The Art and Practice of Constellation: A Multi-Tiered Education

16-Month Study with Suzi Tucker
March 2023 - July 2024

We have designed a customized educational experience to support those who have a passion for Family Constellation and a desire to build a deep understanding of its philosophy, application, and evolution. This immersive, multi-tiered experience provides both the orientation and the navigational tools for individuals to effectively bring the Family Constellation work into the world with integrity and confidence.

Family Constellation is a powerful multifaceted paradigm meant to help scaffold individual and collective wellbeing. It is a simple and complex work that draws upon myriad fields of study and observation. It takes seriously the depth of despair people slog through just to keep going; it takes seriously the possibilities for traveling lighter. Family Constellation values where we have come from, but does not pitch a tent to dwell there. And though it uncovers opportunities for growth at every turn, it does not rely on bulleted lists of empty positivity.

The word “facilitation” is used very specifically: The constellation worker is a guide not a savior. The facilitator is helping to uncover the hidden paths leading to the client’s own sovereignty and full sense of permission. As such, facilitators must be at ease with a broad systemic lens … be equally nimble in befriending clients’ defenses as in identifying clients’ strengths … and be able to maintain a flexible stance from which a sense of curiosity, creativity, and wonder are always accessible.

The depth and breadth of study will help people move from “student” to “professional.” Participants will be on their feet early and often so that concepts can quickly be translated into application. A facilitator learns concepts from afar; however, as soon as the facilitator comes into contact with another being, they must know the work in their bones to be able to provide steady and helpful accompaniment no matter the question or challenge.

Keep in mind that Constellation is a life philosophy not a therapeutic strategy. One is not “trained” so much as enters a lifelong learning — through exposure, practice, exploration, trying on and releasing. Linear, it ain’t!

CONTENT TOUCHSTONES

Philosophy: Together, we will explore Constellation pioneer Bert Hellinger’s fundamental observations about levels of conscience, the orders of love, guilt and innocence, the balance of give and take, and radical inclusion.

Belonging: Together, we will sort through the layers of what Hellinger considered his most important area of investigation: belonging. How does the endless search for belonging impact us from earliest childhood, and what role does it play in our choices about the most important milestones of adulthood?

Psychology: Together, we will look at attachment theory, developmental stages, and other central conceptual pieces that are essential insights and tools for the facilitator.

Attunement: Together, we will discover numerous ways to develop and refine rapport no matter the personality of the client or the depth of the question. Attunement is the way we stay alert to both the possibilities and pitfalls in any systemic engagement.

Intro, Interim, Outro: Together, we will learn how to interview, step in, and withdraw from the constellation.

Voice: A difficult aspect of this work for many people is learning to calibrate one’s voice to encompass honesty, courage, confidence, and respect. Together, we will experiment with voice and the application of the “seed sentences” that so powerfully acknowledge what is.

FORMS AND APPLICATIONS

Working with systemic manifestations in … couples, parenting, immigration, abortion, adoption, money, health, gender, organizations, one2one sessions, and more.

LAYOUT AND LOGISTICS

• We will meet 32 times via Zoom (2-hour sessions, large group), and students can sign up each week for “office hours” (8 students) on the off-weeks. From March 2023 through July 2024. In addition, there is one in-person retreat (location TBA).

• There are approximately 150 hours of direct study (not including homeplay assignments, reading, and AV material).

• Every student will have several unique opportunities to facilitate via Zoom over the course of our calendar of online meetings. Concrete and specific feedback will be provided. Outside clients will be brought in for some pieces of work.

• Every student will facilitate one in-person constellation. This opportunity affords the ability to track movements, ask questions on the spot, explore various ways to initiate or sustain movements toward wholeness and well-being.

• A series of guest teachers will offer useful ancillary perspectives on building/sustaining a successful practice, understanding the body under stress (the facilitator’s especially), etc.

• Suzi will facilitate and demonstrate Constellations, working with individual students over the course.

• Bi-weekly assignments in two’s and three’s allow students to stretch their understandings and root their practices.

• Students will be issued a workbook written by Suzi.

• Students will have access to a deep cache of related AV and written materials.

• Our online Facebook forum will provide an ongoing Q/A.

• A Certificate of Completion will be presented at the successful close of the program.