Abstract
The Satir Growth Model (SGM) is one of the foundational models in the couple/marriage and family therapy (C/MFT) field. Satir’s model lacks the overt use of a critical lens for conceptualizing power related to the intersection of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Retrospective analyses of Satir’s work suggest that she did not avoid gendered issues of power in practice yet the SGM model does not offer specific instruction on how to work with these constructs in systemic therapy. This paper delineates the application of intersectional feminism onto Satir’s growth model as a critical lens for conceptualizing systems of power and oppression and the resulting impact on client lives. Intersectional feminism modernizes Satir’s Growth Model by bringing a foundational C/MFT model into alignment with the present emphasis on diversity and social justice in the systemic therapy fields. This manuscript provides a concise summary of SGM and highlights the need for infusing SGM with intersectional feminism to produce the Intersectional Growth Model (IGM). An overview of the key critically-informed tenets and assumptions of the intersectional growth model (IGM) is provided. Practices related to goals, the therapeutic relationship, assessment, diagnosis, interventions, and the change process are described.
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Maxey, V.A. The Intersectional Growth Model: The Satir Growth Model Informed by Intersectional Feminism. Contemp Fam Ther 43, 54–68 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-020-09553-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-020-09553-7