Hi
I think this subject is very important. I have experienced and heard
about facilitators not acting ethically, according of course to my own
standards.
I think that where facilitators can get into trouble, or therapists
for that matter, is where they act without a good sense of their
boundaries with others. Examples of this could be touching without
permission, or thinking that Constellation work is easy and starting
too quickly without proper learning or respect for the work.
Feedback i have received from other facilitators is that sometimes i
am too cautious, so that may explain my personal interest in this area.
I have had a client become suicidal after a workshop, interestingly
caused by what another participant said to the client after she set up
her case, comments that she experienced as shaming. But I took
responsibility in my role of facilitator for this chain of events as I
could have briefed the participants better. I have now developed
exercises to help participants support each other during the workshop
and after, rather than do something that could be experienced as
shaming.
I think that the Constellation world is not silent on ethics as I have
learnt much about ethical practice from attending training and other's
workshops. For instance i learnt greatly from Judith and Albrecht
about ethics, from certain things that happened in their workshops and
how they handled these situations.
Obviously a code of ethics can be experienced as punitive. I think
that it also can be supportive, especially for new facilitators. Maybe
we could call it 'guidelines for ethical practice'. It can also guide
you in realising some of your black holes. I don't think we hear much
about ethical issues in workshops because I am not sure how we would
hear about it in any great volume. The channels of complaint are not
very clear as others have said.
Regarding disclosure of criminal activity or issues of safety, i don't
think a workshop should be a protection against these disclosures. As
a member of the public i think i have a duty to pass this on to the
authorities if the client has not dealt with it already. It is up to
me to explain what I mean by confidentiality in my workshops. I learnt
this after spending 2 years counseling ex-prisoners.
David Mathes
