For Organisational Constellations: when you read through this information, where it refers to family issues, just bring to mind what the organisation is seeking. Not all of it will be relevant, but things like the organisation's lineage and founder/s are important. There is an opportunity for us to have a free consultation that will help us define what can be done for the organisation's system.

Family Constellations are a therapeutic method developed by Bert Hellinger that looks at patterns within your family of origin, such as illnesses, struggles, or life difficulties that seem to repeat across generations without an obvious cause in your own life. The idea is that families carry things subconsciously. For example: a member who was excluded, forgotten, or died young can leave an imbalance that later generations end up carrying without knowing why.

We don't look to place blame on anyone in the lineage or any situation because each member of the system has carried the burden of the system out of love, loyalty and honour. The whole idea of constellating an issue is to find the healing path and return to wholeness. As a facilitator of Constellation work, I ask myself, what does this issue (whatever the client brings seeking resolution to) do for this system?

In a Constellation, participants are drawn to represent specific aspects that arise during the exploration of the issue presented. Being a representative does not involve acting in any way, and it's also not role-playing. It's standing in a particular person's position or as a symptom and picking up the sensations or information that comes to you about whatever it is you are representing. You simply voice the sensations, feelings and impulses that spontaneously arise in you. This is very felt, and makes more sense once you've been through it yourself. Your mind will automatically want to turn what's happening into something logical and comprehensible, and may say something like, "I'm just making this up" or "This is crazy, and I feel stupid." This is a very normal reaction to something new that doesn't yet have any validation for you. What you say still has an undeniable impact on someone in the constellation, or on the seeker of the constellation.
​
​During a Family Constellation day, it may happen that not everyone has the opportunity to do their own personal constellation, and I ask that you trust the process of what work needs to come, does come. I never know what the work will be until it happens on the day. What I usually observe is that by participating in someone's constellation or witnessing someone's work as a group member, the answer to your own inquiry may be found. We are all connected, and often, one person's work is another's work as well. Sometimes the participants say that every Constellation that was done throughout the day was relevant for them.

Your field may become unsettled in the lead-up. If you don't usually struggle with sleep, you might find it disrupted; the issue that drew you to this work may also intensify beforehand. Simply be gentle with yourself and your surroundings, and bear witness to what's unfolding.

I've found there's a kind of dance in the energy around this work; beautiful, nourishing, and one that's helped me feel my ancestors close and supportive.

Rest well beforehand, wear comfortable clothing, and stay hydrated. Prepare in mind, body, and spirit. For the mind, simply observe your thoughts, it can help to jot down what's surfacing as the day approaches. For the body, nourish it well in the days before. For spirit, bring a little more awareness to whatever connects you to something larger, this doesn't require religion unless that's meaningful to you; it might just mean more time in nature, or with your animals. Whatever deepens your sense of why you're here.

Tips for preparing for your own Constellation:

Take some time before the day to reflect on what you're seeking, and distil it into one clear, simple sentence, for example: *"I want to see what this [issue] does for my family system."* The clearer you are, the more clarity tends to surface in the work itself. It's equally fine to arrive without knowing why you're there; trust the pull that brought you, and let the work reveal itself as the day unfolds.

It helps to know the basic shape of your family, and it's fine if the details are patchy. Notice anyone with a "special fate," someone who died young, lived with chronic illness, was excluded, or carried a major trauma and consider who belongs to your family system, including:

As the constellation begins, sensations may arise from nowhere, a swirling in the belly, discomfort in the head. This is normal; it's how the work speaks to us, and a sign you're already being drawn in.

You may or may not feel called to represent something. The facilitator might invite you, and the choice to participate is always yours. Having said that, most people sense when it's them the moment is asking for. Trust that there's a force moving through you rooted in thousands of ancestors who came before.

I remember one Constellation when a woman arrived, notebook in hand, expecting a typical workshop. Partway through, she said, "I think I'm in the wrong place." I offered her the chance to leave with a full refund. She chose to stay, and went on to have a beautiful constellation around her mother:  proof of how this field moves in us, whether we're conscious of it or not.

Most people settle into the potential of this work quickly, even without fully comprehending it. After fifteen years in it, I'm still in awe  of the incredible power of this work and words rarely do it justice.

​When you're given the role of representative, let it move through you: the sensations, thoughts, words, and actions that arise. The facilitator checks in with each person and guides the field toward a healing movement. You may say or do things you wouldn't normally — so might others. None of it is personal; everyone is simply in representation.

Once your representation ends, let it go. Scan your body and release what doesn't belong to you; a walk outside, bare feet on the grass, can help you land fully back in yourself. If releasing the role feels hard, check in with the facilitator.

Stay hydrated, and eat if you're hungry.

If you did your own constellation, hold onto the final image over the coming months. This supports the work to settle within you and your system.

Resist the urge to analyse what happened. This is soul work, and it won't always make sense to the analytical mind.

You might feel fatigued, emotional, or deeply calm afterward, whatever comes up is right for you and your system. Give yourself space to rest once home: have food sorted in advance, and let your family know you may want quiet. Be gentle with yourself, and with them.

Let the effects continue settling in over the days, weeks, and months that follow.