The Virginia Satir Institute in Slovak Republic was founded in 1996 by the group of committed students of prof. Walter F. Zahnd from Chico State University, California, our first Avanta teacher in the Satir Model in Slovakia, later the leader of the long-term training communities and Family reconstructions in Slovakia.
The history of our institute is connected with dear Dr. Olga Holubova (1948 - 2002), the cofounder and former President of The Czech Satir Institute in Prague, who was a very dedicated and popular leader and translator of many local workshops and internatonal training communities also in Slovakia.
The professional training team of leaders of the Satir Institute was developed continuously and since 1998 it was focussed to deepen their learnings as clinical councellors and therapists also in the Satir Systemic Brief Therapy training and supervision training lead by dr. John Banmen and Kathlyne Maki-Banmen from B.C. in Canada.
It was in 1998 that the first two Slovak groups of participants received the direct teachings from prof. Paula Englander-Golden and prof. David Golden from Texas University in Say It Straight program for prevention of addictive and other risky behaviour and since then it is a very popular training program all over Slovakia, which received the govermental credit of Ministry of education of SR.
In 2000, Steven Young from Colorado and prof. Walter F. Zahnd from California were leading the training of trainers in the alcohol treatment program „Thirst for Freedom“ in Bratislava.
Since 1998 professional councelors and family therapists have developed their skills using Sharon Loeschens´ Satir process in regular clubs for therapists.
