Satir Change Model

The document describes the Satir Change Process model, which outlines 5 stages of change: 1) Late Status Quo, 2) Foreign Element, 3) Chaos, 4) Integrating and Practicing, and 5) New Status Quo. It details the characteristics of each stage including typical feelings, body responses, and healthy coping strategies. The model suggests that with experience, individuals can go through change cycles more quickly and with less disruption. Supporting others through change involves listening, responding clearly, setting boundaries, struggling productively with chaos, and offering but not imposing support.

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Satir Change Model

Uploaded by

Walter Macuada

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You are on page 1/ 9

THE SATIR CHANGE PROCESS

A Model For Individuals, Groups & Organizations During A Change Process

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 1 of 9
The Satir Change Process
1. LATE STATUS QUO
Description:
Everything is going along as usual. Things feel familiar and
predictable and mostly in balance. But, what does each part
pay to maintain that balance?
UNHEALTH: Some parts are paying much more than they
are getting. You may hear people say “That’s the way I do it
here”, or “It’s our way”, or “It’s the only way”, or “It’s the
Synergy way.”

Body Responses:
People in this stage may be experiencing anxiety, generalized nervousness, gut
problems such as constipation or ulcers. They may have a difficult time locating
any specific cause for the ailments.

Feelings: familiar, comfortable, safe, unsafe, balanced, bored, restless, dread,

anxious, trapped, devalued

Healthy and Helpful Coping Ideas:

• Look at the cost to you and others for maintaining the balance in the old
status quo, e.g. health problems, boredom, stagnation, out of touch with
present reality, unhealthy coping such as smoking.
• Ask yourself if there is a need to change - preferably from your own
perspective as well as from outside perspectives.
• Think of positive possibilities for the future from change; not only negative,
fear generating ones.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 2 of 9
The Satir Change Process
2. FOREIGN ELEMENT
Description:
Something new arrives from outside that cannot be ignored,
though you may try. You may try to deny the foreign element,
because FAMILIARITY IS MORE POWERFUL THAN
COMFORT. You may say or hear people say, ”This isn’t really
going to happen.”, or “They can’t be serious.”, or “No way.”

Body Responses:
People in this stage may be protective and defensive. They look frozen. They
may be holding their breath or hyperventilating. Their senses are diminished, so
that they don’t see or hear things they usually notice. They may have trouble
staying in the present.

Feelings: denial, protective, defensive, confused, off balance, afraid, shocked

Healthy and Helpful Coping Ideas:

• Breathe!
• Acknowledge your feelings are real.
• Try to separate your imagination from reality.
• Acknowledge that the change is real.
• Open up to the possibility that the new end state will be different, not
necessarily worse; perhaps better.
• Evaluate what you’d like to stay the same vs. change. Identify what you’d
like to keep vs. let go.
• Accept that confusion is normal. You don’t know exactly what will happen.
• Identify resources and skills you have to help yourself.
• Know that fear is normal. Seek help to face your fear and not be paralyzed by
it or panicked. Try to understand what is underneath the fear.
• Understand the effect of the change on you may be different than for others.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 3 of 9
The Satir Change Process
3. CHAOS
Description:
Things are in disarray.
Old predictions no longer work.
Old expectations are not fulfilled. People try random
behavior, or revert to even earlier behavior patterns. This
is not the time to make long term decisions. You may say or hear
people say, “This is crazy”, or “I feel crazy” or “I can’t take this.”

Body Responses:
People in this stage are afraid and vulnerable. Their old survival fears and
behaviors may be aroused. They may revert to unhealthy or dangerous coping.
They may become extremely defensive and alienated. They may be shaky, dizzy,
off balance, and generally suffer problems of the central nervous system, such as
nail-biting, mysterious rashes, or panic attacks. Back, head, and neck problems
are common. Awareness may oscillate between very high and practically zero.

