THE SATIR MODEL AND CULTURAL SENSITIVITY: A HONG KONG REFLECTION Grace Cheung Cecilia Chan ABSTRACT: This paper addresses cultural sensitivity in applying the Satir model in the Hong Kong Chinese cultural setting, focusing on congruent communication. The authors contend that Satir was sensi- tive to the demands of culture. Her focus on individuality, equality, and freedom responds aptly to the egalitarian individualist ethos of the United States. In Hong Kong the family is generally dominated by hierarchical collectivist values. Applying the Satir model as it is being practiced in the United States totally ignores prevailing cultural condi- tions. Following the spirit of Satir, the authors propose the adoption of an emic approach, drawing inspiration and resource from traditional Chinese culture and maintaining continuity with hierarchical collectiv- ism while protecting individual quests for equality, freedom, and inde- pendence. KEY WORDS: Satir; Chinese culture; therapy; collectivism; individualism; Hong Kong. Virginia Satir came to Hong Kong in 1983 and conducted a two- day workshop. About 300 participants attended the workshop, most of whom were helping professionals. From 1986 for about 10 years, Jane Gerber, Maria Gomori, and John Banmen followed up on what Satir started. As a teaching trio, they conducted each year in Hong Kong Level I and Level II four-day personal growth workshops. Currently, Banmen and Gomori continue to conduct workshops separately in the Grace Cheung, PhD, a marriage and family counselor in Hong Kong for over 20 years, has been in private practice during the past decade. Cecilia Chan, PhD, is Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong. Both can be contacted at the Depart- ment of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (e-mail: Cheungpg@hkusua.hku.hk). Contemporary Family Therapy 24(1), March 2002  2002 Human Sciences Press, Inc. 199