Hi all,
I am very interested in this discussion. I too utilise sand trays and
symbols. I have used the sort through the box of goodies method and the
items on shelves. I am not convinced about the right/left brain difference.
Usually I use them when verbalisation is difficult or when I sense a strong
need on the part of the patient, to "save face" and not have to dispaly
emotion in front of another. I suppose I sense a strong sense of shame at
the possibility of being physically overwhelmed by emotional expression. I
have not really reflected on this much before, other than privately. But I
think it enables the experiencing of and working through of emotion, without
the embarrassment of being seen as overwhelmed. I am convinced the
emabrrassment arises from the mind/body Descartian split in our culture.
Emtassal. It also seems to enable working through to the point of
verbalisation in adults. It's as if what is dissociated under trauma, ie the
tendency for the event memory to be dissociated from the emotional content
and the verbalisation (as seen in PTSD) occurs along a continuum when people
are in some way hurt. The physiaclity seems to shake the dissociation free
to some extent. Whetehr this experinece is healing in any way has yet to be
demonstrated over the longer term.
What I especially like about using these methods is that it is most
respectful of the person's need for privacy of thought. I think that
sometimes patients/clients want to answer our questions even when they are
confused. This is very apparent with children. It does appear that they are
much more able to articulate, following a period of emotional/somatic
working through. I tend to think this is more important for those who may be
in the throes of highly activated amygdala/ limbic system and perhaps
underactivated verbal and frontal lobe activity. It would be fascinating to
investigate this.
However, to date I have no expereince of constellations work. I am
therefore not really clear about what is different about constellations cf
psychodrama, sand tray and symbol work and transpersonal (ie Grof).??? I I
have witnessed children, particularly those who have been traumatised, use
sandtrays wordlessly and across time. I have witnessed a development of
energy and themes. I had a sense of "working through" emotional content
without verbalisation. Although this is anecdotal, and may be biased
positively, in terms of my recall, there was evidence in positive changes to
these children's reported behaviours (eg at school and home). The soma/body
involvement is also fascinating. There are of course others who discuss
memory in the body. I recently watched the aboriginals who very physiaccly
represented their story and took it to the High Court in Darwin. The
physicality of the dance and the symbols was very emotionally moving. I was
curious about the power of this.
Like you Sarah, this is probably a bit rambling. It is, however, an honour
to be able to read what others are contemplating and to realise that in the
world of "RCT evidence-based" and CBT dominated practice there are others
who have a sense that there is something beyond or underpinning
consciousness. It is also encouraging to know that many of you are
thoughtful about how to research constellations, and I would include
psychodrama, sytsems and transpersonal/ emotion-focussed/smbol-sand tray
work.
Keep contributing. And to Chris Walsh....this current discussion is
demonstration that many of us are reflecting and brewing. When a
discussion/thoughts are put out that we can relate with....it is gratfiying
to respond and motivation just is. It is very good to have access to such a
forum. Hasta La Vista. Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly does that
mean? It sounds like something I want to say.
Big "L" love to all.
Anne Marie
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Moore [mailto:sarahmoore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Wednesday, 5 May 2004 6:56 AM
To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ConstellationTalk] Sand tray work with Constellations
hi annie,
thank you heaps for y our detailed and very gracious explanation of how you
work here. it sounds fascinating and, reading through it, hearing about the
beautiful items you use and the feel of the sand and imagining it in my
mind's vision, i instantly felt like i wanted to get in there and
experiment myself with a sandbox - it felt like it would be a great tactile
experience whether or not i could use it with others in the future. so
thanks for giving me a great image this morning and inspiring me to have a
play in the sand myself at some time soon.
