David and All -
I come to Constellations from a successful career as a business owner, not
as a therapist. At the beginning, I expected that if I was able to learn
how to provide value to clients that a viable practice model would naturally
follow. It turns out that creating and launching the practice is more
challenging than learning how to be a competent Constellation facilitator.
Here in the U.S. there are more obstacles to launching a successful
Constellations practice than one can name. Ten years after Hellinger's
first trip to the States there are fewer than 10 facilitators making a
full-time living from the approach. This is a fraction of the number of
Dutch facilitators who make a living from Constellations. Unlike the U.S.,
the Netherlands is receptive to new approaches and the Dutch people are
interested in increasing self-knowledge. In Brazil, there are 1,000
facilitators trained. How many support themselves financially through FC?
Most of the successful U.S. facilitators have pre-existing
(non-psychotherapy) practices to which Constellations are an add-on. These
are MD's, acupuncturists, chiropractors, organizational consultants, somatic
therapists, etc. Constellations are a tool in their kit, not their entire
business.
For those who attempt to build a full-time practice as a Constellation
facilitator it is tough sledding. First, there is no recognition of
Constellations in the marketplace of therapeutic modalities. We are
providing a service that doesn't exist, cannot be explained, and flies in
the face of more commonly known approaches on many levels. Second, we
provide nearly instantaneous results. A former client recently wrote me,
"The Constellation was a turning point for me, in terms of my own feelings
about the cancer." That's wonderful and gratifying. My work with her was
one-and-done.
There's always a catch. For psychotherapists, the economic imperative was
to charge by the hour. For priests, it was to remove the burnt offering
from the fire when it was properly cooked. Both forms became distorted over
time by economic realities.
The way forward for me is to grow in the work, devoting myself to living and
acting in the spirit of the ancestors. From there, I am building my
practice in every direction where it creates value for others. How this all
adds up to a sustainable practice model remains unclear.
The support from the CT community is of great importance. It encourages me
to read the postings from many others from near and distant lands, speaking
many languages, coming from different religions and ancestries. We share
recognition that Constellations open a door to an inner space of healing and
peace of mind that the more commonly known modalities do not easily reach.
That and the feedback from clients keep me moving forward on this road less
traveled.
Dan
One would think that it is possible to make a living delivering a service of
great value. It will be for some. Still, I advocate that
-----Original Message-----
From: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of sheila saunders
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 4:45 PM
To: constellationtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ConstellationTalk] Can you help?
David and others, My experience is similar. One of several things happens
with individual work: I see someone only once; or I see someone once and
then they call again soon wanting to address the next thing that has come
up; or we plan upfront to have 2-4 sessions ad so set the next session at
the end of the first; or I see them once and then they call back a year or
so later to work on the next thing. Lately, I have had clients say, "This
session saved me years of therapy." And also, "Years of therapy did not move
me as far or as quickly as one session of constellation work." I find this
very gratifying and yes, whichever of these scenarios, new clients must
continually find me. I leave it up to the client at the end, as to whether
they want to come for another session. Sometimes they ask me what I think
and I tell them the answer will come to them over a period of time and they
can always call. Mainly, I do not rely on constellation work for my sole
sourc! e of income. I did not have a full time practice before constellation
work, so did not have a large pool to draw from. And I too find what
Margreet has found, that there is a main point with a warming up and cooling
down around it. Finding this point is coming easier and easier as teaching
continues to gel in me. Thanks for bringing this issue up. all the best,
sheila
Sheila Saunders, RN, LMFT
www.systemicfamilysolutions.com
PO Box 1011 Weaverville, North Carolina 28787
828-273-5015
"When we have passed a certain age, the soul of the child we were and the
souls of the dead from whom we have sprung come to lavish on us their riches
and their spells." -Marcel Proust (In Search of Lost Time)
To: ConstellationTalk@ <mailto:ConstellationTalk%40yahoogroups.comFrom>
yahoogroups.comFrom: patrick@astralplane
<mailto:patrick%40astralplanet.comDate> t.comDate: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:14:23
-0800Subject: Re: [ConstellationTalk] Can you help?
David and All, This is an interesting issue in that we become more effective
at serving with less monetary compensation, at least for awhile. For some
time I engaged a consultant from the Enlightened Business Institute to help
shift my chiropractic practice to a more soulful point of view, if you will.
We worked from a Buddhist model that what arises in my life and my business
comes from me, it's my perception produced from limitless potential. A
beautiful and profound discussion of these principles is found in The
Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your
Life by Michael Roach. In the Constellation community we have a challenge,
but one that's not in any way insurmountable. I remain creative in the ways
of communicating to current and past workshop participants, with hopes that
the business aspect of it will grow. It does so, but slowly. At Pichl #1 I
brought the question to Dr. Hellinger about how we can develop the business
side of Co! nstellation work. His answer was that we respect business
because it "takes care of people" and their families. I took that in and
have tried to keep it as a guiding insight to all my interactions in various
business endeavors. It would be wonderful if we could all share and develop
ways to communicate the service to a wider population. All the best, Patrick
McNally, D.C.--- On Fri, 12/19/08, david@innersuccess.
<mailto:david%40innersuccess.net.au> net.au <david@innersuccess.
<mailto:david%40innersuccess.net.au> net.au> wrote:From: david@innersuccess.
<mailto:david%40innersuccess.net.au> net.au <david@innersuccess.
<mailto:david%40innersuccess.net.au> net.au>Subject: [ConstellationTalk] Can
you help?To: ConstellationTalk@
<mailto:ConstellationTalk%40yahoogroups.comDate> yahoogroups.comDate:
Friday, December 19, 2008, 2:40 AMHi,I noticed something lately about my
pract! ice and I was wondering if it was happening to any others at well.I
think I am becoming a Consterpist.I have been concentrating for a year on
Constellations, mostly running workshops. I have come back to Australia and
seen some private clients for therapy, that's their therapy not mine, but
its changed. I seem to be doing something different and more powerful.I
think I have become a Consterpist.We seem to be covering about a years
therapy in a couple of sessions and we both, the client and me, seem quite
content, though I may be poorer unless I can find lots more clients.Has this
happened to anyone else?The trouble is, I am not sure what to put on my
business card.Consterpist or Pistconster.I would welcome any
ideas.Cheers...... David Mathes (Guangzhou and Melbourne)[Non-text portions
of this message have been removed]
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