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Parents have a great influence upon each of us. Not only because we resemble them and find that we share (some of) their characteristics, they also mold us through their way of ‘raising’ us. The relationship with our parents and siblings is complicated and often we blame each other for inadequacies which bother us in our daily lives. |
About a hundred years ago, the work Freud and Jung did was of immense importance for psycho-analysis as we know it today; they found that we humans not only have a consciousness which helps us to form and direct our lives, but also a subconsciousness. And it it this subconsciousness in particular that governs our actions.
A hundred years have passed and we have all come to recognize today that we indeed have a subconsciousness. Bert Hellinger, who developed the Family Constellations method, moreover showed us in his work that apart from the consciousness and the subconsciousness, we have a family soul that influences what we do. Everyone in your family belongs to this family soul. Not only your parents and siblings, but also your aunts and uncles, your grandparents and of course your children. Certain events in the family may have a tremendous impact upon one or more of the family members (upon the children ‘to the seventh generation’ according to the bible).
These events may include:
- the early death of a parent or grandparent
- a divorce
- accidents or diseases
- a miscarriage or abortion
- adoption
- a family member who is not acknowledged (a ‘black sheep’)
- war and violence
- sexual abuse
- emigration.
Often we do not even know exactly what happened in our family and so are not aware of the fact that there may be subconscious, unfinished matters, or ‘entanglements’ which have a great influence upon us and which may even make us ill.
A family constellation will enable us to see and grasp our family soul. Out of a group of unfamiliar persons you choose a number to represent members of your family and you proceed to place these representatives intuitively at certain spots in the room. These representatives experience feelings which run parallel with the feelings within your own families.
In this situation we find that patterns emerge and we can seek solutions to our problems, even going back to previous generations, thus ensuring that the energy of love which runs in every family but is often impeded by ‘entanglements’ will begin to flow again in abundance. The family constellation adresses the soul, there are no judgements, things are the way they are. As a result the power of love is able to assert itself and the motion of the soul is apparent.
One experience tells us more than a thousand words, verbal or written. We cannot really explain or understand why family constellations work. But we know that they work and that they heal us in the process. It is often a deep emotional experience for the participants making the constellations, but the representatives and the spectators are deeply moved as well.
Family problems are not the only reasons to make a constellation. Constellations can also be motivated by physical or mental health problems. A family constellation may be very healing for people struggling with lack of power, frustrations or recurring negative patterns.
Parents have a great influence upon each of us. Not only because we resemble
them and find that we share (some of) their characteristics, they also
mold us through their way of ‘raising’ us.
Our relationship with our parents and siblings is complicated and often
we blame each other for inadequacies which bother us in our daily lives.
Certain events in the family may have a tremendous impact upon one or
more of the family members.
A family constellation will enable us to see and grasp our family soul.
Life is not a problem to be solved.
Life is a mystery to be lived. -- Osho
The group
A group generally consists of 12 to 18 participants, with a maximum of
22.
Guidance
The group is guided by Helga Verhoeven (1960). She completed four years
of spiritual education at the ‘Leonardushoeve’ Centre. Also
she studied Jungian psychology with Karen Hamaker and is a Journey Accredited
Therapist in the Brandon Bays method known in the Netherlands as ‘the
healing journey’. Furthermore she completed the course for Family
Constellations and keeps up-to-date in this field, and offers various
courses and workshops on consciousness. Helga Verhoeven was a teacher
with Ananta education, a four-year professional education for coaches/therapists.
Testimonials of Journey therapist who have followed the workshops, read more..
