Interview with Roswitha Stark: “Family constellations are consciousness work of the highest order”

"Systemic design using symbols, words and colours shows us how we can achieve real life changes by working for others and, above all, for ourselves. The results never cease to amaze me at how inseparably we are connected in our reality." For alternative practitioner and successful author Roswitha Stark ( " Family constellations with symbols " ), family constellations are "awareness work of the highest order"; in an interview, she talks about how much she values ​​systemic constellations and the wonderful experiences she has had with them, especially in combination with symbol work - simply on paper and without a representative.

You have been researching the healing effects of signs and symbols for many years and have achieved amazing success with people, animals and plants. What motivates you to keep expanding your horizons?

Roswitha Stark: The only constant is change. Life is a river, and if I try to stop this flow, there is a traffic jam - and that usually leads to paralysis on a physical, psychological or mental level. I have experienced this again and again in my life, especially in my professional development and in accompanying the people I work with in my practice and in seminars. I am very grateful for these experiences, which were often painful, because in retrospect they have always led me to new, wonderful paths of knowledge. Anyone who is open will inevitably be led to new experiences and insights, and anyone who is interested and curious will want to pass on and share these insights. Movement and being touched in the heart bring joy into life, and that is why I do this!

Opinions differ on the subject of family constellations. What prompted you to take a closer look at family constellations?

Roswitha Stark: In my experience, family constellations or, more generally, all types of systemic relationship work are extremely interesting and valuable design processes that can produce wonderful results for everyone involved and show therapists and laypeople, those who have been set up and those who have set up, leaders and participants, those present and those not present, new, fascinating ways to make their lives better and more beautiful. The results never cease to amaze me at how inseparably connected we are in our reality. Systemic design using symbols, words or even colors on paper shows us how we can achieve real life changes by working for others and, above all, for ourselves.

In your experience, what is the big advantage of family constellations?

Roswitha Stark: By using this wonderful tool, everyone has the chance to use strengths that they would never have on their own or that they might only be able to acquire with great effort. By consciously using this network of relationships, everyone involved in this "natural network" has the chance to be many times stronger than the individual could ever be. It is no longer the ego-driven "I want" that counts, but rather consideration for everyone involved and "Together we are strong!". The last aspect in particular can be felt very clearly by each individual through changed situations and better feelings about certain topics.

You go one step further and show that you can easily develop family constellations and systemic work on paper. Can you briefly describe how this works?

Roswitha Stark: All you need for this work is a blank sheet of paper, ideally the size of a sketch pad so that you have enough space to develop the picture. You also need a ballpoint pen or pencil and some colored pens for drawing harmonizing words or symbols. It is also helpful to have some kind of energetic test system available, because then you can easily test the required components. If you don't know a test system yet, you can quickly learn some simple and suitable methods with my book. Now you intuitively draw the people or factors involved on the sheet, draw connecting lines and can test any blockages on the connections. These blockages are resolved by drawing suitable words, symbols or colors that you can find in the lists in the book. In the end, the entire systemic field must be at its optimum, which is also easy to test.

You are addressing this book to therapists and laypeople. Are you sure that laypeople can understand the complicated web of relationships and, above all, that the right conclusions can be drawn from them?

Roswitha Stark: It's like the Internet. There is probably no one, not even so-called specialists, who can see through the entire network of relationships. Nevertheless, it works quite well and I can use the parts that are useful to me. I don't have to know or see through everything and I can still make life easier for myself. The analytical mind wants to "know" and draw the "right" conclusions, but it cannot know everything. The non-analytical subconscious is the determining factor for what happens in my life, for example for unconscious blocking programs that run along with my decisions. Family constellations on paper are very playful; nothing bad can happen. The subconscious and the "inner child" associated with it love this playful work and the new information it brings into the field is gladly absorbed by this entity.

Can constellations help with physical or psychological disorders in addition to conflicts in the family or wider social environment?

Roswitha Stark: That actually works very well. Everything in the body is a network, none of our organs would function on its own. From the largest organ structure to the smallest functional unit in the innermost part of the cell, everything is dependent on one another, just as the psyche or our emotional state and state of mind depend on the hormones and functions of the nerve centers and vice versa. For this reason, you will also find extensive test lists for organ systems and body functions in the book. This way, you can also find "physical" factors for the systemic picture that you might not otherwise think of.

Who do you think should definitely read your new book?

Roswitha Stark: Simply anyone who wants to take their "destiny" into their own hands again and is prepared to put their ego aside and calmly see how they can achieve the best result for the benefit of everyone involved. Any layperson can improve any situation, and with this systemic work, every therapist has a good tool at hand to examine the connections in the apparently problematic situation and make hidden factors visible. By optimizing the relationships directly on paper, the overall energy is immediately harmonized, and this is also noticeable in "reality".

Do you use your method yourself, and if so, in which situations in particular?

Roswitha Stark: For me personally, family constellations and systemic work are consciousness work of the highest order. I love this work and that is why I often use it, in "small" and "big" matters. If my cat is not feeling well, I can quickly create a picture. He senses it immediately. On a deeper or more comprehensive level of humanity, the soul wants to be able to realize itself, expand and live the potential of its infinity on this earth - no longer isolated, against each other and separated from the big picture and therefore from you and me, but in the "internet", the universal interconnectedness of all living beings in heaven and earth. I personally enjoy teaching the method and it is also very important to me in the groups to deal with collective topics such as environmental protection, animals or "peripheral topics". Here I feel like one of the pioneers and encouragers to be able to achieve more in the collective field.

Book tip:
Roswitha Stark: Family constellations with symbols – developing optimal systemic solutions on paper. With helpful checklists and harmonizing affirmations. Mankau Verlag 2018, paperback, 13.5 x 21.5 cm, 206 pages, 16.95 euros (D) / 17.50 euros (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-471-7.

Link recommendations:
More information about the book "Family Constellations with Symbols"
To the reading sample in PDF format
More about the author Roswitha Stark
To the blog "Healing with Symbols"
To the discussion forum with Roswitha Stark