SYSTEMIC FAMILY CONSTELLATION
The German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger developed the Systemic Family Constellation.
It is a transpersonal therapy methodology, which facilitates the opening and expansion of the individual's consciousness. By working with the client’s energy field and immediate family relationships, more immediate aspects of life can be explored. These are professional, relational, cognitive, existential issues as well as spiritual matters. The client’s desires and feelings are key to the work performed.
Bert Hellinger confirmed the effect of three natural laws that operate in relationships:
These laws act by generating bonds that, when violated, can impede the flow of life and the natural evolution of the individual.
The family is a system, a Constellation, each member occupies a place with a certain function or purpose. In a limiting situation constraining the individual, we can identify the bonds that prevent fluidity and keep the client pressured to a certain pattern of behaviour that appears in other family members.
When there is a functional and harmonious family system, all its components function fully individually. They are determined, confident people, with good self-esteem, healthy in mind and body and know how to relate. From this perspective, the benefits of family constellations, either in individual or group work, become very obvious.
THE PURPOSE OF FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS
The theory of family constellation can help resolve a client’s family of origin problems. These can be difficulties in the relationship between parents and children, as well as challenges in intimate relationships.
Thus, people who usually resort to family constellations are those who:
In what situations should a person seek family constellation therapy?
Family Constellation therapy has a very wide application. Clients may bring up health issues, financial issues and decision-making difficulties in their professional or personal life. Often people want to work with conflicts in relationships
What is a typical constellation therapeutic session?
In most cases, a group of people who do not know each other play the role of some family members of the person who is trying to find a solution to the difficulty or concern that he/she presents.
Afterwards, the therapist encourages interaction among the "family members" being played out. The therapist asks each individual to try to identify which emotions and physical sensations are behind the phrases and behaviours of the person doing the therapy.
During this time, the therapist stays outside the interaction and tries to assess all perspectives. With understanding and guided by intuition, along with the emotions and sensations reported by each person, the therapist shows the person all the facts about their interaction with the "family". In doing so, the client can identify points of greater stress that need to be worked on.
Group or individual service
In a group, usually made up of 20 people, the client assigns roles to participants as representatives of him/herself and family members.
In the individual constellation, therapist and client are alone. However, representations are still necessary. They can work with dolls, drawings and coloured stones. What matters is that the client understands the representations of family members and the dynamics between them.
Family Constellations Workshops
Ana Lydon conducts face-to-face and group Family Constellation workshops.
Workshops are usually held on Fridays, starting at 6:40 pm, and lasting about 3 hours.
Two sessions of Family Constellation are usually held per workshop. A night session also includes systemic exercises and meditation.
The workshops held by Ana Lydon are rich and unique opportunities, that invite everyone to look at themselves, their family and their own entanglements with love. With group participation comes clarity and understanding of the place each person occupies within their family of origin and in their current family. Additionally, they acquire insights into their profession, work and other aspects of their life.