Systemic Constellations
Unlocking Collective Insights and Healing Intergenerational Patterns
What are Systemic Constellations?
Overview
Systemic Constellations - or Family Constellations - is, in part, a practice of seeing things as they are, within a broader contextual story of intergenerational belonging. It invites us to open our hearts and imaginations beyond the individual story of our lives, cultivating a collective and relational lens on intergenerational trauma, love, loss, and longing.
In this work, the term “issue holder” refers to someone bringing an issue to be explored. “Representatives” are those who attend a workshop to lend their bodies and energy to looking at - and potentially resolving - what is held. This is solutions-focused work. The movements that take place often happen both in the moment of the constellation and, more quietly, in our bodies and souls long after.
Organisational Constellations use the same principles and methodology to explore workplace dynamics, offering insight into complex systems and the potential for creative, systemic shifts. In organisational settings, experienced practitioners are often invited to represent different parts of the system.
This work can take place in groups or as part of a one-to-one coaching practice.
How this works in organisations
Systemic Constellations in organisational settings offer a way to see the whole picture: what’s visible, what’s hidden, and what’s been forgotten. This work helps reveal the deeper patterns, loyalties, and blockages that shape a team, culture, or system.
Through embodied, relational mapping, we can bring clarity to complex dynamics, support wiser decision-making, and uncover paths that feel more aligned and alive.
Whether you’re navigating leadership transitions, internal conflict, purpose drift, or strategic stuckness, constellations offer a grounded, intuitive way forward. Systemic Constellation work in organisations create space for insight that’s felt, not just thought, and often lead to surprising and lasting shifts.
This work suits leaders, teams, and changemakers willing to slow down, listen differently, and step into a wider perspective of what’s truly needed now.
Testimonials
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Oliver Holtaway - Research Director at The New Citizenship Project Autism Friendly User Design
“I have been fortunate enough both to be trained by Jamie as a facilitator and also to work with him on a project that has required a great deal of creativity, lateral thinking, empathy and sensitivity. Jamie has been a fantastic partner in this, bringing a holistic viewpoint to all questions and decisions, interacting with project participants with great care, attention, generosity and vulnerability, and being eager to pilot and adopt creative and innovative tech-based facilitation techniques that have expanded our palette of experience at New Citizenship Project. It has been a pleasure to work with him and I highly recommend him as a partner.”
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Inka Bartosova Pibilova - Evaluations, Facilitation, Organisational Development at evaluace.com
“I asked Jamie to co-design a pan-European bi-lingual event on Zoom for 70 to 150 participants and I am really greatful he accepted. We were well aligned on the key principles - to make it easy for participants to access, engage in and co-design the event. Jamie and his colleague have trained our hosts, interpreters and participants in QiQoChat and Zoom and provided instructions also in an on-line document and a video. They were both very flexible and responsive to any needs we had. The event was well received and helped participants and hosts show that meaningful conversations can happen even on-line. I am sure this is just a beginning! Thank you for this experience!”
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Sara Huang - UNIDO Hybrid meeting
“In support of a gathering of experts, Jamie and I co-facilitated a hybrid session. In addition to his deep understanding of embodied practices, Jamie brought creative questions and embodied exercises to the experts in order to help them move from thinking to listening. It was Jamie's presence, patience, and improvisational thinking that made the gathering productive. It was his calm energy that infused life into the design. Jamie makes collaborating easy and enjoyable!”
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Jose Barco, Director, CoLab International
“Jamie Colston has worked with me and for my org Community CoLab many times as a host and tech host. He has led and supported projects and he is always a pleasure to work with. Jamie is very committed, responsive, with attention to detail and solution focused. Jamie is great at thinking and planning ahead for different scenarios and able to remain calm and bring his zen spirit into the team when things fall into caos with the unexpected happening. He is very organised and also a great communicator. Jamie can handle big and complex events, he has most recently supported us at www.CoLabinternational.co.uk to deliver a series of online global conversation on a very challenging and complex topic and with simultaneous interpretation into various lenguajes and he was not just a joy to work with, he also brought in his brilliant and reassuring energy to help the team remain calm and make it look like ever was under control event when things were though. Highly recommended!
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Chris Johnson, Shambala Festival Director
“Jamie supported over 75 of the Shambala festival team with or first online team event. He advised on event design and content, trained team members to co-host the event, and he and his team facilitated the meeting on the day. His ideas and technical know-how made the event exceed our expectations, with everyone actively involved during the day and feeling engaged and connected. We had overwhelmingly positive feedback. It was a great experience for us stat to finish.”
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Cai Burton, Illustrator, Artist & Creative coach
“I've worked with Jamie several times now where he has facilitated team development days. Going into the day, I was confident that it would be a success because he spent the time working out the unique goals and challenges our businesses face. During the session, he brought a sense of calm confidence that allowed us to focus on the task at hand. We had a really great day with Jamie and all of the attendees came away feeling empowered - having not realised how much of a positive influence he would bring! Would definitely recommend Jamie.”
