3. What did she do?
➢ Spread the idea of therapy with Dr. Calmest Gyros
➢ Family Therapist
➢ Founder of Mental Health Research Institute (MHRI)
➢ Came up with the Self-Worth Theory
➢ Founded several networking programs: International Human
Resources Network, Advanta Network
➢ Was on the National Council for Self-Esteem
➢ Had a position on the Steering Committee of the
International Family Therapy Association
4. Theory of Self-Worth
“I am me and I am ok.”
-Virginia Satir
“We must not allow other people’s
limited perceptions to define us.”
-Virginia Satir
7. Childhood Memory
As a child Satir’s mother had a
large black pot with three legs.
The pot was used for three main
things throughout the year: to make
soap, make stew, or hold manure for
the garden. If you wanted to use
the pot you had to ask yourself two
questions. First, what is in the
pot right now? Second, how full is
the pot?
8. Coming Into Play
One day during a family session, Satir was listening to the
family members trying to discuss their feelings. It was then
that she remembered her mother’s pot and told the family
about it. After that the family started to use the image of
a pot to express their feelings to each other.
Since it worked with one family Satir continued to keep
using this method with more and more families as it
continued to work.
10. How Does it Work?
High Pot
➔ The better of the two pots
➔ When a person feels good about
him/herself
➔ Person has higher self-esteem
➔ Person tends to be more
successful and happier
Low Pot
➔ The worse of the two pots
➔ When a person feels bad about
him/herself
➔ Person has lower self-esteem
➔ Person tends to give up, feel
that he or she is unwanted and
unloved
➔ Most tend to turn to a life of
crime: murder, drugs, etc.
➔ Others turn to suicide
11. Why is this important?
The self-worth pot is a measure of someone’s self-
esteem. The higher the self-esteem then the higher a
person’s self-worth is. The lower the self-esteem then
the lower a person’s self-worth is.
12. How does one learn their definition of low or
high pot feelings?
14. The Five
Freedoms
These help people connect
to their body and self
more accurately. It also
helps them focus on their
inner resources and
choices. It helps change
their pot in one direction
or another
1. The freedom to hear and
see what is actually
here
2. The freedom to say what
you think and feel
3. The freedom to feel
what you feel
4. The freedom to ask for
what you want
5. The freedom to take
risks
15. What ties into this theory?
“What lingers from the parent’s
individual past, unresolved or
incomplete, often becomes part of
her or his irrational parenting.”
-Virginia Satir
“Life is not the way it is suppose to be
it is the way it is the way you cope with
it is what makes the difference.”
-Virginia Satir
16. Principles to help the self-esteem system
★ Personal Growth
★ Family setting
★ Creative Coping Skills
★ People being more similar than different
17. Other things that help put the theory together
❖ Communication
❖ Risking
❖ Personal Rules
18. Healthy Systems
are Open
Systems
How does this tie into the
self-worth theory?
The pot consists mainly of
self-esteem and this
characterizes ways to keep
your pot full.
● Self-Esteem: high
● Communication: open,
honest
● Risking: willingness
● Rules: realistic,
flexible
19. Troubled
Systems are
Closed Systems
How does this tie into the
self-worth theory?
This characterizes what
keeps your pot empty.
● Self-esteem: low
● Communication:
indirect, unclear
● Risking: unwillingness
● Rules: rigid
20. How can a person change his/her
pot from low to high?
“Change is possible. Believe it.”
21. Change
● Talk with your family
● Reminisce on memories but view them in a different way
● Change your perspective on things
● Move past stress
● Express oneself
● experience life
22. Virginia Satir’s
Thoughts
“...the vital person treats these
temporary low-pot feelings as just what
they are-a crisis of the moment from which
he can emerge whole and something he can
feel uncomfortable about but does not have
to hide...”
“...I truly believe that most of the pain,
problems, ugliness in the life-even wars-
are a result of someone’s low-pot, which
he really can’t talk straight about...”
There are two kinds of
people. The people who
have a high pot and the
people who have a low pot.
The kind of pot you have
determines the way you
are.
25. Virginia Satir’s self-worth theory ties into self-awareness
because if a person has a feeling of low self-worth then he
or she has a low sense of self-awareness. Whereas a person
who has a feeling of high self-worth then he or she has a
high sense of self-awareness.
30. References
"McCall Kids Dot Org - Virginia Satir's Self-Esteem System." McCall Kids Dot Org - Virginia
Satir's Self-Esteem System. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
Satir, Virginia. Peoplemaking,. Palo Alto, Calif.: Science and Behavior, 1972. Print.
Staik, Athena. "The Five Freedoms of Becoming More Fully Human – Virginia Satir & Mental
Health." Neuroscience and Relationships. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
"Virginia Satir and Self Esteem – High Pot and Low Pot." James Campbell. Web. 16 Sept.
2015.
"Virginia Satir." Virginia Satir. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
Walker, Velma. Becoming Aware: A Text/workbook for Human Relations and Personal
Adjustment. 12th ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Pub., 2013. Print.
"Women's Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind and Society." Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
