Virginia Satir (1916 – 1988), a psychotherapist, was best known for her work with family systems. Her contributions to coaching were many and included the concept of the “presenting issue.” This concept was that the surface problem was seldom the real problem – it was the way people coped with the issue that created the problem.

Thomas Leonard modified this concept a bit when he created the ’symptom-source-solution” model. According to this model, the coach needs to look beyond the symptom (presenting issue) to the source (real problem) in order to be able to identify and implement a solution.

Satir helped found the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto California and served as its director of training from 1959-66, when she went to work at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur California. In the mid-1970s her work was extensively studied by the co-founders of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Bandler and Grinder who are also identified as coaching influencers. They used her work as one of the three fundamental models of NLP

Focusing on the importance of love and nurturance as being the most important healing aspect of therapy, she incorporated feelings and compassion in the therapeutic relationship. She has been quoted as saying “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”

Unfortunately, these beliefs were contrary to the more scientific approach to family therapy that was accepted at the time.

As a business coach I am influenced by Satir’s work in the area of perception and resonate when she says “We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” This quote aligns with a 12-step program saying “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

Satir focused her work on “Becoming More Fully Human” from which she believed that by healing the family we could heal the world – or in other words, peace within, peace between, peace among.

Now, over 20 years after her death, some believe that coaching can heal the individual, their support systems (be they organizations or families), and ultimately bring peace to the world.

How has Virginia Satir influenced your coaching?

Vikki G. Brock, Ph.D., EMBA, MCC
Director, History and Archive Division
The Coaching Commons