Intervention in Satir and Gestalt individual counseling model towards
self -esteem among student teachers of KPLI major counseling course (batch June 2010)
A) Introduction:
Last year our Education Department (JIP) from IPGKPP received the first batch major in counseling one year course KPLI student teachers in class of LIBMK. Total of twenty (n = 20) student teachers were offered the course but finally only seventh (n = 17) of them turned up. After the week of orientation, we major counseling lecturers for this class (Dr Khoo and En. Anuar) found out majority of them were not from counseling background during their first degree in university study. According to Satir et al. (1991) those lack of self esteem and confidence in handling counseling skills, theories background and clients such as listening skill, questioning skill, empathy skills have influenced them to have ‘draw back’, scared, worry behavior/attitude during teaching and learning time in classroom especially to attend counseling practical hours in counseling clinic setting. Below was a table reported from Education Department (JIP) and Student teachers affair department (HEP) data during KPLI intake orientation week for major counseling student teachers background. After we have started our lectures for two months proved that the literature review have supported our data found. Therefore, a small skill of intervention for up grade student teachers self esteem level has been carried out.
Table 1 Intake of major counseling KPLI student teachers back ground
| Item | No. | Percentage (%) |
| a)major counseling in first degree | 5 | 29.4% |
| i. male | 3 | |
| ii. female | 2 | |
| b) not major in counseling during first degree | 12 | 70.6% |
| i. male | 2 | |
| ii. female | 10 | |
| c) major during first degree | | |
| i. economics | 4 | |
| ii. human resource (HR) | 2 | |
| iii. psychology | | |
| iv. others | 2 | |
| TOTAL | 17 | 100.00 |
Resource: Jabatan Ilmu Pendidikan and HEP (2010)
B) Research objectives:
The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of Satir and Gestalt Model personal intervention on self-esteem in majoring counseling course among student teachers from KPLI batch June 2010 - May 2010. From twelve samples at the class of LIBMK, devided into three groups that are Satir group, Gestalt group and control group. Each group consists of two males and two females student teacher who are worry, without counseling back ground and were offered to take up this major counseling course. The study conducted was a qualitative method due to the less samples in the class (17). Data was collected through the interview and counseling sessions with those 12 clients.
We hope through the counseling and intervention sessions can help out to increase their level of self esteem as counselors later besides can draw nearer the gaps between counseling and non-counseling student teachers background when they still in the process of learning counseling theories (Behavioral, Transactional Analysis, Rational Emotive Behavior Theory, Personal Counseling Centred), techniques and experience of handling counseling case in school later (during 12 weeks of practical).
Research Questions:
1) With those high level of self esteem, can it help the client reduce the level of worry while majoring in counseling one year diploma course?
2) Which techniques of Satir model that helps the clients most?
3) How can the counselor help out the clients in the counseling sessions?
C. Literature Review:
a. Satir Model
Out of Satir’s research and experimentation came her model of growth. She described people’s ways of perceiving the world as belonging to either the hierarchical model or the growth model. How we see the world can be assessed from four aspects: how we define a relationship, how we define a person, how we explain an event, and what attitudes we have toward change. These four phenomena are universal and characterize all people and their relationships with one another.
i. Attitudes Toward Change
This is the fourth aspect of how we perceive the world. People who work on a dominant/submissive basis, who insist on obedience, and who look for one right answer consider change undesirable. Maintaining the status quo means people cannot move forward or grow, of course, but keeping the current order is a way of feeling safe. Therefore, any news possibilities must be rejected. Thoughts such as “You don’t know what you will get into,” “Don’t rock the boat,” and “You might fail” are common in this model and reinforce the existing state of affairs.
In Satir’s growth model, change is essential and inevitable. When people perceive their equality of value and are conscious of their uniqueness and sameness, they accept and welcome change. Of course, they may have some fear about the unknown, but taking risks is part of their willingness to experiment. Security and trust are based on confidence, not familiarity. If they try something new, they can tell whether it fits for them. And, once they are to change, new choices and possibilities become available.
The growth model provides choices and encourages taking risks. Love is a stable component of the model, which means people feel free to express their feelings and differences.
ii. Satir’s therapeutic beliefs
Before we look at the primary triad, we want to state some of the more common beliefs and principles of the Satir model. Change is possible. Even if external change is limited, internal change is possible. Parents do the best they can at any given time. We all have internal resources we need to cop successfully and to grow. We have choice, especially in terms of responding to stress instead of reacting to situations. Therapy needs to focus on health and possibilities instead of pathology.
