What to Expect from Systemic Constellation in Trauma Therapy

Posted by lizjelinek on September 13th, 2017

The client doesn’t speak much in this scenario but rather relies on what many would refer to as the soul to find solutions. If you have never undergone this type of therapy before, there are a few things you might need to know to make you more comfortable about the sessions.

It's a Slow Process

Anyone who has been to conventional therapy may have experienced confrontation with the therapists on various issues. Systemic or familial constellations therapy focuses on the client using his own inherent resources and does not encourage confrontation especially in the beginning. The therapist also pays attention to signs of disassociation or activation with the sole purpose of avoiding re-traumatization. All in all, it is a safe process that helps to slowly uncover underlying issues and their root causes.

Choose Your Representative

As you may have already learnt, systemic constellations therapy uses family representatives as part of the healing process. The idea is to institute permanent changes in the family framework to foster growth and healing. You get to choose your family representative if this is something you are concerned about. This therapy is all about the client having full control of the situation. Again, the specialist is concerned about putting you in a situation that caused the original trauma in the first place so this shouldn't be a worry when signing up for therapy.

Follow up From Therapist

Another way in which systemic constellations differs from traditional therapy is the process is not simply confined to the appointment hours. The trauma specialist psychologist keeps in touch via phone, email or the preferred means of communication just to follow up on the progress. The therapist may ask about your body sensations to make sure that you are fully present in the process. A constellation may also be interrupted if you report feeling overwhelmed or other negative bodily or emotional concerns that may bring up red flags during the treatment.

Step By Step Process

Learning about and going through the constellations can be overwhelming and it is right to think that you are not capable of doing it all at once. The therapist goes through the entanglements or constellations one after the other to ensure that you stay within your limits. The therapy isn’t as overwhelming as you might believe looking from the outside.

Hands-On Approach

Finally, family constellation therapy is very hands-on so don’t be surprised if you find the trauma specialist touching you. It is normal to place an arm behind the solder or on your arm during the therapy. This physical contact is of course within what is appropriate both physically and energetically.

If you have trauma issues that haven’t been addressed despite multiple therapy session, it may be time to find a trauma specialist trained in constellations. This form of therapy goes to the very root of the issue rather than addressing cosmetic causes and effects.