Family Therapy Founders

Family Therapy is all about healing the system rather than only focusing on the individual. Two of my favorite Experiential Family Therapy gurus are Carl Whitaker and Virginia Satir. 

Carl Whitaker

Known for his very in your face style of therapy where he would attempt to shake things up by being blunt or funny. He created the symbolic-experiential approach to therapy. He believed that the family needed to have an experience in order to change not be educated or shrinked. 

Virginia Satir

Is also an experiential therapist that was trained as a social worker. Both Satir and Whitaker follow the humanistic approach to therapy (just like Maslow and Carl Rodgers). Satir used the strength-based theory and believed that change can happen when we learn to communicate congruently---say/act what you mean, and mean what you say/act. 

Read more about these awesome Family Therapists here