experiential family therapy

experiential family therapy

an intervention that emphasizes intuition, feelings, and underlying processes in treating families and deemphasizes theoretical frameworks. The work is often characterized by the use of the therapist’s own feelings and self-disclosures in interactions with clients. Notable experiential family therapists have included U.S. psychiatrists Carl A. Whitaker (1912–1995) and Virginia M. Satir (1916–1988).