first treatment goal.
Although the majority of the consulted clinicians
expressed that the Satir model was appropriate and suffi-
cient for helping minority families, some also pointed out
that the model does not address the needs of all families,
particularly those presenting with cognitive difficulties, sub-
stance abuse, recent trauma, severe personality disorders,
and active psychosis. If the level of functioning is low,
clients are not capable of grasping the model and, instead,
need specific interventions such as substance abuse treat-
ment, crisis intervention, and case management for basic
needs. The interventions presented here do not combine the
Satir model with other approaches. Clinicians should use
their judgment to add aspects from other models according
to the needs of the families.
Family Map
The goal of the family map (Satir, 1988; Satir et al., 1991)
is to assess and raise awareness of current patterns and rela-
tionships among family members. The therapist draws a
graphic representation of the family on a board or a large piece
of paper while the family provides the information. A circle
represents each family member, including the generation
above and below. Lines between the circles represent all of the
possible configurations of relationships, in a manner similar to
the genograms commonly used in family therapy.
The therapist asks each family member to mention the
role(s) that he or she has in relation to another member (e.g.,
wife, mother, career woman), draws different hats with the
names of the roles on each circle, and asks the person what
each role means to him or her. This leads to a discussion of
the uniqueness and multiplicity of relationships, highlight-
ing contrasts among different members’ understandings of
the roles and expectations. When working with Hispanic
families, it is important to include in the family map the
extended family and nonbiological relatives who are part of
the family’s daily life, such as godparents, religious leaders,
friends, and roommates.
The therapist and family add descriptive information to
each of the circles, such as birth date, birthplace, age, reli-
gious affiliation, occupation, education, ethnicity, illnesses,
hobbies, talents, and any other qualities that are relevant to
the family. The therapist facilitates awareness of character-
istics that recur across generations, as well as the uniqueness
of each member. Separate maps can be used for patterns that are
complex or particularly important to the family, such as birth-
place, immigration, separation, and reunification. Typically,
some family members have been born in Latin America, others
have been born in the United States, and others are left behind
to later reunite with the family.
Family Life Chronology
The family life chronology (Satir et al., 1991) consists of
a list of significant dates for the family’s immediate three
generations included in the family map, with the purpose of
promoting awareness of the family’s trajectory and signifi-
cant events. The therapist writes the chronology on a large
piece of paper or board and facilitates awareness of emerg-
ing patterns, such as recurring physical or mental illnesses,
marriage or divorce circumstances, educational or career
achievements, religious events and historical/contextual
events that affected the family, the community, Hispanics,
and minorities at large.
Immigration patterns and their implications are of much
relevance to Hispanic families. Members of immigrant fam-
ilies differ from each other in acculturation levels, according
to individual characteristics, such as length of residence in
the United States, education and income levels, low ethnic
density neighborhoods (Padilla, 1980), as well as gender
(Muir, Schwartz, & Szapocznik, 2004). In immigrant families
 Bermudez / VIRGINIA SATIR TECHNIQUES AND HISPANIC FAMILIES
with adolescent children, the normative intergenerational con-
flict between parents and adolescents is aggravated by accul-
turation differences, as children acculturate faster than adults.
Creating awareness of these patterns will set the stage for
addressing the implications later in treatment (Falicov, 1998).
Family Rules
The goal of this intervention (Satir et al., 1991) is to raise
awareness of unhealthy rules and then modify them. The
therapist explains to the clients that rules are the family’s
spoken and unspoken beliefs about how to live. The purpose
of family rules is to socialize children by providing guid-
ance, motivation, and limits. However, as life conditions
change, some rules also change. Other rules become out-
dated and limit the growth of family members. The therapist
facilitates a conversation about the family’s unique rules,
how they are communicated, and whether they are clear,
appropriate, and flexible to life changes.
The therapist must consider that children from Hispanic
families might not feel comfortable about commenting on
family rules, as this could be considered “disrespectful to
the elders.” Furthermore, parents can interpret their chil-
dren’s complaints as Americanization and a violation of
Hispanic traditional values. Therefore, the therapist should
first ensure the parents’/elder’s approval and the children’s
comfort and then facilitate expression of complaints, which
will lessen the risk of offending others.
