Stefan Jovanović is an architect, dance-theatre-maker, and trained facilitator in Systemic Family Constellations.

Developed by Bert Hellinger, the German psychotherapist, Family Constellations are a way of working with and through issues within human systems (particularly within family).

In Systemic Constellations, a model of a family (a system) is set up with volunteer representatives, objects or guided visualizations. Participants are chosen to represent members or elements of the family or organization that is being addressed. In this process hidden and unexpected dynamics operating within the system are revealed and addressed in a way that aims to find a healthy and respectful place for all members of the system in question.

A bedrock principle is that each family system has a conscience that requires that all members be connected and remembered in a particular way. If someone in the system is not remembered correctly then younger members, out of love or the need to belong, can become "entangled" with their ancestors, particularly with those who have been excluded, forgotten or shunned or have experienced a difficult fate.  Unconscious entanglements are behind many of the issues that are explored in these constellations.

Long a fascination of mine, in this conversation I brought Stefan on to talk about his first experience doing a family constellation and what you can uncover from participating in one of these workshops too.