History and Background of Experiential Therapy

The Rise and Fall
Experiential family therapy arose from the rise of Humanistic psychology (Nichols & Davis 2020). Experiential family therapy was one of the first forms of family therapy to arise, reaching great popularity in the 1960s. However, with the loss of its leaders, Carl Whitaker and Virginia Satir, the approach began to fade. For a time it seemed like experiential therapy had been just a fad.

Resurgence
In 1985, Greenberg and Johnson's emotionally focused couples therapy began the revival of experiential practice (Nichols & Davis 2020). In 1995, this was followed by Schwartz's internal family systems model. These models combined the past values of experiential therapy with a more modern understanding of interpersonal interaction.

Founders
Carl Whitaker

Virginia Satir

Continued
Key Concepts of Experiential Therapy