Besides, hope is a significant component or ingredient for change. People connect on the basic of being similar and grow on the basis of being different. A major goal pf therapy is to become our own choice makers. We are all manifestations of the same life force. Most people choose familiarity over comfort, especially during times of stress. The problem is not the problem; coping is the problem.
Other beliefs of Satir model include feelings belong to us. We all have them. People are basically good. To connect with and validate their own self-worth, they need to find their own inner treasure. Parents often repeat the familiar patterns from their growing up times, even if the patterns are dysfunctional. We cannot change past events, only the effects they have on us. Appreciating and accepting the past increases our ability to manage our present. One goal in moving toward wholeness is to accept our parental figures as people and meet them at their level of personhood rather than only in their roles. Coping is the manifestation of our level of self-worth. The higher our self-worth, the more wholeness our coping. Human processes are universal and therefore occur in different settings, cultures, and circumstances. Process is the avenue of change. Content forms the context in which change can take place. Congruence and high self-esteem are major goals in the Satir model. Healthy human relationships are built on equality of value.
These are the major beliefs underlying the Satir model. Throughout the Satir mode, these principles are discussed in greater detail and applied to the therapeutic process. Clients are encouraged to assess their own beliefs, especially in terms of how change take place in counselling therapy.
b.Gestalt therapy (basic principles):
In Gestalt therapy, reality is understood to have the same quality to it that is in nature, the physical universe, and in interactions. We have seen previously that our worlds are made of what is important to us. What is figure for us is what we know or want. The rest, phenomenologically, does not exist. We create the world for ourselves according to our needs, organizing it as we live out the interplay of figure and ground. When we are interested, we are aware of what is present, as it is part of the process of discovery and invention that is the creative adjustment of the organism and the environment. Reality in this sense is flexible and changing. We make it anew continually as we live.
D) Method:
Factor A includes of three categories that are, Satir treatment group (IRS), Gestalt treatment group (IRG) and control group (IK). Meanwhile Factor B consists of two gender categories that are male and female students. Two counseling treatment groups were developed and each group consisted of male (n=2) and female (n=2) students of equal number. A control category was developed which consisted of male (n=2) and female (n=2) students of equal numbers.
The subjects in Satir and Gestalt counseling model were given six sessions of treatment within six weeks. Each session was carried out once a week for 45 minutes. The subjects in the control group were given normal guidance through reading counseling text and material only.
Instrument Rosenberg Self Esteem (RSE) was used for the purpose of gathering data. Data were analyzed by using qualitative questionnaire.
E) Finding and Discussions:
The results revealed that the Satir model treatment group was more effective than the Gestalt treatment group and control group, whereas the Gestalt treatment group was more effective than control group for Self Esteem dependent variable. At the same time, Satir model also was concluded that more suitable for female subjects compare to Gestalt model. Mean while Gestalt model more suitable for male subjects.
The qualitative questionnaire and transcript sessions (6) has proved that Satir model is more suitable to overcome students problem as self esteem. Besides, techniques such as Family Map, Personal Iceberg Metaphor, Self Esteem Maintenance Kit, Mandala and Wheel of Influence are effective tools to help students increase their level of self esteem. In between Personal Iceberg Metaphor contributes the highest score among them (100%). Finally, counselors successfully discuss and give guidance for those student teachers who have low self esteem to follow the major counseling one year KPLI course and later will become counselor in school (87.5%).
Table 2: percentage of the porpularity of Satir model’s tool can help
them to increase self esteem level:
| No. | Name of the counseling techniques | Percentage (%) |
| a. | Family map (3/4) | 75% |
| b. | Personal iceberg methaphor (4/4) | 100% |
| c. | Self esteem main tenance kit (2/4) | 50% |
| d. | Self mandala (3/4) | 75% |
| e. | Wheel of influence (2/4) | 50% |
Table 3: percentage of the porpularity of Gestalt model’s tool can help
them to increase self esteem level:
| No. | Name of the counseling techniques | Percentage (%) |
| a. | **Empty chair (1/4) | 25% |
| b. | imagery (2/4) | 50% |
| c. | “ If….I ….” (2/4) | 50% |
| d. | Rapport approach (3/4) | 75% |
| e. | exaggeration (2/4) | 50% |
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