|
Journals > Issues > Issue 5
ISSUE #5 december 2004
|
Cover
|
Abstract
|
Colette Green: Addiction: Scars of Attachment, Souvenirs of Love
This paper provides a new contribution to the understanding of the dynamics of addiction, by linking object relations theory to Bert Hellinger’s family systems approach. Hellinger brings to awareness the part of addiction, which is the result of a dis-ease within the family: an unconscious, inter-generational dynamic operating out of blind love and loyalty and calling attention to a loss or exclusion within the family system.
The paper starts by defining addiction and its issues through the language of Object Relations. It discusses Hellinger’s empirical findings, his observations on addiction and his methodology and how they contain the issues of an oral stage disruption. This is followed by a case example of a family constellation of a couple whose son struggles with addiction. The case demonstrates the effect of hidden dynamics and Hellinger’s particular contribution in noting the importance of’ the absence of the father within the addict’s family dynamic.
The paper concludes that Hellinger’s descriptive analysis of our being in the world, his insights and his powerful use of the constellation as methodology contain features that have been cited as important in recovery. While his work does not, in itself, provide a means of interrupting the cycle of active addiction, it makes a significant contribution, which may be of profound value to those in recovery from an oral stage disruption, to their families and to those working in this field .
Bertold Ulsamer: Trauma Work: Complementing and Enhancing Family Constellations
Despite all my enthusiasm for family constellations, I have always been aware that this approach addresses only a certain area of problems, namely those that are rooted within our families. Although this is an important area, not all our issues stem from this root: many problems result from life experiences unrelated to our families and therefore cannot be resolved with family constellations. I perceive constellations work as one wing of the bird. In order to fly we need the second wing and I see the body-oriented trauma work developed by Peter Levine as a way of providing this second wing. But most of us with some experience of constellation work are well aware that trauma plays a large part in creating entanglements and so is central to much of systemic work. Here, I compare how trauma is approached in constellations and in body-oriented trauma work and discuss how the insights and techniques developed by Levine may profitably be applied in constellations. |
|
Contents
|
Contents of Issue 5 December 2004
Bert Hellinger: Dimensions of Illness & Health; Integrating Excluded Persons & Events (further thoughts on illness)
Colette Green: Addiction: Scars of Attachment; Souvenirs of Love
Eva Madelung: Merleau-Ponty & the Phenomenon of Embodiment
Albrecht Mahr: Rwanda: Ten Years after the Genocide
Bertold Ulsamer: Trauma work: Complementing & Enhancing Family Constellations
Vivian Broughton: Review & Discussion of two books on constellations in individual therapy
Helena Arkoudis: Use of figures in individual therapy
Hunter Beaumont, Eva Madelung, Wilfried de Philipp, Jakob Schneider: Discussion on Bowing
Bubula Lardi: Newspaper article Greying, in Black and White
Edward Lynch: Constellation: A Horrifying Incident
Jen Altman: Poem: The Art of Healing |
|
|
