Ancestral Healing (also known as Systemic & Family Constellations) is a therapeutic modality which shares some similarities with Gestalt Therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS / Parts Work). The core of this work addresses the roots of individual challenges systemically — within the family system we uniquely come from.

It is not related to astrology.

“Constellation” refers to the arrangement of participants in a dynamic role-play portion of the practice, which often deeply represents the story of a challenge being addressed—just as stars in the sky often represent various stories and forms.

Zeff, as a core member of Ancestral Healing Institute takes Systemic Family Constellations a leap further by incorporating the outcome-based therapeutic structure of Neurolinguistic Programming. As a whole, it assists in forming healthier relationships with ourselves, our families, and inter-generational patterns & behaviors.

In a typical session, we explore the origin of specific mental patterns, subconscious beliefs, lifelong “conditions”, protective mechanisms, dysfunctional behaviors or troublesome relationships. Often, we witness patterns and unconscious loyalties which have been learned and/or passed down through the recipient’s lineage.

The dynamics revealed in an Ancestral Healing session help us find the positive intentions underlying the pattern, belief, illness, etc.. By acknowledging and honoring the positive intention behind a dysfunctional experience, we open opportunities to fulfill that positive intention in new, healthier ways. This brings forth great clarity and deep healing, both for the individual receiving the constellation, and for the system as a whole.

Each session starts with a guided meditation & self-connection practice. We discuss and clarify the recipient’s intentions, current challenge(s), and desired outcome(s). Then we dive into the Ancestral Healing / Constellation therapeutic session. At the end, we reflect on the session and discuss practical ways to integrate new clarity & choices into daily life.

1:1 Private Sessions:
Every session is a unique healing journey of its own. We explore the origin & positive intentions behind specific mental patterns, subconscious beliefs, protective mechanisms, dysfunctional behaviors or other troublesome dynamic. The session is fundamentally guided by the recipient’s healing intention.

Through a guided meditative practice, the recipient “speaks” with relevant family members, ancestors, emotions, or other aspects that live within themself. Unquestionably, this reveals deeper layers of patterns, trauma responses, subconscious loyalties and beliefs which have been learned and/or passed down through the lineage, often for generations.

By acknowledging and honoring the positive intention behind a dysfunctional dynamic, we open opportunities to fulfill that positive intention in new, healthier ways.

Group Sessions:
We explore the origin of a specified mental pattern, subconscious belief, protective mechanism, dysfunctional behavior or other troublesome relationship.

Through a highly intuitive practice similar to a “role-play”, members of the group temporarily represent a recipient’s family members, ancestors, emotions, or other relevant aspects. Zeff often facilitates this by writing the representations (such as “father” or “the core wound”) on a card, and giving it to the representative “blind”—meaning they do not consciously know who or what they’re representing. Often immediately, accurate information and depictions of the systemic dynamic emerge with no conscious knowledge of the family. We witness patterns, trauma responses, subconscious loyalties and beliefs which have been unknowingly learned and/or passed down through the lineage for generations.

The dynamics shown in a Constellation help us find the positive intentions underlying a specified pattern, belief, etc.. By acknowledging and honoring the positive intention behind a dysfunctional dynamic, we open opportunities to fulfill that positive intention in new, healthier ways. This brings forth great clarity and deep healing, both for the individual receiving the Constellation, and for the group as a whole.

Intuitive Embodiment
A highly exploratory form of Family Constellations being advanced by Ancestral Healing Institute. In a group, one person represents an archetypal role (such as “mother), or a state (such as “safety”). Often, this is written on a paper so the rest of the group does not consciously know what is being represented. Together, each person intuitively feels their relationship to that archetype or energy being represented. This gives way to an often very powerful movement, allowing what is in the subconscious to be revealed and worked with consciously.

Family Constellations is a therapeutic modality originally developed in the 1970s. Its creation is mainly credited to Bert Hellinger, though many other therapists and psychotherapeutic modalities have influenced its creation and ongoing development. Click here for a conservative overview of Bert’s background.

In the early 1950’s, Hellinger traveled to Zimbabwe as a Catholic priest, assigned with the mission to convert the Zulu nation. In his 16 years there, Hellinger developed deep connections with the ancestral healers, rituals, and practices of the Zulu of Zimbabwe, who are masters of practical divination. They eventually converted Hellinger to Zulu shamanism.

Simply put, Hellinger witnessed the clear and profound resolution that these ancient practices brought to interpersonal conflicts, dysfunctional family dynamics, ancestral wounds, etc. He learned and participated in the foundations of these practices, and eventually returned to Germany where he developed a modality accessible to “Western” people, yet deeply rooted in natural intuitive practices long-forgotten in the modernized world. What was created is now known as Family Constellations, Ancestral Healing, Movements of the Soul, and other names.

Disclaimer: Many current applications of Family Constellations are in clinical psychotherapeutic contexts. At Ancestral Healing Institute, we facilitate a form of Family Constellations which also includes the spiritual elements which inspired the creation of this modality.