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Writer's pictureKarena Coller

Educare and Family / Systemic Constellations

Updated: Oct 14, 2023

Family / Systemic Constellations offer much support to school and care teams.

Marianne Franke-Gricksch book "You're One of Us" (original. German title: "Du gehoerst zu uns") addresses the cooperation between teachers students and parents. Practical examples of systemic thinking in action.


"You're One of Us! Systemic Insights and Solutions for Teachers, Students and Parents."

"In this gripping account of her work, Marianne Franke-Gricksch speaks from her experience as a teacher and therapist, describing how systemic ideas enable fundamentally new and effective learning and encourage creative cooperation between students, teachers, and parents. Rather than viewing the participants in this process as isolated individuals, she shows how people and their environment constantly influence and change each other. Franke-Gricksch's own systemic view connects Bert Hellinger's work on the power of one's bond with his or her family of origin with various other approaches within systemic theory. The author's reports are consistently supported by practical examples from the everyday classroom situation. Especially fascinating is the children's enthusiasm and array of ideas that they use to pick up and transfer the new impulses and procedures. Readers who are new to these methods will also be amazed at the powerful effect that is released by systemic thinking and action."


There is a premise underpinning Family / Systemic Constellation Work in schools or in caregiving situations such as residential homes, interest groups such as sporting teams or performance or expressive arts groups and similar group systems. This is, that each child comes to school or group with their living family system, including parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles alongside them, and within their hearts. By their attachment to their family system, a child's unconditional love for their family, as well as unliving ancestors remains alive them. When they come to school, they meet together with their classmates, their teachers and each person's living family system also alive in them.


Also, when a child comes to school or another group, virtually into another living system - that of the school or group itself, and the schools or groups day to day activities, rules, focus and interest, values and mission, social and ecological place in the world and many other factors such as parental expectations of the school or group, teacher / leader / coach training, expertise and style, and executive team leadership . When these systems try to blend together, when not experienced lightly or harmoniously, this can sometimes become an indication that a family / systemic constellation lens may begin to shed light upon. With this work, a new perspective or fresh awareness for a difficulty, problem, a stuck issue or an impasse may be addressed by those, or one, who feels most that the current issue sits heavily on their hearts.


When an issue is addressed in the experiential process of a constellation, a phenomenological experience of all participants becomes evident and can there is an opportunity to see in motion what cannot be easily seen in other ways such as talking. This phenomenon has been documented by Marianne Franke-Gricksch in her book above, and by many practitioners of the Family / Systemic Constellation lens in their own work, as well as by families who have experienced the work. Often, children can be carrying a heavy burden out of love for their family, when this fate is acknowledged with respect, and when balance and order is returned to a situation by the phenomenological method, sometimes people have seen a lightening of the load of a child, and a reordering of relationship between the adults that affords each person to have their rightful and respectful place in the system; child, parents, family, caregivers, teachers, leadership.


A living system is a self-organising system such as; cells, organs, organisms, groups, organizations, societies, and national or worldwide systems. Systems are linked and interact with one another such as biological with social, and socio-ecological systems that are adaptive and interact with our superorganism of earth as it's own system. Systems interact dynamically and can be seen in the micro of a cell to the macro of the planetary system, to the physiology of a person's various body systems, to the dynamic interactions of a family both ancestral and living. Systems like to maintain homeostasis and it is this balancing and rebalancing of many elements that creates harmony and functionality. When interrupted, obstructed, or distressed, a system loses functionality, as more energy or ingrained patterns or entanglements create a discordance or disharmony that interrupts the flow of living well.


Whilst this is a relatively new process in Australia, there exists much evidence world-wide as to the effectiveness of Family / Systemic Constellation Work. I would like to write about my own experiences and observations in applying the principles within myself, when working as a Integration Aide with children with disability and/or learning difficulty in two Melbourne secondary schools between 2006-2018.


Have a wonderful day!


Karena



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