Family constellations is a method which shows us what place we take in the group of relatives in which we were born, or the family of origin where we grew up. This method is helpful when we would like to pull to consciousness, for instance, old habits of which we sometimes wonder whether they are so helpful to us in nowadays life. These little, or often  not, working behavioural patters can be the cause of problems which at first sight can hardly be explained.

For instance: a father who has really high expectations with one of his daughters; a mother who maintains silence about the father’s name of her firstborn child.

A lot of questions about our life, maintaining relationships with our relatives, family, friends and spouse can be downsized to what is called entanglements in the family system. This is  about unconscious or half-conscious connections from which we can disconnect respectfully and lovingly. As a result amongst others our creativity can flow freely at last.

This method is being executed in a group. The person with the request for a constellation (about which the facilitator and the group member will have a talk), will put up other group members to be representatives for elements mentioned during the preceding talk. He/she gives every representative a place in the room, this happens intuitively, according to his/her inner picture. Then he/she will sit down on one of the empty chairs. Then, something special happens. The representatives somehow feel connected to one another, like in a family. In the developing picture the person with the question notices loyalty between two or more relatives, or the lack of connection somewhere else in the constellation. He/she witnesses what has been noticed internally, possibly for many years. The facilitator of the constellation will provide some interventions which may lead to (more) insight, maybe even to a loving and respectful solution of an until that moment figurative connection, after which the representatives and the other group members will relax notably. Thus the person with the question can recover what he/she thought to be lost until the constellation.

How this works, is unknown. In the meantime there is countless proven evidence of the workability of the method.

This working method has been originated out of Virginia Satir’s work, an American psychologist, in the 50’s en 60’s of the twentieth century. The most famous person who further developed this method is Bert Hellinger. Since then systemic work has been developed even more, in dozens of techniques, amongst which constellations for organizations, as well as sickness and health.

A recently developed constellation method is the life integration process (LIP). As life keeps on unfolding itself most of us don’t have much awareness of the diversity of successive stages of life. This is one of the reasons why we often do not realize what we have gone through in order to arrive where we are today. In the life integration process you will be working with representatives for a number of stages of your life. You’ll have the opportunity to communicate with them. Sometimes there will be no talking, then hugging may be the only way of communication needed. Sometimes it is astonishing. Often it is surprising. You will get a lot more appreciation for who you are. And that may be seen, as well as experienced, finally.

There are two ways to participate in constellation workshops: people having an issue to be looked at, and  people who are interested in the work, not having an issue. Because of this difference participation fee varies: for somebody having an issue the fee is €70, for other participants this is €40. Please note that all workshop participants can be requested to represent elements of a constellation.  

Would you like to participate in such event, and would you like to read a bit more about the method of systemic work?      

Terms and conditions for our services are to be found under Terms and Conditions.

A therapy session consists of four stages: saying hello and have a little chat, experiences of the past few weeks, formulate the question(s) which popped up, and closure. Usually sessions take seventy five minutes. 

Anything can pass by during these five quarters of an hour. It’s important to know that this is almost limitless: you’re allowed to be really angry, to show your sadness, to be confused, to be in silence. The source of the emotions you encounter will be welcomed; we will look into the idea you may have: ”Emotion is intolerable” because of which it is impossible to simply let out your emotions. Whatever happens, with us you can allow yourself to feel safe. Ultimately, we will work to the point that you can be invited to relax in your emotion. All together the whole process may turn out to be an exciting adventure.

Why would you come to Karuna – coaching with life questions? One reason could be that you have this uneasy feeling of not being really happy, it’s unfamiliar and you don’t like it. Or: every now and then this tension in your body occurs. Or: something’s changed in the relationship with your partner, or really good friends: sometimes it’s really bumpy, and that disturbs you.  – Maybe you have become used to these observations, you’re coping with the experience. Sometimes though, things may be hidden underneath which want to be seen, recognized. This may turn out to be really clarifying – both to yourself and your partner or friends, with a realistic chance of relaxation in the relationship.

The method we use is Primal Rebirth® Therapy (PRT®), developed by the Opleidingsinstituut AUMM, with a lot of attention for the way your body organizes breathing. Also: being in the moment. ’Consciously being’ will help you become aware of its being helpful in a developing relationship with other people. In sessions with one client systemic work, too, will be able to contribute to clarity. See ’Constellations’, in this website. With PRT® we often will be working with body-oriented therapy. Important additional methods with bodywork are: inner-child-work, primal somatic trauma healing, bio-energetics, neo-hypno therapy, NLP. More information about PRT® can be found by using this link. In case you also would like to know who developed PRT®, please use this link.

With couples counseling we work with one of the partners, as well as both. It is good to be aware of the fact the therapist aims for a neutral position, one without judgment. In one session there may be more attention for one of the partners, in the next that maybe the case for the other. The way a couple interacts with one another is also subject to therapy. In sessions with only one of the couple systemic work, too, will be able to contribute to clarity. See ’Constellations’ in the same section of the website. Attachment issues, too, may come up to become aware of: during our whole youth, the interaction with our parents had a certain impact on the way we interact as an adult in intimate relationships. In case you are curious about this subject, you may want to read  the paragraph Inner Child Work / Unhealthy relationships. 

Terms and conditions for our services are to be found under Terms and conditions.    

Below you will find links to websites of institutes where I have had trainings and teachings,  subjects that have greatly inspired me, sometimes for many years, as well as institutions of which I have to be a member in order to be able to do the therapeutic work.

Training Institute AUMM    Starting point of the huge adventure in order to find out ”Who am I, really?” In 2016 it is expected that I will finish the training for Primal Rebirth® therapist (in process of being trained, finish in 2016 or 2017), place for innervision, intervision and supervision.

Essence work    Very important for me to learn to know who I am, to find rest with who I used to be, as well as who I am at present, with which I eventually was able to open my heart for the total of who I am. Through Essence Work I was able to reset the way I relate with me as well as with other people. One of the results is that I can be present in a more solid way than I used to be.

Bert Hellinger Institute Netherlands    Operating base for almost all education with regard to systemic work, particularly constellations with regard to family, organisations and sickness & health.

NTI NLP    Location where I learned to work with Systemic Structural Constellations.

Constellations platform ‘Open Vloer’    This platform emerged from the intervision group for Systemic Structural Constellations, a group of five people passionate about this way of constellation work. Of course we also work with other constellation competences. Every six weeks Open Vloer organizes a constellation workshop, mostly in Rotterdam.

PSYCH-K    This is a method that works with limiting convictions. The client works with his/her convictions in a direct way in order to transform inner stress in a growth attitude.

ZO-IB    Self Development on the Move. Individual support focused on functioning at the workplace. A very interesting, uncommon approach. 

Tarot Stap voor Stap    At various levels of what we  essentially are the Tarot deck gives us insight in our inner selves. Coincidence does not exist.  A beautiful way of understanding what’s going on behind all sorts of questions.  

Stichting Pelita    An association for people who have their roots in Indonesia, but have lived in the Netherlands for many, many years. Once a month the members can meet and greet, thus enjoying shared culture and history in a relaxed way.

SBLP    This professional association assists her members in keeping them posted of the latest changes in regulations and other matters regarding the practical side of being a therapist.

Register Beroepsbeoefenaren Complementaire Zorg.  My name is registered in this register for complementary care. Being a registered therapist BCZ® I, together with my activities, am subject to disciplinary law following TCZ (disciplinary standards complementary care).