LIVING LIGHT

THE HISTORY

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Systemic (aka Family) Constellations was developed by Bert Hellinger as a result of his time spent with the Zulu people in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa during the 1950s and 60s. He witnessed profound shifts and healing that would happen not just for individuals, but for the whole community, from their ritual practices; which called upon ancestral energies for guidance, support and resolution.

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Hellinger combined his learnings with cutting edge psychotherapeutic knowledge of the time, in order to create a way of gently revealing unconscious ties (known as ‘entanglements’) that people held with the fates of their ancestors and excluded members of their family system. By doing so, miraculous breakthroughs would occur in family dynamics, health, love, creativity, money, career and more.

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THE FORM

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The facilitator guides the client through an initial interview process to discern the key elements of the issue, before creating a dynamic map or 'constellation' using different representatives. As the constellation unfolds, the facilitator offers short, concise sentences to be spoken by the representatives or the client, to reveal hidden truths and thus bring movement, healing and insight to the problem. In group workshops, other attendees are invited to stand as representatives in service of the client's process. In one to one work, the client chooses objects, or visualises the map with guidance from the facilitator.

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USES AND APPLICATIONS

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Systemic Constellations can be applied to a variety of issues, including (and not limited to): physical illnesses; dysfunction in relationships; career difficulties; financial struggle; addiction; mental health* and more.

 

The body has a special place in Constellations work, as it is viewed as a 'truth teller', capable of accessing information beyond the cognitive level. In the case of physical illness, the body is understood to be communicating unresolved dynamics in the wider family system, as well as the individual's own life. As a result, a Constellations session that is focused on attending to a physical issue will usually be looking to reveal a root cause that lies in the ancestral field.

 

Systemic Constellations is sometimes described as 'the shortest of short term therapy'; and is usually used as an intervention method that can open new avenues for healing, or unlock insights that have not been accessible through other forms of therapy or medicine. The understandings that arise from a Constellations session usually relate to the broader family system of the individual; revealing a transgenerational pattern that was unconsciously repeating in ways they hadn't realised before. Such insights often take time to properly integrate, which is why sessions are usually booked on a one off basis; allowing the client time to digest their understanding before returning for another session. As a result, issues that require ongoing attention and holding, such as complex trauma, should also be supported by longer term therapy.

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In coaching, systemic constellations can be applied in a slightly different way as a tool for ongoing enquiry. In this case the coach can use the form and principles of systemic work to support their client in gaining clarity in purpose and direction; attend to difficulties in workplace dynamics; and tap into ancestral resources that empower them to move forward with new projects or creative endeavours.

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*Due to the nature of the process, Systemic Constellations is not recommended for people suffering from severe mental instability or psychosis.