Jane aged 46 came to a workshop. She had depression. On inquiry she said she couldn’t remember a time when she had not felt depressed. She had had many sets of sessions with psychologists, medication and counsellors over the years, but nothing had changed.
In looking at her family history, her mother and grandfather had also been heavy and sad, although in those days were not given a diagnosis of depression. Her grandfather had been orphaned at the age of two when his father died in the war and his mother died soon after in an accident.
The constellation took place in putting up all the key members of her family through representatives. Herself, her mother and her mother’s father.
Each representative was looking down and said they felt numb, lifeless and stuck.
Representatives for her grandfather’s father and mother were set up behind her grandfather. The tension rose in the room as their feelings set in. The grandfather felt rage and deep sadness over what he had witnessed in the war and the injustice of being taken away from his life and family. His tears flowed as he looked at his wife and expressed his sorrow and love for her and his young son. His wife looked up and joined him in her sorrow and held her heart and expressed the deep pain and shock of losing him and her wish not to live after that. They stood for a long time looking at each other and crying before they came together and touched and then embraced.
At this point they were able to turn to look at their son. The grandfather was also crying. After several healing sentences he was able to move forward to his parents and they took him in. There was a long silence as they assimilated this and started the process of releasing their deep sorrow.
Jane’s mother was deeply touched by what she had witnessed. Soon her father was able to turn to her and express his regret, love and sadness that he couldn’t have been more present for her. Their eyes met in love, longing and sorrow at what they had both lost.
Then Jane’s mother turned to Jane with a deep smile through tears and love.
Jane was invited to come onto the constellation and take her place and was able to breathe deeply and look at her mother and accept her mother’s love and eventually her place in the family and its history.
She looked at the family story with new eyes and was able to acknowledge the deep love that was present. The shock and grief of what had happened two generations before had been trapped in the system in an unresolved state, had been expressing itself in depression in the members of the family to the present day.
Jane reported a month later that she was coming off her medication with her GP and was ‘ feeling like something has lifted and seeing and feeling life differently.’ She was having to get used to this new state as it was foreign to her, Jane said she had a new energy and hope and was embracing her life in a new way without depression.
This is one case of transgenerational depression where recovery was possible through Family Constellations. Each case of depression is different in having its own unique origins that may be shown through constellation work.
Come to a Family Constellation workshop or private session to experience how this experiential process can change your life.