Transcending the physical world
FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS
and other
SYSTEMIC CONSTELLATIONS
Ready to uncover hidden family patterns and unlock your path to self-discovery and inner growth?
THE SEARCH FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Family Constellations is an approach that delves into the subconscious to uncover and understand the dynamics, patterns, and potential blockages within a person’s family system. One must be willing to see the query, “differently“. The objective is not to change others but to initiate the journey for self-change, mature our adult self and foster inner growth.
The Family Constellation approach is a tool that can be used as part of self-transformational therapy; it allows us to use a preliminary intervention or a systemic configuration to find an answer to a specific question to view it from ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE and oftentimes reveals a mindset blockage, for example, feeling unwanted, fear of failure, perfectionism, fear of success, self-doubt, overwhelm, scarcity mindset, avoidance of delegation, lack of self-worth, fear of rejection, control issues, money blocks, limiting beliefs about growth, or catastrophic thinking, to name just a few.
When working with Family Constellations or other system’s constellations, we aim to unveil negative core beliefs and other repressed aspects of oneself locked within the shadow; and to surface the positive core beliefs and the inner potential also locked in the same unconscious level. The movement of revealing and unlocking has the ability to generate an energy shift in the person which allows the individual to consider a new perspective. Let’s explain that.
Working with your unconscious shadow
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. He was a disciple of Freud.
Jung mapped the human psyche forming our personal identity “personal+ity” from four elements:
- The Conscious Persona (how we relate to the external world, meaning what “I as well as others” think I am) which performs in association with the Anima/Animus (how we relate to the internal world, being Anima the inner feminine side of men and the Animus the masculine side of women).
- The Subconscious Ego (the inner force in charge of our thoughts, behaviours and actions) in association with the Unconscious Shadow.
Jung defined “Shadow” as “…that hidden, repressed, for the most part inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors”… “his shadow does not consist only of morally reprehensible tendencies, but also displays a number of good qualities, such as normal instincts, appropriate reactions, realistic insights, creative impulses etc” [The Collected Works of C. G. Jung Book 9 paras 422 & 423].
The mirror principle…
The shadow manifests like a mirror projecting itself in many persons or situations outside of “me” or in dreams; it keeps bothering “me” and lingering in my mind to call my attention. It shouts at “me” to pay attention of the inner repressed, disowned, displaced (positive or negative) emotions within that want to be surfaced, reframed and placed within my inner power. Working with the shadow allows one to shed shady burdens that originated in childhood, adulthood or inherited from ancestors; one can take responsibility from the adult-self perspective and embrace life forward.
“…The shadow contains all sorts of qualities, capacities and potential, which if not recognised and owned, maintain a state of impoverishment in the personality and deprive the person of sources of energy and bridges of connectedness with others… Failure to recognise, acknowledge and deal with shadow elements is often the root of problems between individuals and within groups and organisations; it is also what fuels prejudice between minority groups or countries and can spark off anything between an interpersonal row and a major war.” (Christopher Perry – The Society of Analytical Psychology).
The shadow works from the depth of the unconscious mind…
It is composed of the individual unconscious (a set of disowned core beliefs) and the collective unconscious (a set of core beliefs responding to the invisible laws sourced within the family and the culture which the individual grew up with.
Bert Hellinger defined those invisible laws as containing the Family Rules, the Equilibrium between Giving and Receiving, and the Orders of Love (Right to Belong, Systemic Hierarchy, Priority of Entry, and the Unbreakable Vinculation).
Shaping Our Reality: How Our Beliefs Mold Our Mindset
A belief is defined as “the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true”.
In our daily lives, we are primarily aware of our “conscious” reactions and immediate thoughts (foliage) in response to various situations, people, and events. However, these conscious thoughts are influenced by our “subconscious” rules, attitudes, and assumptions (trunk and branches) that we have developed over time to protect and support our core beliefs.
Core beliefs (roots of the tree) are fundamental beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us that are deeply ingrained in our “unconscious mind”. These beliefs, whether they are positive or negative, are often established during our childhood and shape how we perceive and interact with the world.
When our core beliefs are negative, they can serve as defence mechanisms that we may not always recognize or acknowledge. During times of distress or challenge, these negative core beliefs can be activated, leading to a chain reaction of negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
This negativity can permeate through all levels of our consciousness, affecting our perceptions, interpretations, and reactions to the world around us.
Our beliefs play a significant role in shaping our mindset. The way we perceive the world, interpret events, and react to situations is largely influenced by our beliefs. When we encounter challenges or difficulties in life, our beliefs can either empower us to find solutions or limit our ability to overcome them.