Feelings: angry, afraid, vulnerable, incompetent, alienated, defensive, off

balance, crazy, unaware, hyperaware, all over the place

Healthy and Helpful Coping Ideas:

• Understand that your feelings are normal.
• Re-center yourself with familiar things when you feel too far off balance.
• Listen carefully and caringly to yourself and others. Ask “what will happen
if…”
• Try to separate past from present. Acknowledge what’s not going to happen.
• Avoid long term decisions, i.e., leaving, suicide.
• Identify what you want/need and ways to get it.
• Stay in touch with others and with current reality.
• Try new ideas until you hit on one that transforms how you are changing and
moves you out of chaos and into the next stage.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 4 of 9
The Satir Change Process
4. INTEGRATING and PRACTICING
Description:
People begin to see a new possibility, a light at the end of the tunnel.
They begin practicing using this new possibility and integrating it
into the rest of their environment. Chaotic feelings diminish, and for
a few moments of clarity, everything looks like it will be “solved”,
perhaps by turning some of the old ways upside down. You may
talk about, “the other way” in comparison to “my way.”

Body Responses:
Some people describe this stage as “feeling like school children again.” There is
some giddiness and also some anxiety that the good feeling will disappear as
easily as it came. People are easily disappointed when things do not work out
perfectly the first time. They need much support.

Feelings: awkward, giddy, frustrated, hopeful, good yet a little anxious, easily
disappointed, cautiously optimistic

Healthy and Helpful Coping Ideas:

• It’s okay to feel some excitement; if you feel too giddy, calm and center
yourself. Understand that emotional swings are normal during this phase.
• Recognize what’s working well and keep practicing it; Acknowledge set
backs are real and normal. Don’t punish yourself or blame others.
• Think of ways to integrate new and old - not either/or; all good/all bad.
• Let yourself rest, relax and re-center by doing familiar things.
• Put things in perspective, don’t expect perfection. Acknowledge your efforts.
• Be gentle with yourself and others.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 5 of 9
The Satir Change Process
5. NEW STATUS QUO
Description:
A new set of expectations and predictions evolves. Unfamiliar
things become more familiar. You may talk about, “the new
way” as opposed to the “old way.”

Body Responses:
As this stage develops, people are calm, their posture and
breathing improves, senses are alert so that they notice little things. They feel
competent again and have a sense of accomplishment.

Feelings: familiar, calm, centered, in balance, competent, deeper awareness of

yourself and your surroundings

Healthy and Helpful Coping Ideas:

• Give yourself time for your batteries to re-charge before making another
change if you can.
• Understand your new status quo.
• Acknowledge your success and effort.
• Express appreciation to yourself and others.
• Learn how you dealt with this change so you can use it during future
changes.
• Put this change into perspective. Recognize this is not the end of change.
Change is a process that will continue. There will be a next change.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 6 of 9
The Satir Change Process
THE META-CYCLE
Description:
After many complete change cycles, individuals learn how to go through change
more swiftly and with less trauma. When this happens, the introduction of a
foreign element may sometimes create more excitement than anxiety.
Depending upon where individuals are in their own meta-cycle, they may react
differently to a change.

Body Responses:
By the third or fourth similar cycle, people begin to feel juicy with excitement at
the prospect of a new cycle of change. They feel alive, healthy and creative.
People who are not in this state may be frightened or put off by those who are.
People who are experienced change agents feel such high self-worth and coping
ability that they are able to support in a helpful way those to whom the prospect
of change is a threat.

© 2019 Wayne and Eileen Strider adapted from the Virginia Satir Change Model
Page 7 of 9
The Satir Change Process
Generally Healthy and Helpful Support

The Satir Change Process does not say that change will always follow all five
stages. The change process can be interrupted at any stage. For example, people
can deny the foreign element and try to return to late status quo. Or they may
start into integrating, then plunge back into chaos without enough support.
Thus, if you want to help yourself and others through change, here are some
healthy and helpful ways to support:

• Listen appreciatively to yourself and others

• Respond clearly and honestly
• Set clear boundaries between yourself and others
• Be willing to struggle with your own chaos and let others struggle with theirs
• Interact with respect and empathy
• Activate possibilities in yourself and each other
• Ask for support for yourself
• Offer your support to others; don’t inflict it on them
• If you are the person introducing a change for others, recognize that you are
not going through the same change as they are.