What are Family & Systems Constellations?
 

Many of us are aware of long-standing behaviour patterns or physical symptoms that seem to recur, no matter how much "work" we do on ourselves.
Cyclical depression, anxiety, addiction, financial issues, stuckness in relating and stubborn physical symptoms can often be linked to our unconscious loyalty to invisible and implicit familial patterns, going back several generations.
As children we can become bound to these stories out of both a deep love and our desire to belong.

We are all part of a multitude of systems, from our bodies, which house interconnected systems to form an organism, to our families, communities, workplaces and all relationships, including to Life itself.
A constellation is an embodied approach that aims to create an awareness of what is, revealing unconscious loyalties to and dynamics within the system and initiating a healing movement that begins with honouring what is and those who have come before us, freeing us to take responsibility for stepping forward into our own lives.
Constellations can provide us with a new image of the issue or symptom, that opens up the possibility of a different movement.
When we are able to see what has been in a new light, the same love that binds has the potential and power to heal, not only ourselves, but by extension, the entire system.

 

What happens in a workshop?
 

We form a circle, within which, the person constellating presents their issue to the facilitator. The facilitator gathers more information on the issue and on the family and based on this, suggests who to set-up for the constellation. The client then chooses people from the group to represent, for example, family members. The positions of representatives in relation to one another, their bodily sensations and their movements all provide important feedback and information, revealing unconscious dynamics, patterns and loyalties. The constellation unfolds, more information is gathered and ultimately, the “field” and facilitator suggest a healing movement.

* A note on the “field” *
The experience of many people when standing as representatives in a constellation is that they have access to emotions, sensations and even physical gestures of people they have never met.  Whether we see this as a shared electromagnetic field or an experience of the collective unconscious, what it means is that it is possible for all participants to find personal resonance and relevance in the constellations.
It is a powerful experience of our interconnection.
As a previous workshop participant reflected “I have experienced such a degree of acceptance here of everyone and everything -  I would like to bring this into my everyday life.”  
It is important to note that constellations are not about fixing, “dealing with” or solving the issues that clients bring. They are an invitation to through greater understanding, shift the way in which we relate to our past, our families of origin, ourselves and therefore, ultimately, to our present.
For some people this shift is immediate, while for others it is a process that unfolds over a period of time.