Some years back I had a conversation with Bas Vodde about the graphical way that the Satir Change Model is usually represented. If you search on the internet, you’ll likely to end up at Steve Smith’s description, which is very good but shows “performance” as if it’s a measurable thing. While at the UNC Satir Summer Intensive workshop in 2018, I thought about a different way to view the process of change. This view is less from an external point of view, and more from the point of view of the person going through the change. Rather than a graph, it’s a map of the journey from the Old Status Quo to the New Status Quo.

Late Status Quo

Imagine you’re sitting at home, minding your own business. It may not be the life of your dreams; it may not even be without pain and annoyances, but you’re accustomed to the way things have been going.

Brian Marick challenged me for an expression of joyful change, especially related to software development, based on the teachings of Virginia Satir. As discussed in my previous post, he’s come to associate the combination of “Virginia Satir” and “change” with pain and the following:

…blaming… …placating… …anger… …guilt… …stress… …resistance… …denying… …avoiding… …blocking… …deny… …avoid… …anxiousness… …vulnerability… …fear…

This post is, in part, to demonstrate to him that the work of Virginia Satir is not focused on the negative. Mostly it’s to share, and rejoice in, the freedom we have to reach our goals. Read More