Film

„Family Patterns“ portrays the Swiss family therapist Satuila Stierlin. The one-hour documentary film is an intimate encounter with questions of family history and memory, intergenerational passing-on and systemic family therapy. It is a contemporary historical document that looks back on Satu’s eventful life – a life that is closely linked to the history of the 20th century. As the daughter of a German Jewish mother and an Italian Swiss father, she experienced the pioneering days of family therapy in the USA at close quarters with her husband, the well-known psychiatrist and family therapist Helm Stierlin. In the film, we learn how Satu’s family of origin influenced her professional life and how family patterns work over generations. She also reflects on working with her husband and her role as a female family therapist.