i've got a few musings and questions that come up as i read your mail:
they're sort of general as well, questions i ask myself quite a bit, and i
don't know that there's any right answer but i'll ask them anyway cos i'm
sure there's many opinions on this group about all this:
do you think that the tactility and involvement of it with the body in this
sort of work tends to cement the deeper experience of learning by
circumventing standing back and intellectualisation and by involving the
senses as well as the intellect of the patient? and if so does that account
for it's relative power c/w the therapist standing int eh positions or
moving the pieces ie does the fact the client is in there themselves have a
greater effect than standing back. (i tend to hypothesise that it does)
if that is so, in broader group constellation work another question arises:
how much of the time should the client watch the group to absorb the field
information as an 'observer'
cw how much of the time should the client be representing himself or
alternatively important members of his or her field in his constellation.
both positions obviously allow for different learnings about the clien'ts
life and field and different types of integration because they are very
different experiences - one being in the constellation as oneself or even as
a rep being bodily and emotionally experiential, the other also arousing
emotions and thoughts but being less bodily involved and therefore perhaps
more potential to allow defensive posturing away from absorbing the
potential learnings of the field exposed int he constellation. of course
people do defend once they are in the field as well and that's part of the
facilitators art to reconnect the person to what is going on right now
rather than dissociating or going into a story or defensive reconstruction
as a response to anxiety aroused by the field or what they have learnt from
it, or their story of what should be rather than what is right now.
anyway, i'll end now its early in the morning and this is a bit of a rave in
the form of questions to you annie and to myself and anyone who cares to
read and chime in on this constellation e group. adn i'm sorry its not very
grammatically constructed or well thought through but email thinking tends
to do that to me, esp with little sleep. hope you can pick out the question
or conversational line and get back to me with some comments from your
practice or understanding of the work.
love to you annie and to all
thanks again for your generous description of your sand box work
sarah
Geoff Wearne wrote:
Hi Sarah
You asked about sand tray work.
I have a container made from a drawer cut across horizontally about 50cm by
80cm, filled with river sand.
I have shoe box filled with all sorts of little items eg. little wooden and
plastic people, a tiny castle, a tiny car, bricks, pipe cleaners, shells,
semi precious stones , tiny animals etc.( Some therapists lay these out
neatly on shelves but I think there is something very right brained about
rummaging.)
I then ask the individual to feel the sand using both hands for a few
moments.
When they are ready, I ask them to take items from then sand tray and
arrange them as seems right to them.
It may be that I suggest they choose the family members that seem
significant to them in terms of what we have been talking.
It maybe that I just suggest they arrange the items that light up for them
as they rummage.
I am noticing the spatial relationships and way of facing.
I then ask them to imagine "How does this piece/person feel? What is this
one looking at? Who isn't here? What happens/ does it feel like, if you move
this one nearer/ further?"
I do not touch any piece but let them move pieces and experience how that
feels.
The sand is very powerful for burying pieces, half burying or bringing out
what is buried.
Working with sand tray is very tactile and I think tends to affect people at
a very deep level.
If I have a couple I will get one to put out and work and the other watch
and then vice versa.(They are of course fascinated by the particular pieces
the other uses for themselves and other family members, although this is
secondary in constellation work.)
In this way I work with the individual or couple to some form of resolution
or awareness.
Usually I move to asking them, to imagine the person in the room, for the
times of honouring eg "You gave me life and I thank you for this"
Burying and fare welling however work very well in the sand.
Sometimes people will take home a piece to remind them or give them
strength. This can be very powerful (eg a guy recently took home a round
green 3cm reflector, originally from a garden light. that he had placed
behind his figure of himself to give him strength from his ancestors).
This will give you some idea of how I use sand tray.
If ever you are in Perth we could discuss further.
