The Communication Process Model

Every act of verbal or nonverbal communication can be understood as a statement about three experiential areas:

• About the communicator — the Self (S)
• About the person to whom the message is directed — the Other (O)
• And about the Context (C)

If a person is unable to express or consciously experience one or more of these areas in communication, this leads to limitations in life. The goal is to regain awareness of these missing or “deleted” aspects.

The Communication Process

Several elements play a role in communication:

The body, which moves in specific ways and holds certain postures — providing the foundation for nonverbal communication.

The sensory organs, which enable the intake of information from the environment. The brain compares new experiences with previous ones and stores information. Personal expectations and values also influence this comparison process. Of course, the ability to speak plays a central role in communication.

The exchange of information — and thus communication — is a complex and far from objective process. Every message received from another person undergoes interpretation based on expectations, values, and personal experiences.

According to Virginia Satir, a lack of awareness about the complexity of communication processes is one of the main causes of misunderstanding. That is why she always sought to uncover and improve communication patterns in therapy using real-life examples (e.g., conflicts between siblings).

In families especially, misunderstandings and misinterpretations in communication have a strong impact because patterns become habitual. Once people have formed an opinion, they often stop questioning its accuracy and simply take it for granted.

Virginia Satir did not focus merely on solving specific problems. Instead, she used concrete problems to facilitate ongoing, generative change — leading to lasting improvements in communication.