Summary Laura Dodson and Russell Habor were both facilitators of Virginia Satir’s family camp, which was called Virginia’s great experiment. It was a chance to create a community among families to learn about congruent communication and genuine connection. Both Laura and Russell share about their experiences, lessons learned and passions for camp in this interview.
01:00 Laura describes the context of how Virginis’a family camps began
Several therapist were requesting that Virginia work with their families and the idea came to work in a camp setting with hiking.
Family camps began in 1976.
Laura started leading the camps in 1984 up until 3 years ago.
5:30 Virginai called her camp an experiment. If a week a year, could create change that could last.
6:00 Russell talked about meeting Virginia running a conference of 60 people
Russell noticed that people were ‘hooking up’ and having relationships although they were married and that he felt this was not promoting family. Virginia told him about family camp which was effort for the therapist to learn with their families.
7:40 Laura describes the celebration of life transitions, births, marriages, the beginning of relationships. Camp was a place to practice open communication which nurtured and strengthened family life.
9:00 Laura describes the use of talking circles between teens and parents. The outer ring were focused on holding a space and listening (e.g. the teens) and then to engage with each after hearing the inner circle conversation first.
11:30 there was a camp committee that was formed which took the pressure of running the camp off the facilitators.
12:30 Laura describes the committee meetings that occur 3 times a year which were also very supportive element of the camp as a whole.
14:30 People would do a piece of work in front of the group as part of a demonstration. Thereafter people could help support that person regarding that piece of work during the daily interactions of the camp.
16:15 Laura describes the ingredients that made the camp a nurturing community. People became attached and members would become part of the leadership. Russell talked about it’s focus on congruence, growth , self-esteem, communication. The community would support people having difficulty (e.g., how to not use physical fights). Meditation and community meetings help them feel in touch with themselves and to feel seen.
19:20 The work done in front of the group create a strong intimacy throughout the camp which is unusual for other camps. People would connect through the vulnerability that they witnessed and they would share their own vulnerability.
People would request time to sort through some challenges they were having.
21:00 the camp would start with a temperature reading. People could say what they felt and really wanted...e.g. Appreciations..hopes and wishes...complaints...
22:00 There were teen groups, womens,/men’s group, parents , young adults... These were various spaces for people to share and process their experiences.
Evenings was a time for the whole group to gather and to have leisure time together.
24:40 Tim asks what elements of Virginia’s work were taught explicitly.
The campers would learn about the five freedoms, the coping stances. They would make use of the tools : parts party and elements of family reconstruction.
26:50 Congruent communication, family systems/maps, were some of the key teachings in the camp.
28:30 Being in nature and away from technology is an important ingredient of camp for people to focus on themselves.
30:00 There was a representative from each group: young adult, couples, elders, youth...they would report what the facilitators would need to know about the dynamic within these subgroups.
31:10 In the beginning, Virginia did a lot of the leading of the camp herself. There was an important transition from her leadership to a committee.
The values of the camp were congruence and communication. That each person had to earn their own power. To be in charge of your own growth.
35:00 Mentorship. Russell describes how mentorship took place within the camp.
38:20 “Becoming a peer with your parents” as a point of maturity for the teens and young adults in the camp. The children had to find a way to grow that was not dictated by the parents, that the children would own their own voice.
39:00 Each person was encouraged to have their own voice especially with their parents.
41:00 We discuss how people balanced role function with connection to Self. Everyone took on jobs to create a sense of connection and equality among all people. The focus was on making camp work and that all needed to contribute.
44:00 Laura talked about how camp supported her family and the growth of their communication. Russell talked about his experience of having his family as part of the camp and the memories that were created.
47:00 Russell feels that family camp is the best expression of Virginia work where people could practice what she taught.
49:00 Tim asks about boundaries as facilitators with their family among the larger group.
Russell talked about how living together in camp took away from the role of therapist and being seen as a fellow camper.
54:00 We talk about the missing element of community and the opportunity that the camp gives of feeling known and seen. Laura describes Virginia’s vision that raising consciousness and the creation of community were related and parallel goals.
57:00 Laura talks about facilitation meetings.
59:20 The expansion of consciousness is related to the expansion and enriching of our communities.