Checklist

How do I Find a Good Facilitator of Family Constellations?

Are you seeking a skilled facilitator for Family Constellations workshops? We provide you a comprehensive checklist to help finding a competent and trustworthy provider and ask the right questions.

Selection criteria for providers of family constellations

Family constellations have become very popular in recent years and comprise a heterogeneous range of approaches. Providers come with diverse backgrounds and skill profiles. Competing schools and a lack of quality standards make it difficult to assess who is competent and whether the method fits the cause at all.

You may critically question whether you trust the constellation facilitator to apply the method competently and sensitively. To support this process we provide the following checklist:

Emotional Impact

For good reason, many people have respect for the method. Family constellations are emotionally powerful and can rapidly evoke strong feelings. Tears flow, the soul moves. Therefore, professional competence, empathy and sensitivity in the application are prerequisites for responsible constellations. If necessary, the workshops should be supplemented by individual coaching or therapy sessions.

Mindful work – safe framework

The constellation facilitator creates a safe space (for all participants in the seminar) in which the client and his emotions have a good place. The facilitator supports the processing of the client. The aim is to find a good way of dealing with feelings and the constellation image and to discover resources or gain access to old sources of strength.

A good constellation leader does appropriate preliminary exercises and sets a framework that enables good interaction with each other and with feelings. You can feel safe with your concerns and open yourself to the process and new experiences.

Personal trust

In addition, personal trust in the facilitator and the feeling of being in good hands in the group are fundamental to the success of a constellation. A good constellation leadership creates the space for self-honesty and emotional opening for new things.

Selection Criteria & Checklist

Checklist – How do I Find a Good Provider of Family Constellations / Systemic Constellations?

The following checklist allows you to compare different providers and get a good personal impression.

Sufficient experience and training of the constellation facilitator

You are in good hands when you can trust the skills of the constellation leader and the process. The facilitator should have enough experience and flexibility to use the methods appropriately and to combine them as needed. All questions about the procedure should be answered competently.

Can the facilitator show several years of constellation and coaching experience?
Which methods of systemic constellation work does he use?
In addition to family constellations, does the coach have relevant coaching training, e.g. in systemic coaching, NLP, solution-focused short-term coaching, or dealing with trauma?
Does he specialize in certain topics?
The leader should be able to process the concerns with other methods and support you in other ways! (The work should be client centered and not shoehorn the client and his issues into a given method!)

Professional setting and process

Does the facilitator have the necessary permits to provide psychotherapy (e.g. licensed psychological psychotherapist or approval as alternative practitioner for psychotherapy)?
Does the exhibitor belong to professional associations?
Is there a professional entry questionnaire?
Are the coach and the seminar participants sworn to confidentiality?
Caution: The facilitator should have a professional approach and the necessary permits / licenses to work on your topic.

Responsible handling of emotions

It is often about emotions that have not found adequate expression in pr life or that could not be fully integrated. The leader is responsible for ensuring that emotions can be appropriately expressed and processed in the seminar.

Do you feel comfortable addressing uncomfortable emotions (shame, sadness, anger, etc.)?
Are you emotionally touched by the constellations?
Does the emotion feel “real”?

Appreciative and secure setting

Is the method sufficiently explained and practiced through preliminary exercises?
Do you feel safe and in good hands at all times?
Do you feel comfortable in the group?
Are emotions coming up (such as anger, fear or sadness etc.) dealt with carefully?

Your request is understood and can be handled

Choose a constellation leader who understands your concerns.
Conduct a preliminary discussion and clarify how your request can be processed well.
Discuss with the constellation leader whether the constellation methodology is actually the method of choice for your topic.
Attention: Especially for the processing of individual traumata the constellation method may not be suitable. Trauma work requires special experience and sensitivity on the part of the facilitator. An individual setting (combined with methods such as Somatic Experiencing) provides more time and individual attention and therefore is often better suited for trauma than a constellation in a group!

Constellation facilitator will be available to follow up on the issue

Precisely because constellations can initiate and stir up a lot, it is important that you have a contact person after the constellation. Here, unresolved questions can be clarified and, if necessary, open aspects can be processed to the end. Individual coaching can also help anchor the constellation picture in the here and now and translate it to the concrete level of action in everyday life.

Does the constellation facilitator offer to follow up the constellation with individual coaching / therapy if this should be necessary?
Does the facilitator have experience in dealing with the issue in individual coaching / individual therapy?
Attention: If more extensive follow-up work is required, additional costs may be incurred for additional (individual) sessions.

Personal impression – Participate as a guest / representative!

Internet presence, advertising flyers or recommendations cannot replace your personal impression. Decide in personal contact whether you trust the facilitator and the group enough to address and work on very personal concerns in front of the group.

The seminar setting offers you the opportunity to initially participate as a deputy/observer at low cost. You have the opportunity to get to know the constellation facilitator, to understand the approach and to experience the emotional effects of the representative position. In the representative role, experiencing unknown emotions and expressing feelings can be practiced and deepened.

Do you generally like the facilitator, does he seem trustworthy to you?
Do you think the facilitator is competent?
First, take part in a constellation seminar as a guest/deputy in order to personally experience the facilitator and the procedure.

Trust your gut feeling!

Your gut feeling will help you to decide quickly whether you feel you are in good hands here. Do you have the feeling that the clients were helped with the constellation? When observing a constellation, do “real” emotions come up or do you have the feeling “something doesn’t fit here”? – Only participate in family constellations if you feel safe in the group and with the facilitator.

Do you have a good gut feeling?
Do you feel that you are in good hands and seen as a person?
Caution: Trust yourself if you perceive that something is off and investigate further. Such feelings are often an important clue!

Family constellations and system constellations in Frankfurt – Our offers

You can form a comprehensive opinion on all of the above points in a preliminary discussion with us!

We offer you (and/or your employees) individual advice on which of our systemic coaching offers suit your concerns best and whether a family or system constellation can support you in your goals. In many cases, a family or system constellation can provide a decisive impetus for a solution. For business issues, organizational constellations are particularly well suited to take a quick, fresh look at the problem and find new solutions.

If you are interested in a constellation or coaching, please contact us by phone on 0163 7884 239 or directly via the contact form.