A Clear, Simple Overview
“The field reveals what words cannot” – Constellation teaching
If you’ve heard of family and systemic constellations, you may wonder: How does this actually work?
When I’m facilitating a one‑to‑one constellation, I begin by interviewing the client, asking questions and looking for clues that show where the tension sits in their system. People come for many reasons. Often it’s an issue they know well – something they’ve explored in therapy – yet they still feel stuck with the same dynamic, blockage or symptom.
Constellations help shine a light on what matters to the whole system, not just the individual. What is the message the system wants us to know? Using Bert Hellinger’s Orders of Love, I start to form a hypothesis. Then we create a 3D map so the issue moves out of the client’s body and into a shared space where we can both see it.
Constellations work is open to everyone and everything. There are no taboos. I work with perpetrators and victims alike. I’m on everyone’s side, and I don’t take sides.
In a 1:1 session, the process is simple on the surface. We use objects – stones, pieces of paper, small figures – to represent people, events, or forces in the client’s system. The client places them one at a time, showing how close or far they are, and which way they face. Slowly, something begins to take shape.
People often ask how this works online. The practical answer is: very simply. On Zoom, I draw small stick figures on a whiteboard. You tell me the size, the position, and the direction they face.
The body responds before the mind catches up. I’m most interested in the client’s body sensations – they often guide us toward a deeper truth. What feels better? What feels worse?
Sometimes the client knows exactly who they’re placing, and their breathing changes as they relate to that person. Sometimes they didn’t know the person at all – a grandfather who died before they were born, for example. Sometimes they’re surprised by what their hands do. Sometimes they pause and say, “I don’t know why, but this feels right.”
The pacing is slow and spacious. There’s no rush to interpret. I’m watching the client’s body, their breath, the way they orient toward or away from a representative.
Sometimes people get muddled when telling their story and say one name instead of another. To me, this is not an accident, it’s the field pointing to a hidden connection. This can help us identify who or what is out of order, who has not got their place and where the balance of exchange is off.
The constellation often reveals something the client has sensed for years but never had language for – a loyalty, a grief, a burden that didn’t begin with them.
What I love about one‑to‑one work is how intimate it is. The privacy of a session means difficult truths can be spoken, tears can be shed and they can be witnessed. “I’ve never told anyone this in my life” is something I hear often.
I support the client to feel what arises in their body, without worrying about how it might land in a group. We go as slowly as needed – one sentence at a time, one scene at a time.
Some clients come for one session and get the movement they need, leaving a little lighter and more hopeful. Others return over time, exploring different areas of life – partners, siblings, children, parents, work, money, love, health, retirement.
Whether we’re in person or on Zoom, the field knows things that have been hidden until we’re ready to look. Sometimes people have been too close to the pain, or it was too soon to face the family’s tragedies. When we have enough distance, support, and love, we can become the generational turning point – the one who can look clearly and see what is.
Some clients live a short walk away, and prefer to work online from the comfort of their home. One client said through tears “Lucy, I don’t know why these stick figures work, but you’ve nailed it”.
And how does it work on Zoom? Honestly, I don’t fully understand how either Wi‑Fi or Zoom work – but I know how to use them. It’s the same with the Knowing Field. I can’t explain exactly how it works, but I know how to work with it in ways that are helpful.
I work in Sheffield, UK, and online with clients worldwide. I look forward to working with you. I offer a free 15 minute chat if you are curious, and even a free 30 minute trial if that’s what you need.