The constellation helps individuals explore these deeply held beliefs and how they may be contributing to the challenges they face. By gaining insight into the root causes of these issues, individuals can begin to shift their mindset, challenge limiting beliefs, and adopt more constructive perspectives, ultimately leading to personal growth and transformation.
As explained, in the process of Family Constellations or other systems’ constellations, the aim is to observe and gently uncover negative core beliefs and other hidden aspects of ourselves that reside within the shadow. Simultaneously, we seek to unveil the positive core beliefs and inner potential that are also concealed at the unconscious level. This journey of revealing and unlocking has the remarkable capacity to enable the person to create an energetic shift within the individual, opening them up to new perspectives and possibilities. The person will then decide whether it is appropriate to act on the information observed. Let’s explore how systemic constellations work.
The Concept of a System
The term “family” in this context is not limited to one’s biological family but can also include the current family or any group with which an individual has strong ties. The underlying principle is that each family or system has its own unique structure and dynamics, which can profoundly impact an individual’s emotional, psychological, and even physical wellbeing.
In Family Constellations, a family or any other group is viewed as a “system” where each member plays a specific role, and there are certain dynamics and rules that govern the interactions within that system: Hierarchy, Belongingness, Priority and Bonds. Sometimes, these roles and dynamics can be influenced by unresolved traumas, conflicts, or unspoken rules from previous generations. These hidden dynamics can create blockages or disruptions in the flow of love, support, and energy within the family system, which can manifest as emotional pain, relationship issues, or even physical symptoms in the individual.
The family constellations approach has proven beneficial for many people in diverse scenarios, including families grappling with conflicts, couples seeking to nurture their relationship and serve as positive role models for children, children facing various challenges such as academic struggles, illness, behavioural issues, or bullying, and individuals navigating professional challenges or business dynamics. Whether seeking to comprehend the underlying dynamics of disease, enhance communication and decision-making within work environments, or address personal and relational difficulties, the Hellinger® Family Constellation and “Systemic medicine” offer a holistic alternative view for understanding and catalysing healing changes across various spheres of life.
The Process of Family Constellations
During a Family Constellations session, the individual (referred to as the “seeker“) usually works with a facilitator to set up a “constellation” representing their family or the specific system they want to explore. Through this embodied process, the seeker can gain insights into the hidden dynamics, conflicts, and blockages within their family system.
Constellation work is based on a phenomenon called “representation” which has evolved since 1978; however it has not been scientifically proven, and thus results are not guaranteed.
Representations are positioned in physical space to symbolically embody various system members, facilitating the exploration of sophisticated interrelationships. This constellation method serves as a powerful tool for individuals to gain insight into the root causes of challenges such as failure, illness, disorientation, addiction, aggression, and existential crises, among others.
Family Constellations present a fresh perspective for you to consider the issue at hand. You have the option to:
- Embrace the new viewpoint, appreciate the insight, and take no further action.
- Reflect on your situation from another angle. You can choose to pursue transformative changes through self-development or seek supportive therapy with professionals like us at LIGWE.
If you choose to embrace a shift, you may become aware of both the dynamics within yourself and your surrounding systems that are functioning well, as well as those that may need improvement. Some people are surprised to recognize patterns of denial, while others decide to make changes; some may choose to resist and stay within their comfort zone, and some others have preliminary inner work to complete before bigger changes can be seen. It all depends on where we are in our transformational journey and what we are ready to learn from the constellation. How you use the new perspective that the constellation has provided is entirely up to you.
Please remember, that Family Constellations is not about predicting the future, and LIGWE does not provide advice beyond our therapeutic approach. The constellation may offer you a new perspective to consider, but it won’t determine the best path for you, your family, your career, or your business. We encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals before making any significant decisions, especially those involving legal, financial, medical, trade secrets, or other important matters. Please take the time to consider all aspects of the situation carefully. As with any therapeutic approach, please know that the decisions you make following the therapy are your own responsibility.
We apply the new Hellinger® Family Constellation (by Bert Hellinger) which is an innovative technique that evolved since 1978 to unveil underlying dynamics within a system through a visually representative process. Dr. Stephan Hausner’s “Systemic medicine” paradigm also reframes the perception of illness and symptoms, viewing them not as isolated dysfunctions but as manifestations of attempts at interpersonal resolution.
Within this framework, individuals and their issues are examined within broader systemic contexts, spanning families, larger social systems, and across generations. Departing from conventional causal models, “Systemic medicine” emphasizes the inherent potential within patients to instigate transformative healing processes.
Resulting Transgenerational Healing
We like to call it “Family Constellations” AKA “Transgenerational Healing” or “Ancestral Healing” because it widens our field of observation to accept the past as it was and to invoke an action for self-development and growth towards the future. The ultimate goal of Family Constellations is often self-transformation and healing.
