About us
Systemic constellation work offers a powerful and profound way of finding resolutions to deeply felt issues. These issues may arise at home or at work, in our personal or professional relationships, or with our children/family as a whole. Sometimes the issue is our health. We may feel as if we know our problem only too well but, no matter how hard we try to resolve it, nothing seems to shift.
Our Approach
At the Centre for Systemic Constellations our use of the constellation approach is directive and guided in order to ensure that clients and students alike are well ‘held’ in a boundaried and supported space that aims, at all times, to protect from possible re-traumatisation or distress. In our training courses we teach our students this way of working as we believe it provides the best grounding and preparation for practice. And, like the constellation process itself, we work to support our students in finding their place of primary capacity – their own ‘Right Place’ within the field of systemic constellation work
At the Centre we teach a diverse, integrative and soul-oriented approach to the work that includes many ‘ways’ of working – including classical Hellinger family constellations, solution-focused work (structural constellations), trauma and ritual-based approaches among others.
We do this so that students can develop a broad systemic vision and in time develop their own way of working which is true for them.
What is essential is that we all work safely, respectfully and responsibly from a grounded place of inner connection, presence with an excellent training behind us.
In contrast to other approaches that tend to view personal issues in the light of individual experience, systemic constellation work looks at the widest possible view and includes everyone and everything that might have a place. When holding the ‘wider view’ we see that many of our issues stem from ‘entanglements’ or unconscious loyalties to the suffering of others in our family, or perhaps the other systems to which we belong.
Our Story
How We Got Started
Our story begins in 2001 when a founding group of six UK first-generation systemic constellators got together to create a training course in family constellations – almost certainly the first in the UK. This group of six included Richard Wallstein, Jutta ten Herkel, Judith Hemming, Philippa Lubbock, Karen Hedley and Barbara Stones.
This group was named The Hellinger Institute of Britain (‘HIB’), and was actively supported, in those early years, by Bert Hellinger who is the originator of the systemic constellation approach. In 2005, HIB joined the Nowhere Foundation where, with the generous support of the Foundation, it became possible to develop the work of the organisation further.
Three of the original founders remained – Judith, Jutta and Richard, and the name was changed to the Centre for the Study of Intimate and Social Systems, (‘CSISS’), to reflect the wider remit of the organisation. New training courses were developed and a number of research projects were undertaken.
At this time CSISS also offered guest seminars, supervision and conferences to the community as well as the core training programmes. During the CSISS era, a number of former students who had benefited enormously from their training years became successful practitioners and teachers themselves, and they too wished to help to develop and extend the reach of constellation work here in the UK. After nearly a decade of involvement, Judith, Jutta and Richard decided to gift the running of the organisation to four of these newer trainers. And so, in 2009 Gaye Donaldson, Nicola Dunn, Edward Rowland and Chris Williams took over as Directors and once more the organisation was given a new name.
Where We Are Now
Today, we are known as the Centre for Systemic Constellations (‘the Centre’ or sometimes ‘CSC’ for short).
In 2021 Astrid Walker Bourne became the new Managing Director of the Centre, enabling Gaye Donaldson to move to the post of Creative Director. Chris Williams and Sheila McCarthy-Dodd continue as Directors, and all of us are well assisted by our staff Hannah Cox and Magda Nowakowska and the Advisory Board.
The Centre, now registered as a not-for-profit company with an educational and community remit, is deeply committed to excellence in the field of systemic constellation work and our wish and purpose is to support others to develop this method of working in ways that are both professionally and personally creative, supportive and illuminating.
