A new helpful thing

This post explains how the new Representing page on the site works (for now, it’s password protected).

Good things are simple. The simple thing at the heart of constellation work is “representing.” This is where you choose someone to speak for and hold some part of a problem you’re facing. It could be a person or something else, like an emotion or event.

We discovered that representing can be done on its own, without a full, formal constellation. It gives insight and nourishment when you are up against yourself in some painful way. It’s like emotional and social first aid (and God knows there’s a need for that).

It’s rare to feel really listened to, which is a source of chronic pain. So many people feel disconnected. When someone represents you, their job is to hear you on a level below ordinary social contact. This can cut through isolation in a surprising way.

If you’ve seen constellations, you know what it looks like when someone represents. They simply say, “I am representing Anna,” or “Anna’s mother,” or “the burden Anna is carrying.”  They pay attention to their body and notice what comes up. It’s low drama but it is also astonishing. We don’t understand what’s really at work there, but it is some innate human function and anyone can do it.

Being represented is a clean, quick way to feel less hellish or stuck. It’s mysterious but not that weird (okay, it can be pretty weird if you’re not used to it, but it works and you can see the logic of it as you do it). My family, friends, and students use it regularly.

If you want to try it, email me for the password for the representing part of the site. That allows you to book a half-hour session,.and you’ll get instructions in a confirmation email. When you meet, you tell the representative what you want to work on and they represent for you.

Maybe you’ll find it’s just an odd, interesting experience. More likely, you will feel better and see things differently. Sometimes, real change follows from it. I can’t promise what will happen because it’s a mysterious process, but it’s always fruitful. If it’s not, you can say so and rebook without a fee.