By working with the subconscious and uncovering these dynamics, individuals can embark on a journey of self-transformation and healing, breaking free from unconscious patterns and blockages that may have been holding them back. Whether applied to family, business, or any other system, the principles of Family Constellations offer valuable insights and opportunities for growth, healing, and optimization.
Below are some examples of topics a constellation can assist you with...
Do not hesitate to ask us for your particular queries!
A new perspective on personal and emotional issues
- Unresolved trauma
- Anxiety and depression
- Low self-esteem and self-worth
- Grief and loss
- Addictions and compulsive behaviours, etc.
An alternative view on interpersonal issues
- Family conflict
- Parent-child relationships
- Intergenerational patterns
- Divorce and separation
- Blended families, etc.
Another angle on physical and health issues
- Unexplained physical symptoms
- Chronic illness
- Pain, etc.
Application of Family Constellations beyond the biological family bonds
While Family Constellations originated as a tool for exploring family dynamics, its principles have been adapted and applied to various other contexts, including Professional and Organizational Issues.
An unconventional outlook on business and organisations
- Project synergy
- Workplace conflict
- Leadership and management challenges
- Change and transition
- Organizational effectiveness, etc.
A new lens on professional challenges or career change
- Limiting beliefs and patterns
- Inner conflicts
- Career direction and purpose
- Interpersonal dynamics and communication
- Resolving workplace conflicts
- Leadership skills, etc.
A wider exploration on spiritual and existential issues
- Life purpose and direction
- Values and priorities
- Decision-making and action
- Existential anxiety and questions
- Questions of existential meaning
- Spiritual growth and awakening, etc.
Other examples of systemic constellations
A different perspective for community groups
- Community group dynamics and relationships
- Conflicts and Cooperation
- Group effectiveness and performance, etc.
A fresh angle on educational institutions
- Teacher-student and peer relationships
- Bullying and behavioural issues
- Organizational effectiveness and innovation, etc.
A broader view of societal systems
- Social Issues and Inequities
- Collective Healing and Transformation, etc.
Important Self Care
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: When working with the subconscious you want to take good and loving care of yourself. After all, you are doing impressive self-transformation work to feel better and more connected with yourself and the world around you.
We, and so you, reserve the right to refuse the session if we feel physically unsafe, disrespected or abused, or whether we suspect that the person is under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.
Please note that when the session has finished (in person or online) you may feel very relaxed, and it is therefore recommended that you should stand up slowly from the couch/chair/floor and leave a short period of time before resuming a normal routine.
Following the session, please refrain from driving or operating machinery until you feel fully alert and able to do so. We advise having a fruit or snack and a bottle of water handy. This is to ensure you are fully alert before driving away or resuming your daily life. Please be mindful of any other circumstances that may affect your safety.
During or after the session, distressing, unresolved memories or emotions may surface. You could experience reactions that neither you nor me, may have anticipated. This can include a high level of emotion or physical sensations.
Following the session, you can sometimes feel “out of sorts” or like when you just woke up in the morning due to the subconscious or energy work that has been completed. This is very normal as the inner mind begins to work with its many potentials and resources.
After the session, the processing of physical and mental wellbeing may continue, in the form of physical changes, dreams, memories, feelings etc. You may feel emotional or even lighter in emotions. Any reaction whether positive or negative may occur, but this is normal and expected. If you have no reaction at all, this is fine too.
We would like to give you a few days to process your findings after your inner work. But if you need to talk to us earlier, please WhatsApp on (+44) 0 7 7 1 5 2 2 1 6 4 3 . You are not alone!
About the work ahead, if you don’t know where to start integrating new findings or changes, please let us know how you would like our continued support. We can then prepare a customised plan for you based on your recent inner work outcome or resulting feelings. The proposed plan may include one or various therapies or techniques we offer.
Meanwhile, when you are available for a chat in the week following the session, please book a FREE Feedback Call with us. We would love to hear about your recent experience working within yourself; if you have any epiphany and how did you find working with LIGWE. Your feedback for our website and your word of mouth is very important to us, as we would like LIGWE to offer this service to help more people with these tools.
Would you like to check other services we offer?
LIGWE supports individuals and businesses on a gentle journey of self-discovery and transformation, helping to uncover subconscious patterns that may be hindering personal growth and success. Alongside our core services, we provide additional support through a variety of exercises, techniques, and tools, ranging from interventions and meditation to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and from regression to hypnotherapy. These approaches are designed to help shift emotions and habits, as well as to alleviate negative core beliefs that may be affecting personal lives, careers, or business ventures. Please explore the links below to learn more.
See the three core services and the ongoing support we offer
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