I began intensive training with Mark A. Johnson, LMFT as a facilitator of Systemic Constellations in November, 2005 and completed my formal training with Mark in December, 2007. I have also had the pleasure of periodic training with internationally renowned German facilitators and trainers; G. Dietrich Weth, Dr. Albrecht Mahr, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, Dr. Ursula Franke, Sneh Victoria Snable, and Johannes B. Schmidt.
Mark Johnson has continued to act as an outstanding mentor and teacher and has hired me as a teaching assistant in support of his Seattle Constellations Institute, helping to design and administer his Systemic Constellation Group Facilitator Training Program for 2010.
In 2005 I helped found and have since concurrently served as a council member for the Seattle Constellations Network, a community of Facilitators, Trainers, Promoters, Students and Supporters of Systemic Constellation facilitation in Seattle, WA. This community is the first of its kind in the U.S. and is paving the way for a stronger network of constellation communities world-wide. Check the website for current local workshop offerings and to view member profiles.
ABOUT THE WORK. . . .
The Founding Father of Constellations
Constellations work is an experiential therapeutic modality pioneered in the 1980’s by German Psychoanalyst Bert Hellinger. Hellinger was influenced in part by his 16 years as a missionary with the Zulu in South Africa, particularly by their habits of acknowledging generations of ancestors upon introducing themselves and healing through community “ritual”.
The Evolution of Constellations
While Hellinger’s work originally focused mainly on healing within the family of origin (the most common source of individual and interpersonal issues) Constellation work itself has spread throughout the world and grown to address issues that manifest in any kind of system, such as those existing among co-workers, blended families, sports teams or housemates, for example.
Over the years Hellinger’s own focus has moved increasingly into what he called “movements of the soul” and into what he now considers “movements of the spirit”. The dynamics at play in any family system are reflected in the many levels of our being, from personal to interpersonal to transpersonal. While family constellations focus on the dynamics of the family system, I believe that Hellinger’s “movements of the spirit” address a much larger system in which similar principles of systemic dynamics apply.
Various Forms of Constellations
Many forms of the work have evolved to address internal systems as well. Constellations can be very effective in addressing issues that arise between various aspects of the Self, such as heart, body and mind, or even among the Traditional Chinese 5 elements of the human system. Constellations can be helpful on other abstract levels too. Setting up a ‘dilemma’ or ‘trilemma’ constellation to look at the hidden, deeper dynamics at play in your situation with a new and broader perspective can help in making important life decisions.
My Approach to Constellations
When I first experienced the Family Constellations of Hellinger’s Student and colleague, Dietrich Weth, I was struck by the similarities between Systemic Constellations and the principles of Feng Shui. In each work, subtle adjustments are delicately orchestrated for the purpose of freeing up and increasing a healthy flow of vital life energy where it is most needed, lacking, blocked or stagnant. While Feng Shui is designed to create beneficial energy flows in space, between objects and people in the home, Constellations are designed to encourage beneficial energy flows in people, between individuals and between collectives of individuals – especially as these relate to our ancestors and extended family systems.
Our personal issues, in my experience, are often the result of our patterns of thinking (which are often the result of persistent family patterns). Since the thinking mind plays such an active role in the perpetuation of our issues, it is often helpful to work on a deeper level, bypassing the thinking mind and descending into the realm of the subconscious. In this work, the wisdom of the heart, body and spirit are honored and given a place to be of service in our healing process.
As a paleopsychological practitioner, I see the deep roots of Constellation Work as a timeless manifestation of humankind’s deeply innate desire for connection with each other; outlining the principles of LOVE. Our work is to manifest this connection in ways that honor each our own place within the natural order of our world and cosmos. Constellations are one of the most effective means that I have found of raising our personal consciousness and, by extension, the consciousness of our collectives; our ancestors, living relatives and descendants as well as loved ones, friends, collegues and associates. Conscious Dreaming is another. My work is generally a synthesis of these two powerful, brief and effective modalities.
Bert Hellinger was, in a sense, a paleo-psychologist too, reclaiming and re-working ancient methods in order to cultivating life-sustaining connections among modern humans. I am inspired by Hellinger’s example and focus my energy as a facilitator on cultivating deep and expansive shifts on all levels of being for the good of our selves, our families, our communities, our nations and especially our world.