Best wishes
Annie.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Moore [mailto:sarahmoore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 5:56 AM
To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ConstellationTalk] Invitation
so lovely to hear from you annie! i had heard indirectly through chris about
some of the things you were up to in terms of organising and presenting
workshops. but lovely to hear you chime in here.
looking very forward to seeing jakob and thank you immensely for your role
in encouraging and organising these international presenters to 'show us
their stuff' ie how they interpret appreciate and do constellation work-
whilst they're out here. you're right australian constellation work is
rocking along and we're all gaining experience and hopefully wisdom in
learning from the field itself and our clients and our colleagues about what
is.
i'd be very interested to hear about how you use the sand tray in your work
with individuals and couples. i do a lot of work too one on one but tend to
use a modification of the technique eva madelung showed us in germany
(drawings on pieces of paper adn them as positions).
love to you annie
hope to catch up again not too far away, and hopefully closer than the next
munich zist! lol
sarah
Geoff Wearne wrote:
Hi Jo and Sarah
This is Annie Wearne from Perth.
It is great to hear how your work is progressing.
It is just a year next week, since we were with you at the Zist
International Training week in Germany, along with Chris Walsh and Patrick
Kavanagh from Melbourne and Denis Ladbrook and Heather Deighan from WA.
I am probably one of the last constellation Chatline participants to "clock
in" in response to Chris Walsh's round up.
However I do appreciate what is written and often think of replies to
contributions, which I don't end up writing, due to the pressure of life.
I also appreciate Chris's vision in setting up the Chatline.
At present I have been busy organising the visit to Perth of Jakob Schneider
in August and Peter and Otteline van Lamet from the Netherlands in December.
I enclose their Flyers for the interest of Chatline participants, and of
course some members may have friends in Perth that they would like to
invite.
Interest in Constellation work in WA has increased greatly.
Last month Thomas Falke from Munich ran three workshops in Perth and did 68
constellations.
The Schneider workshop in August is already half full.
I have used constellation work a lot this year in my practice with
individuals and couples, using sand tray.
It seems this can work very powerfully too.
Best wishes to you and all Chatline participants
Annie.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Moore [mailto:sarahmoore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 4:33 PM
To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ConstellationTalk] Invitation
dear jo thank you
i too cordially extend a similar invitation to colleagues/friends here
working in this area. in the spirit of sharing the beauty and wondrous
experience of this most precious and always available field in which we all
here work.
email off list by using my direct email (available attached to this)
or mobile 0417087069 or 97580940.
love to all
sarah
Jo Fenwick wrote:
As a gesture to the interests of furthering constellation work in Australia,
I humbly extend an invitation to attend my groups as an
observer/representative at no charge.
The conditions are that you already use Bert Hellinger's Orders of Love
constellations in your work or you trained at Zist and naturally, that
there's room for you.
Anybody who meets these criteria would be welcome and should email or phone
me direct so I can forward details. If the occasion arises that you choose
to convene a constellation yourself, of course I'd ask my usual fee, but
would consider any extenuating circumstances.
I'm working in 'The Hills' outside Melbourne, so if you live here or are
visiting you would be welcome.
I know myself that money can often be a barrier when trying to develop ones'
skills and I am overwhelmingly grateful to have this privilege extended to
me. I view this in concert with Hellinger's freely releasing the principles
without controls, as an outreach gesture to development of the work here, as
well as a win-win situation.
Due to past experience, unfortunately I feel it necessary also to say that I
would expect any facilitator not to canvass my clients for any other groups,
related or otherwise.
Be Loved
Jo Fenwick
(03) 9754 4196
0408 574 672
________________________________________________________________________
Have you tried the new drug sample request service on Doctors.net.uk?
http://www.doctors.net.uk/samples
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Doctors.net.uk e-mail protects you from viruses and unsolicited messages
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Doctors.net.uk e-mail protects you from viruses and unsolicited messages
________________________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
<http://rd.yahoo.com/SIG=129j2lkr5/M=295196.4901138.6052515.3001176/D=groups
/S=1705062215:HM/EXP=1083790697/A=2128215/R=0/SIG=10se96mf6/*http://companio
n.yahoo.com> click here
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=295196.4901138.6052515.3001176/D=groups/S=
:HM/A=2128215/rand=790734295>
_____
Yahoo! Groups Links
* To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConstellationTalk/
* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ConstellationTalk-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:ConstellationTalk-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=Unsubscribe>
* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .
