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June 26, 1916 to September 10, 1988

© Avanta, The Virginia Satir Network, 1999

See our Book Store to order a copy of this biography illustrated with photographs of Virginia and appended with valuable information and resources!

Recently a letter arrived at the Avanta office addressed to Virginia Satir. It was written by a woman who had discovered Virginia through her book, The New Peoplemaking. In the letter, this woman described the pain that had troubled her and her family for many years: suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and the estrangement of family members. She wrote with great appreciation for Virginia’s work, which had showed her, as she put it, how to begin dusting off the neglected pieces of the unsolved puzzle of her life and endeavor to put them together. Letters like this are rare but sometimes appear, reminding us of Virginia’s continuing impact on many people through her work. More common are the letters, calls, and e-mails we receive asking for information about Virginia’s life. People who encounter her work through books, videos, and workshops seem to have a common desire to know more about the life that generated so many powerful and useful ideas.

The writing of this biography, then, has emerged from the correspondence and requests that have crossed my desk, pushing and pressing me to realize that, as hungry as people are for the teachings of Virginia Satir, they are also eager to establish some kind of personal connection with her. My personal connection is what I have to share with you. I met Virginia in 1977, when she founded Avanta, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and supporting people "to be more fully human." For several years I worked with her as a trainer at Process Community, a month-long seminar for personal and professional growth. Since 1993, I have been the Executive Director of Avanta, which continues to grow and work with other organizations to promote the teachings of Virginia Satir by training and connecting counselors and participating in service projects worldwide.

When Virginia died, she left over 700 pages of hand-written and typed notes. I have read and re-read these notes in an effort to learn more about her and how she thought of the future. The notes and my own personal connection with Virginia challenged each other, lent clarity to one another, and even introduced new spaces of uncertainty about Virginia’s life. Together with her work, others who knew her, interviews she gave, and books written by and about her, they have formed this biography. It is my hope that what you are about to read will be received as useful and insightful, though far from a complete representation of Virginia’s life and work.

Margarita M. Suarez

Former Executive Director, Avanta

Burien, Washington

December 1999