Family and Systemic Constellation Work Summary
“What do you do when you do soul work? You touch the heart and that’s enough.” Bert Hellinger
Systemic Constellation Work, also called Family Constellation Work, is based on the
observation that our bodies have an unconscious way of knowing information about the family and social systems we belong to. Constellations allow us to access this and make our felt inner maps of our relationships visible. This modality can help to heal a variety of issues, including family, work, money, health, personal, and spiritual matters. By tapping into our body’s awareness, constellations help bypass the stories and psychological defenses, revealing deeper more objective truths and opportunities for healing.
Changes that occur in constellations can ripple out in positive ways for the client and other members of their family or community. This work has been practiced around the world for over 30 years. Lack of familiarity with this kind of deep work can make it seem magical, but the experience is that of tapping into a larger truth. While Constellation Work is complicated to describe, it makes sense once you’ve experienced it.
The People & The Process
Constellations are led by trained facilitators in group and individual settings. People or objects are used to “represent” the relevant elements in the client’s system, such as father, mother, boss, coworker, etc. The client chooses representatives and places them based on a felt sense of where they are in relationship to each other. The facilitator then asks the representatives to report on their experience in terms of body sensations, reoccurring thoughts, and emotions. If objects are used, the facilitator may feel each object to sense these qualities. Through this process, the disruptions or dis-ease in the system come to light along with new opportunities for healing. The facilitator gently guides the movements of the representatives and suggests healing statements to help shift the system into a more harmonious alignment.
Constellations take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. The client, as a witness to the constellation, is able to see their internalized experience externalized. This alone often yields new awareness that is not possible through conscious thought. Constellations often open up movement in places that have been stuck, such as letting go of an old family pattern, revealing the true motivations of an action, or releasing energy around a chronic issue. The healing that emerges may ripple out over days and weeks as the changes in the constellation integrate into the client’s life and system.
Being a representative in a constellation has its own benefits. Once a representative has been placed in a constellation, their task is to simply pay attention to their body’s sensations. The process unfolds quite naturally, and there is no