If the family concludes that some of their rules are out-
dated or limiting, the therapist walks them through the fol-
lowing process of transforming the rules into guidelines. For
example, a Hispanic family experiences conflict because a
graduating high school student wants to leave home for col-
lege, whereas the parents believe that adults should not leave
home until they get married. Both parties agree that the rule
of not leaving home needs to be modified because it causes
family conflict. The therapist helps them to progressively
reframe the rule through sequential statements such as
“adults can never leave home,” “adults can sometimes leave
home,” “adults can leave home when [the family names pos-
sible situations].” This may help the parents to recognize
exceptions to the rule, such as the children’s need to priori-
tize college education in the American context, where pro-
fessional competition is a norm. The family members are in
charge of creating these possibilities. The role of the thera-
pist is to mediate among the parties to reach consensus.
Ropes
In this intervention (Satir, 1988), family members experi-
ence physically their interconnectedness and develop empathy
for one another’s perspective. One family member stands in
the center of a circle composed of the rest of the family. A rope
goes around all participants forming interconnecting lines.
The therapist instructs the family members to experiment
with a number of movements, such as everyone sitting at the
same time, some people sitting down when the others stand
55
up, one person trying to leave the circle, one person leaning
on another, and so on.
The family members take turns to be in the middle and
express their reactions to pulling on or being pulled by oth-
ers. The therapist summarizes the comments, emphasizing
the effect of each member on the family system, and the
need for collaboration. The family repeats the exercises
using examples from the family’s daily life and presenting
scenarios to apply what they learned and find ways of
achieving individual goals while maintaining balance with
the ropes. This technique can be an opportunity to explore
family dynamics related to acculturation differences, sepa-
ration, and reunification.
Communication Stances
The therapist explains Satir’s (1988) five communication
styles, also called “communication stances.” Each person
tends to use one stance more than the others, but also uses
the others at times. Congruent communication is direct; in
other words, the verbal and nonverbal messages match emo-
tions and intentions. Conversely, incongruent communication is
distorted, incomplete, and ambiguous (several meanings).
Incongruent communication includes four stances, illustrated
by personified roles. The blamer acts superior, looks for faults,
points fingers, and inflicts guilt. The placator tries to please,
apologizes and agrees constantly, and takes responsibility for
what goes wrong. The computer uses reason, does not show
feelings, and believes to be always correct. The distracter’s
behavior is irrelevant to the situation and scattered.
Satir (1988) utilized drawings of body postures that rep-
resented the communication stances with long descriptions
of the accompanying behaviors. The placator kneels down in
a begging fashion, the blamer points with his index finger,
the computer sits up motionless, and the distracter moves his
or her body in different directions. It is helpful to show
clients these drawings and descriptions to facilitate better
understanding. Serrano’s dissertation (1995) contains the
Spanish version of the communication stances that she used
in Venezuela. The assenting behavior that is common and
desirable in Hispanic culture can be interpreted in this
framework as placating. The therapist should be aware of
the normative value of this behavior.
After introducing the five stances, the therapist encour-
ages family members to take the different physical positions
for a few minutes while trying to perform a simple family
task, such as deciding what to cook for dinner. Then, the
family members identify which stances they tend to prefer
and which they see in others. This way, clients experience
what all of the communication stances feel like and develop
self-awareness as well as empathy with others.
All stances of incongruent communication are forms of
coping with a dysfunctional environment and are reinforced
by the incongruent stances of others. Therefore, dysfunc-
tional communication stances can be changed through learn-
ing congruent communication. For this, the therapist first
56 THE FAMILY JOURNAL: COUNSELING AND THERAPY FOR COUPLES AND FAMILIES / January 2008
helps clients to identify family behaviors that enable each of
the stances. For example, the placator supports the blamer’s
role by taking the blame for family events, and the blamer sup-
ports the placator by assigning the blame. Then, the therapist
demonstrates how to communicate more congruently by
acknowledging and owning feelings, and choosing how to
express them. The blamer and placator need to develop
assertiveness and awareness that their self-worth depends on
others. The computer and distracter need to focus on express-
ing emotions. The family members practice congruent commu-
nication with situations from daily life in the session and then
transfer this behavior to everyday life.
Sculpting
The goal of sculpting (Satir et al., 1991) is to develop empa-
thy among family members, to envision the family in a health-
ier framework, and to identify needed changes. Each person
takes a turn representing his or her conceptions of the family in
the form of a sculpture, arranging the actual family members’
bodies in positions that depict their characters and relations
with each other. The spaces in-between can reflect intimacy or
distance and height can indicate power. By taking turns sculpt-
ing and being part of the sculpture, each person learns in an
experiential manner how he or she and the others perceive the
family dynamics and the role of each individual. The therapist
should encourage clients to depict not only the family hierar-
chy, but also rules, expectations, feelings, wishes, and the like.
