Human Systems Institute :: Preparations for Constellation Workshops

Preparations for Constellation Workshops

If you have not already done so, some research into your family history will enable you to benefit even more from this experience. And, if you cannot access this information, your constellation will likely provide relevant clues. There are basically two tasks - making a family tree, and discovering if any unusual circumstances befell the members of that family tree.

If you are coming for a health issue, this family information is also useful, as is a timeline of your when in your life you experienced major health issues or traumasa.

For organizational issues, knowing the structure of your organization will be helpful, along with some knowledge of the history of the organization that might be pertinent to your issue.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

As completely as is reasonable for you to do so, make a family tree of your extended family. This includes:

Your mother, father, foster- or step-parents (if any) and siblings.
Their former partners (husbands, wives, lovers and fiancés of your parents).
Your grandparents, their former partners and their children (your aunts and uncles).
Your great-grandparents, only if one of your great grandmothers died in childbirth or one of them were murdered or they immigrated from another country or there is an unusual story involved.
Your former partners or spouses and children. Miscarriages and abortions may be important.

FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES

For any of the members of your tree, if you already know or can discover whether any member:

Met an untimely death (through sickness, accident, war, murder, childbirth or suicide.)
Had a life-threatening illness (mental or physical, including alcoholism or drug usage) or accident.
Had physical or mental handicaps.
Received some harm or injustice (being cheated of an inheritance, being disowned by the family, abusive relationships, etc.)
Any stories or events in a member’s life that have been "hushed up" in the family.
Any children who were given away or any adoptions.
Parents of different nationalities, or immigrants.

In this work, it is mostly the facts and events that are relevant; the personalities of various family members are usually not important.

As you do your research, you may choose to contact a favorite aunt, uncle or a sibling or your parents. Since not all members of the family have the same information, keep in mind how you would like to be asked to give such information if you were the one being asked. Respect your family members’ lives and what is important to them.

THE CONSTELLATION PROCESS & YOUR ATTITUDE

The constellation process is best regarded as an exploratory process rather than as a panacea. Constellations excel at bringing to light the hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) dynamics that are affecting you in your family or organizational system. Sometimes the constellation process will show a good resolution picture for the issue that you bring, and sometimes the process surfaces painful or difficult aspects of your family or organizational situation in the process of uncovering the forces that are affecting you. Being able to face those issues squarely is often what is needed for positive movement in a system to occur. Constellations are one of many useful approaches to systemic issues. Their specialty is the speed with which they can show larger picture of the complex forces at work in the living systems that make up our social worlds. We get a direct image of how those dynamics are affecting our lives.

Constellations are not representations of the literal truth, although they may point to previously hidden information that has a basis in our shared experience of the “real” world. Constellations do allow new information and new perspectives to enter our family or organizational systems in ways that offer us the opportunity to transform limiting beliefs or behaviors, and to create new possibilities for a better future. Sometimes this takes time and we may experience a disorienting period where we can no longer go back to the old "problem state" but the new way of being hasn't stabilized yet. These "liminal" or "between" spaces are often much more productive than we initially realize.

The best attitude to bring to the constellation process is a rather humble one of openness and a real interest in better understanding the roots of your situation. You, along with the facilitator and the representatives in your constellation, will create the meaning of your constellation, and sometimes this takes time to emerge. New meanings often come to light in the days and weeks, even months, after the constellation process is over. A positive attitude towards the process and a willingness to learn something new will ensure you get the most from the experience.

YOUR HEALTH & WELL BEING DURING & AFTER THE PROCESS

Constellations typically are not physically strenuous. You may find yourself standing for a period of time if you are selected to represent someone in a constellation or you may find that you experience some strong emotions during the process of representing. The vast majority of people who participate in this process find this to be a very informative and enlightening experience.

If you do have medical limitations or are under the care of a psychiatrist or psychologist for acute symptoms, please consult our director, Jane Peterson, before you come for the workshop. You can reach her at this email address or by phone at 503-293-0338. You will be asked to sign an informed consent form prior to the workshop.

Should you experience lingering effects from the workshop experience that you find unpleasant, please feel free to contact us. We will either consult with you by phone if possible, or refer you to a therapist who is trained in constellation work and can support you in further exploring your experience. Sometimes it can be helpful to talk over your constellation with someone who is well versed in the work. In the Portland area we have at least three well qualified therapists that can assist you in this process. We understand that can be a helpful adjunct to the constellation experience and will do our best to help you locate appropriate resources.

We want to do our best to ensure you find the process as valuable and touching as our many participants have over the years we have been offering these workshops. We will do our best to support you in making this workshop an enjoyable and enlightening experience.

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