Bob Spitzer
About Bob
As many of you know Bob is a
Psychiatrist. However, he is not your typical psychiatrist, since from the
start he has always been willing to do more, learn more and to adapt all
that he learned from Virginia. He has practices and lives in California.
In the personal level Bob has been
described as a Renaissance man, a Mencsh (literally means "a person" in
Yiddish, but figuratively it means a highly evolved human being). Roger
Harmon described him as "incredibly positive guy, nurturing and caring, and
other - focused individual." The same adjectives were heard at the time of
his celebration, a man with humor, incredible generosity, capacity to give,
marching to the sound of his own drum, a dreamer, always optimistic that
things can be done.
As Bob shared at his celebration, he has
been able to do a lot thanks to the support of Becky, his wife. Bob and
Becky have three children and three grand children. Maria Gomori wrote "He
[Bob] is also a wonderful father, husband and grandfather. He and Becky
raised outstanding congruent children."
The Satir
Connection
Maria Gomori described Bob's work as someone who has passion
for the cause, consistent loyalty and creativity to promote and implement
Satir's approach in many ways, someone that is generous and consistent in
flying with his dreams.
Bob has been with Avanta from its
beginning in 1977. He and Becky participated in the first Avanta Meeting in
California. Bob served on the Avanta Board from 1980-1981. He and Becky
offered their house for many of the Avanta Board Meetings. Bob has also
supported Avanta as well as other organization with special discounts for
the books he has published.
Bob met Virginia in the early 60's when
she was working in California. He became the publisher and editor of Science
and Behavior Books and published "Conjoint Family Therapy" in 1964. Bob did
not stop there. Through the years he published many other books, to name a
few: "The New
People Making" which has been translated in 12 different languages; "The
Satir Model"; "Satir Step by Step"; and "Virginia Satir: Her Life and Circle
of Influence."
Besides publishing books he video taped
many of Virginia's workshops. Bob traveled with Virginia to the USSR in 1988
and was able to video tape her trip and work there. This is one of the last
videos of Virginia's work.
And he continues working in developing
the Virginia Satir Conceptual Art Center on his property in the Santa Cruz
Mountains.