In using this technique with Hispanic families, it is pos-
sible that the physical distance between the participants
would be closer than that expected of most Caucasian fami-
lies. Both physical and emotional ties tend to be rather close
in Hispanic culture, which is sometimes interpreted as
“enmeshment” by therapists who see through European
American lenses (Torres et al., 2005). Other parts of the
family sculpture that may be significant are extended family
and nonbiological relatives (Santiago-Rivera et al., 2002), as
well as contextual elements, such as discrimination or a nat-
ural disaster (expressed symbolically) (Innes, 2005).
A second stage of sculpting consists of having each family
member create a sculpture of the family in an arrangement that
promotes the growth of all individuals and the family as a whole.
The therapist helps to negotiate a consensus among the different
visions of family members and to create a synthesis sculpture
that everyone feels comfortable with. This should be followed
by a discussion of what actions each person can take in daily life
to move toward the common vision.
When acculturation disparities among family members are
a source of conflict, the therapist should play the role that
Falicov (1998) called “cultural intermediary.” To assist the
family in resolving cultural conflict, the therapist “helps to
clarify similarities, differences, and philosophical and practi-
cal implications, and tries to comprehend the underlying
assumptions” (p. 81). The therapist then facilitates negotia-
tion and compromise among family members.
CONCLUSION
The Satir model of family therapy can be adapted for use
with Hispanic families because of its flexibility and collectivis-
tic components. By focusing on the interpersonal harmony and
universality levels of congruence, the interventions proposed
here are intended to be more congruent with the Hispanic val-
ues of familism, respect, and simpatia. In addition, contextual
factors of acculturation, discrimination, and poverty are incor-
porated to meet the needs of Hispanic immigrant families.
One previous qualitative study (Serrano, 1995) indicated
that Hispanic clients in Venezuela expressed the same
themes as did Canadian clients when utilizing the Satir
model. However, the effectiveness of the model, previously
studied with Caucasians (Winter, 1993) and African
Americans (Caston, 1995) cannot be assumed to apply to the
Hispanic population in the United States, with its unique
cultural and contextual factors. Future research should test
the effectiveness of the modified interventions proposed
here with a quantitative approach.
Kendall, Holmbeck, and Verduin (2004) list the following
criteria for empirically testing psychological therapies: (a) com-
parison with no-treatment control group, alternative treatment
group, or placebo group, in a randomized control trial or con-
trolled single-case experiment, in which the Empirically
Supported Treatment (EST) is significantly superior; (b) the
studies must be conducted with a treatment manual, a specific
population, reliable and valid assessment instruments, and
appropriate data analysis; (c) for efficacy, the superiority of the
EST must be shown in two independent studies; and (d) for pos-
sible efficacy, one study with no conflicting evidence suffices.
Only Winter’s (1993) study appears to have met most of
the criteria of a randomized control trial, with the exception
of not using treatment manuals. There are no available treat-
ment manuals for the Satir model. Thus, a treatment manual
for the Hispanic population based on the proposed interven-
tions should be developed, pilot tested, and later tested in a
randomized control trial.
Until such research is carried out, clinicians can utilize
the interventions keeping in mind the limitations and rec-
ommendations mentioned above. I advise clinicians to
have—or to acquire—familiarity with both the Satir model
and the Hispanic cultural values, to share their own cultural
background and limitations with clients, and to request
client’s feedback. The interventions address therapeutic
needs that Hispanic families frequently present. For other
specific therapeutic needs that may arise, I recommend the
work of Falicov (1998), Santiago-Rivera et al. (2000), Koss-
Chioino and Vargas (1999), and Muir et al. (2004).
 Bermudez / VIRGINIA SATIR TECHNIQUES AND HISPANIC FAMILIES
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Diana Bermudez is a doctoral candidate in counseling with a spe-
cialization in Hispanic families at the George Washington University.
She works part time as the Program Evaluation Specialist of the Upward
Bound Program, a partnership between the George Washington
University, the Latin American Youth Center and the National
Council of la Raza. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the
George Washington University in Counseling and Art Therapy.