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Satir Categories of Gesture

Virginia Satir distinguished some classes of gesture in her family therapy sessions. These are universals in human behaviour, and evoke emotional responses in the audience. So they too are anchors.

They are known as the Satir Categories. Notice how your meaning, intonation and message changes when you say the same words using the different gestures. Be aware that they create an emotion in your audience and use them wisely!

You do not have to set these anchors, they have been set by our cultural norms. You are just triggering them to create an effect (this is called “stealing” an anchor).

Consider your hands as a potential choreographed element of your training.

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