The Satir Journal, Volume 1 No 3
ISSN - (print) 1718-2050
ISSN – (online) 1718-2069

Creating Satir-based training for children with ADHD: A report of challenge and growth

Gundolf Strehl, Psychologist,
Germany

Abstract

The author relays his development of an out-of-school program for children with ADHD that seeks to address two major areas: as a personal and social enrichment program that can transfer skills to the school setting, and secondly as an enrichment program for reading and writing. The article begins with an introduction to the difficulties for children diagnosed with ADHD, with studies from Dr. Cordula Nuehaus on differences in brain activity. The outline for the new program is informed by Sharon Loeschen and Margarita Suarez’ enrichment training programs from the Satir Growth Model. This is in contrast to primarily behavioural models. The author describes his pilot program of twelve weeks, with six boys aged 9 to eleven years of age. There are initial difficulties in the group process, with the leader re-evaluating his response to the boys’ needs.
The author than offers his thoughts and recommendations for future programs after receiving feedback from both the children and their parents. This includes re-evaluating expectations given time limitations, the role of the leader and the greater inclusion of parents. The results demonstrate that, given as a pilot project, the personal and group process work has been shown to be helpful for those in the group.

About the Contributor

Gundolf Strehl studied psychology at the Technical University in Berlin, Germany where he received his Diploma in Psychology. After university, he worked in a private Child and Youth Psychiatrist Office in Berlin. Since the beginning of 2006, he has been employed as a family and child therapist for a speech therapy clinic in Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2005, he began training in the Satir Growth Model and became a certified trainer of the “Enriching your relationship with yourself and others” at the end of 2006. He has been a member of The Virginia Satir Global Network since 2004. .

e- mail: Gundolf Strehl

Chinese version of abstract (free)

German version of abstract (free)

(To purchase the Full Article,
see "Individual Articles" at the SIP store.)