GULMIRA SPICER

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Inner Energy Coach

How System Constellations can impact the course and outcome of an illness

At present, modern medicine is increasingly turning to non-traditional methods of treatment, or rather, doctors recommend and refer patients to homeopaths, to chiropractors who use acupuncture, acupressure, physiotherapy, yoga therapy and the use of Chinese medicines. This suggests that the methods of treatment with the use of modern medicine are not always sufficient for the expected result.
Of course, it is very pleasing that we have begun to turn to the centuries-old knowledge and skills of our ancestors more often, but the evolution of human consciousness is rapidly developing and unfortunately, the number of both diseases and patients is growing at the same speed. Desperate patients or people looking for solutions have always turned and will turn to alternative medicine, which is understandable, because health is most important.

Back in the 1980’s, the German psychologist and philosopher Bert Hellinger, based on earlier methods of spatial visualization such as family sculpting, developed the foundations of this concise form of constellation work, aimed at identifying and changing vital patterns and structures of relationships. As a result, using the principles of systemic constellations, he drew attention to the symptoms of human ill health. In his work, he came to a radically new understanding of the conceptual relationships and underpinnings of diseases, as well as a variety of, often transgenerational family dynamics and interweaving that limit the lives and opportunities of people and support their symptoms. This new and highly effective method is described and depicted in books and films such as «Wo Schicksal wirkt und Demut heilt», «Was in Familien krank macht und heilt», «Schicksalsbindungen bei Krebs», «Die größere Kraft», «Liebe am Abgrund», «In der Seele an die Liebe rühren» among others.
Since then, many other authors have made important contributions to constellation work with patients.

Nevertheless, systemic constellation is considered at best, a legitimate method of alternative medicine, but at the same time, among alternative methods of treatment, it is used sparingly and is considered rather esoteric.

No matter what is said about this method and no matter how sceptical the feelings around it, the effectiveness of this method in working with diseases and symptoms is getting harder to deny.

What is the essence of this method … It is rather difficult to describe, but still, I will try. The nature of human disease consists of the difference, or rather dissimilarity, between the body and the soul. And the nature of decisions is balancing. So, when the balance is disturbed, then a symptom or disease arises. That is, the failure of each organ of our body tells where the violation occurred in the soul. After all, our feelings, emotions, and states are denounced in a physical form, which is displayed in our body in our organs. And this is the clue. At the same time, we cannot say that with kidney problems for example, that all patients have the same life scenario, or the same feelings that provoked the disease, but we can assume that the disease is a derivative of fear. Once again, I want to emphasize that this is not a fact, but a hint to the therapist (facilitator) to test the hypothesis.

Each person is unique and there are no recurring cases, but there are similar patterns. So, how and what can the arrangement help the patient? The essence of the method lies in the fact that the therapist (facilitator) works with the patient, revealing his or her inner-emotional state which led to the disease. That is, the patient sits and watches, so to speak, behind the stage, as in a theatre. They observe from the outside what is happening to them and the disease. In this case, the patient themself appoints completely unfamiliar people to the role of a representer for him or herself and the symptomatology (or disease). Thus, complete strangers, entering the role, begin to give out information from the patient’s
energy field. The therapist (facilitator) and the patient receive indications of the possible relationship of the patient’s disease and their attitude to the disease with certain events, relationship patterns and often hidden family dynamics (or invisible loyalties, as the Hungarian-American psychiatrist Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy called them back in the early 1970’s). As work progresses and if necessary, we will bring representatives of family or clan members, as well as people who are participants in the events that influenced the dynamics, to be introduced into the constellation.

Such work is aimed at recapturing the feelings, tasks or aspects of destiny taken over by the patient in bonding love for parents or ancestors, relinquishing the child’s desires, expectations and needs, and maintaining their own resources.
In this way, the Constellations expose the relationships, which ways of action can lead to a solution, bring relief, and help to cope with ailments. With the help of the arrangement, you can see the true feelings deeply hidden from consciousness. After all, once an ancestor had made a decision that at that time seemed right and began to act and live in accordance with that decision, they would not realize that it could turn out to be a destructive factor in the future.

I will give an example from my practice. A young man of 30 years old, fit, with well-balanced complexion, came with a symptom of asthma. He used an inhaler, but not always, but he always carried it with him. Choreographer by profession. Dance school owner. He himself began to dance from the age of eight, signed up with a friend, but the friend left. Parents thought that it was temporary and would pass, but for him it turned out that dancing is his life. So, in addition to dancing, he loves to run, but for a year he stopped because he started having problems with breathing. He began to choke. The doctors diagnosed asthma and prescribed an inhaler. That is, he was told that it was not safe for him to run. Well, he himself could no longer run, as he was constantly suffocating.

After a couple of therapy sessions and one constellation three months later, he sent me the photo you see of him complete a ten-kilometre run. This photo is exhibited with the permission of the client, who kindly agreed to this, believing that by his example he will help other people understand the effectiveness of this method of therapy and thereby contribute to the search for finding the Roots of the disease.

How System Constellations can impact the course and outcome of an illness

You may ask, what was the recovery and how is this possible?!?
Yes, it is possible. First, it is a strong desire to recover and fulfil your dream. And, of course, faith. Belief that there is a solution, and it just needs to be found. Also, an important factor is that a person is ready to take responsibility for their future, their life.

So why did he start to have breathing difficulties? Because his parents did not give him freedom, specifically his mother who restrained him, was constantly afraid, implored him not to take risks. And out of love for his mother, he could not contradict the old way of life, he could not stand out, otherwise he felt he could be excluded from his family. The constellation showed that in the system of the family on the mother’s side, there was a successful ancestor who reached heights, but was exiled to Siberia and died there. Since then, and this is three generations ago, the ancestors lived modestly, did not want to stand out, did not, as they say, put their heads above the parapet, but to live like everyone else. This is what his mother wanted from him. Well, his mother did this because it was impossible any other way, otherwise – DEATH.

It was the systemic arrangement according to Hellinger that showed with all obviousness how, unconsciously following the programs of a kind, we can, from good intentions, harm our descendants. For the generic system described above, standing out was like DEATH.

It is the restriction of freedom from the first breath that leads to the fact that a person cannot control his own destiny, his own life. And I am once again convinced of the benefits of using this method in practice.

I want to end this article with words from Stephan Hausner’s book “Even if it Costs me my Life. Systemic Constellations and Serious Illness”

“I would like medicine, in its view of a sick person, to properly take into account the transgenerational perspective of systemic family therapy in relation to the occurrence of diseases and the persistence of symptoms, and also that constellation work with patients receive in this approach, in my opinion, its proper meaning and place. In addition, I want the knowledge and discoveries made in constellation work with the sick to spread and lead to a wider understanding of illness and health in society.
But what if our children learned about these relationships in school and if dietetics, as the science of measures that promote physical and mental health or healing, regained its original meaning?
Constellation work can be considered as a method, but in addition, it is also a science of human relations, a philosophy of life, a life position, and a way of life.

Books below:

Hellinger, B (2011) Laws of Healing: Getting well, staying well
Hellinger, B. (2001). Love’s own truths: Bonding and balancing in close relationships
Hellinger, B. (2003). Peace begins in the soul: Family constellations in the service of reconciliation (C. Beaumont, Trans.).
Hellinger, B. (2009). Natural Transcendence.

Hausner, S. (2008) «Even if it Costs me my Life. Systemic Constellations and Serious Illness”