Quality Principles for Family and System Constellations

With our work we would like to contribute to improving the quality of constellation work and have therefore given ourselves clear quality standards and rules of conduct.

Especially in family constellations, dealing with feelings requires special empathy and professional competence.

Quality standards for safe family constellations

Our constellations create a safe space in which difficult fates, important issues and very private concerns can be dealt with responsibly and good solutions can be found. Specifically, this includes:

Confidentiality

• All participant and client information is treated with absolute confidentiality.
• All participants in seminars undertake to treat the concerns and contents of the statements made by other participants confidentially.

The focus is on the client

• The client and his concerns are the starting point and center of every constellation.
• The client’s reactions and needs are more important than what is (supposedly) shown in the constellation.
• We always seek feedback from the client.

Clean clarification of the request

• We take the client and his or her concerns seriously and first clarify exactly what the client is about.
• We focus on the client’s concerns and their solution.
• We recommend / select other methods if the constellation approach does not appear to be effective or sufficiently safe for the client

Solution orientation in the here and now

• We support the client to be well grounded in the here and now and in their own body
• We conduct a solution-oriented preliminary discussion before we start with the constellation.
• The solution to the problem lies in the here and now and is geared towards the future.
• Investigating the causes and clarifying the past serve to find a solution for the present and the future.

Orientation towards ressources

• We support the client to use existing resources and to find new resources.
• We conduct a resource-oriented preliminary and follow-up discussion
• We ensure that the client can activate resources and competencies.

Orientation to the facts

• The current situation of the client as well as objective biographical and family history facts are the basis of the work.
• We check what is shown in the statement with the relevant facts and the client’s assessment.

We create a protected space

• We create a safe space in which the topic can be dealt with constructively and with respect.
• Especially “heavy” topics and personal fates require mindfulness and an appropriate and protective atmosphere.
• We protect our client from the interpretations and assessments of other participants.
• We make sure that those participants who act as proxies in the constellation also have a safe space. We make sure that “heavy roles” can be let go well after the constellation

Emotions have a good place

• We allow real emotions.
• We create a safe space in which emotions can be felt and expressed.
• We support contained and responsible handling of emotions. – Emotions are processed by either keeping them still or voicing them appropriately.
• Acting out and abreacting have no place in the constellation field.
• We avoid overtaxing the client and emotional overload.

Clean perception / focus on body sensations

• All perceptions serve to clarify the dynamics and the topic at hand.
• Concentration on perception of bodily sensations – and not on images, inner voices and attempts at cognitive interpretation.
• We take the perceptions of the client and the representatives seriously.

Basic attitude: curiosity and openness

• We invite curiosity and open exploration of the situation.

Constellations, which relate to the client’s situation

• We ensure that the constellation can be organised by the client into their self-image and worldview.
• We support the client in connecting the constellation process with his own perceptions.

Constructivist perspektive

• We allow for ambiguity of the constellation image
• Every interpretation is a hypothesis: it could always be different.
• We refrain from interpretations and judgments and distance ourselves from any kind of dogmatism.

Interpretation sovereignty with the client

• We leave the interpretation of the constellation picture to the client and only support them in finding their own constructive interpretations.
• As facilitator we refrain from own interpretations.
• The constellation only provides hypotheses about systems and relationships, sometimes these will be subtle additional levels of perception. – I.e., neither the constellation image nor the guidance claim access to a higher truth.
• We ask the other participants / representatives to refrain from discussion, interpretation and commenting in order not to disturb the process of the respective client.

The explicit and the implicit

• Sometimes it makes sense to express emotions or attitudes in a clearly exaggerated or provocative way (e.g. to stimulate a thought process).
• It may also be useful to leave the emotions and attitudes completely unspoken (e.g. to allow for the client’s own processing).
• We refrain from wanting to analyse, interpret or explain and comment on everything.

Sufficient time for the installation

• We take enough time for each constellation and, above all, the processing of the client.
• The constellation is only finished when a good solution or a good intermediate step has been reached.

Processing of the constellation and follow up

• We ensure that the client leaves their constellation / seminar in good overall condition.
• We are available for our clients after the constellation (in person or by phone).
• We aim that the client can integrate the constellation results into his or her life.

Limits of the constellation method

• We are aware that many concerns have no systemic or family history. It should therefore be checked in each individual case whether other coaching or therapy approaches are more suitable in order to find a solution.
• We recommend complementary methodologies and supplementary measures.
• We recommend other approaches such as Bodynamic® and Somatic Experiencing®, especially in the case of shock or developmental trauma in the personal life history.

We wish you many insights and interesting insights on your journey of discovery into the world of systemic constellations.

Family constellations and system constellations in Frankfurt – Our offers

We offer work with inner parts, constellation seminars and family constellations (in individual setting). Our constellation work is based on the insights of Bert Hellinger’s classic family constellations and the systemic structural constellations of Matthias Varga v. Kibed.

We are also familiar with current developments and the latest findings in constellation work. On this basis we have developed our own rather constructivist approach and style. – Feel free to check out our way of working at one of our next constellation days (as a participating representative)! We welcome both experienced representative and those who are just interested.