Psychologist Virginia Pagenkopf Satir (1916–1988) was born on this day on a farm in Neillsville, Wisconsin. She said she learned the importance of honesty from her father and how to help others from her mother.

With compassion and the desire to help empower people to reach their full potential, she pioneered the concept of family therapy, reframing perceptions and building on relationship strengths.

"When I was five, I decided that when I grew up I'd be a children's detective on parents," she wrote in her groundbreaking book New Peoplemaking. "There were a lot of puzzles I did not know how to understand."

Her first book, Conjoint Family Therapy (1964), laid the foundation for her uplifting approach: nurturing self-esteem, fostering hope, and celebrating possibility. "High self-worth means being able to respond to people but not be defined by them," she said.

Toward the end of her life, she developed the concept of "third birth," where self-learning leads to self-actualization. "We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth," she said.

In 1977, Satir founded the Avanta Network, an international forum for skill development and training. The Satir Model lives on.

"I am Me. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes... I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive... I am me, and I am okay."

Her legacy remains one of emotional intelligence, bold compassion, and the invitation to live with loving truth. She encouraged everyone: Let your beautiful stuff out.