Dear Rita,
I started doing phone constellations several years ago when clients
from my therapy practice moved out of the area. If there wasn't a
facilitator nearby and they wanted to continue the constellations
work, we did them over the phone. Word has spread and it is a
regular part of my practice. Coincidentally, one of the people I
work with is in Anchorage, Alaska.
Included below are some general guidelines that I use. They have
evolved over the years and seem to be useful to the process. Many of
these are, of course, similar to the guidelines used for group work.
When starting out it might be prudent to allow extra time, so that
you are not overly focused on the time. I agree with Dan that it can
be an unexpected journey sometimes . . . but then, so can any
constellation.
PHONE CONSTELLATIONS
~ Chose a time when neither you nor the client is likely to be
distracted.
~ Use the interview to clarify the issue and have a starting set-up
in mind, just as you would in any constellation.
~ Invite the client to be in a location where they can relax and
feel safe enough to surrender to the process.
~ Most clients seem to be most comfortable sitting or somewhat
reclining, so that the are relaxed and aware.
~ After a few clearing breaths, they are invited to still themselves.
~ Then I invite the client to close their eyes and to allow
themselves to begin to travel until they find themselves in an open
space. It may be indoors, such as a gymnasium floor or a theatre
stage or a large living room. It may be out of doors, such as a
meadow or clearing in the woods, at a beach or beside a dirt road.
~ Once they are there, I ask them to keep their eyes closed and
describe where they have arrived and what they see. Sometime
information about the setting helps guide the direct of the
constellation and provides clues about what is wanting to happen
toward resolution.
~ Based on the interview, the issue, my hypothesis and information
from the setting, I invite the client to allow important elements to
enter the scene. I might say, "Simply allow your mother and your
father to appear in this place. You don't set them up, you simply
see where they arrive and notice them." When that happens, "In
relationship to where you are, where are they and what are they
doing?" Clients will often describe the relative distance from each
other, which way they face and if they are in a position. A recent
example, I see my father clearly. He is sitting in the shade of a
tree, not too far away, reading. He doesn't notice us. I can't
really see my mother, but she seems close to my side. I feel her,
but she's kind of a blur".
~ I ask how the client how the actions, movements or lack of
movement effects them and how the other representatives seem to be
effected, as well.
~ From here, the constellation continues as it would in a group
session. Language is offered (sometimes I might say something like,
"Hear you mother say, 'I see you. I'm right here'. What happens
when you hear this?'"). I check with client to see if the words
have a resonance with the constellation.
~ A difference in working this way is that you may use the setting
as part of the constellation and resolution. In one constellation,
the parents were looking off in the distance. When asked what they
seemed to be looking toward, the client replied, "It's weird, but
there is a covered wagon crossing the prairie." I asked about the
history of the parents and then invited the client to simply allow
the covered wagon to come closer. The client reported that it did
and stopped directly in front of the parents. When I asked what
happened, the client said, "Everyone is smiling, me too, and I don't
know why". The constellation proceeded and include these pioneering
ancestors (and a long lost child) as an important part of the
resolution.
Another example of using the setting during a phone constellation.
There was also a session when the client was focused on a one room
cabin that was at the far end of a field. Asked if they wanted to be
closer, the client said they did, but wanted support before
entering. When support was present, the client entered the cabin and
was able to face what was found in the room to conclude with a
peaceful resolution.
~ At the end of a phone constellation, I invite the client to make
their way back to this time and place. There may be a very brief
discussion, if the client finds this helpful.
Hopefully, this may reduce some of the anxiety about trying something
new. It is a comfort for me to have C.T. as a community resource for
us all as we explore our way in this new frontier.
All the best,
Mark
Mark A. Johnson
Seattle, Washington
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