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Polly Higgins, Lawyer for the Earth - Ecocide, Rest in Power
“I just want to say a HUGE thank you to you for organising such a spectacular event. That was simply the best conference/summit/event I have ever had the honour of speaking at. You made something remarkable happen; your team were great facilitators, your choice of speakers brought fantastic energy to the day and the children seemed to be completely galvanised by the chance to become empowered to find their own voices. I salute you and you team for a truly great job done!”
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Natasha Collins-Daniel, Head of Communications at Centre for sustainable energy
“I had a fantastic one to one coaching/facilitation session with Jamie. He really took the time to understand my training needs and some of the internal challenges I face working day to day in my role. Jamie was easy to get along with and we quickly formed a connection allowing me to feel comfortable to share my experiences and challenges. My session combined some bespoke recommendations and solutions for meetings I want to hold at work along with practical tips and examples of great facilitation in general. It was really valuable session and I’ve come away with knowledge I know I’ll use throughout the rest of my career.”
How I Work: Group work
This is full-form systemic constellations work. Sessions run for 4–7 hours and usually include 2–5 constellations. Groups are made up of 5–16 people, with a mix of issue holders: those bringing something specific to explore, and representatives, who support the work by lending their presence, bodies, and attention. This is a learning environment for everyone, and whether you're an issue holder or a representative, you’ll leave with fresh insights into human relationships.
Constellations are a phenomenological, body-based, and solution-oriented approach to resolving issues. If you’re new to this work, it’s hard to describe in words how it happens. You're invited to experience it. Each workshop begins with clear guidance, somatic warm-ups, connection practices, or meditation. We begin and end in circle, checking in and out together, and what’s often said is: we arrive as strangers and leave feeling surprisingly connected.
For those who’ve already experienced constellation work and wish to go deeper, I also offer a seven-session ongoing group. We work with full constellations, small group exercises, somatic practices, and meditation to create a collective container for deepening experience, understanding, and development over time.
“Jamie helped me address and gain new and valuable perspective on an old problem. His use of constellations allowed me to gain deep and lasting insights.”
Nick, Solicitor
“Just to give Jamie a HUGE shout out - we did a constellation today that turned into a deep, wide and beautiful ritual. It’s hugely impacted me and I’m really grateful.”
Zillah, mother
History of Family Constellations
History of Family Constellations
One story of a history of the work
There are lots of perspectives on the story of this work, and this is one short version that stems from pieces I have heard from my teachers.
Bert Hellinger was a German, Christian Missionary in South Africa with the Zulu tribe. On returning, he resigned from priesthood and trained in various forms of therapeutic practice ranging from family therapy to NLP. He was a visionary and experimenter and in his experiments with others, he “stumbled” into the field of family constellations work. Hunter Beaumont, who had worked as a therapist for 30 years, and who co-wrote the book Love’s Hidden Symmetry with Bert, brought this work to the UK, working with Gestalt therapists. Within that initial field of UK based learners was Judith Hemming, Gaye Donaldson, Shiela McCarthy and others who I have learnt from since 2012.
Bert was influenced by the Zulu perspective of intergenerational resourcing, trauma and ancestoral healing and various global therapeutic and healing practices that don’t always get fully acknowledged in this work.
My training
My training and teachers in systemic constellations work
I began my journey in this work in 2011, after meeting Libby Lee, a head teacher at Ralph Allen School, who introduced me to Terry Ingham, Jane James and Judith Hemming. At that time, constellations work was being used by the school to explore systemic issues within the education system.
I began my training in Organisational Constellations in 2012 in the last COLPI (Community of Learning, Practice and Innovation) facilitated by Judith Hemming. Following on from this, I joined an ongoing practice group for a number of years. Over a period of 8 years, I continued my personal work through regular constellations with Gaye Donaldson.
In 2021 and 2022, I continued my learning and development by attending the Foundation and Applied, Family Constellations training hosted by The Centre for Systemic Constellations. As part of my ongoing learning and development, I work with Shiela McCarthy Dodd for supervision and therapy.
In 2024 I began constellations training for couples. I also support the year one and year two training of family constellations in Bristol and London with CFC.
I have taken part in over 400 hours of professional training and development and have attending may days of personal constellations over ten years.
Other elements that come into the work and spaces that are hosted by Jamie
Over the years, I have been fortunate to come across many different lenses, including Vipassana Meditation, Non Violent Communication, Movement and 5 Rhythms Dance practices, Embodiment teachers, Race Resilence and Somatic Abolishment, Intergenerational youth climate justice work, creative facilitation practices, Art of Hosting and Harvesting meaning conversations, Participatory Leadership, Improvisational work and many mindfulness practices. I am grateful for all the teachers I have had, which include my parents, grandparents and children, who are in the presence of my learners mind and practice most days.
Conversations about Constellations
This series of videos, named Roots & Ripples, is an attempt to illuminate more of what is important about the ways in which we facilitate constellations work. As practitioners we all found this work in different ways, and bring a whole host of other methodologies, world views and personal family histories along with us. It has always been my belief that we need to find the people that suit our needs best, and this is a way that you can meet me and other facilitators of this work based across the UK, with ease.
Roots & Ripples
Jamie’s Systemic Constellation Podcast