--- title: "The Annual Family Constellations Intensive: Systemic Trauma Work | Cecilia Altieri" description: "A four-day, trauma-informed family constellations intensive in Brussels, held once a year. A small group, four facilitators, consent-led throughout." url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/" markdown_url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/index.md" lang: "en-GB" alternates: - { hreflang: "en", url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/" } - { hreflang: "es", url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/es/intensivo/" } - { hreflang: "nl", url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/nl/intensive/" } - { hreflang: "x-default", url: "https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/" } --- ![Workshop participants standing with a facilitator, one being steadied after a difficult moment](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/intensive-hero.webp) A four-day trauma-informed intensive # Deepen your understanding of how trauma shapes _belonging_ A four-day, trauma-informed family constellations intensive. Limited group size. [Get notified](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#notify) · [See the program](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#pillars) Next intensive Coming soon Dates are announced to the newsletter first. [Get notified](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#notify) [Program ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#pillars) · [How it works ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#in-a-nutshell) · [Facilitators ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#facilitators) · [Practical Details ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#practical) · [Get notified ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#notify) · [FAQ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#faq) A trauma-informed space, paced to what you can hold, to slow down, experience, and deepen your understanding of how trauma and systemic dynamics shape the way you live, relate, and work. Four days, the same group throughout. ### Understanding Trauma Learning through lecture and reflection. ### Building Resources Practice you feel in the body. ### Exploring Dynamics Small-group constellation work. ### Seeing Differently Large-group witnessing and transformation. Constellations in a nutshell ## Five plain _answers_ to start with ### What it is A way of looking at a difficulty in the wider system it belongs to. Instead of only talking about what is happening, you give the important people or elements a place in relation to one another, so the pattern becomes something you can see and work with. ### Where it comes from Constellation work grew from systemic family therapy and several therapeutic traditions in the second half of the twentieth century. The team works systemically and phenomenologically: starting with what is actually there, reading the relationships between the parts, and staying curious about what the picture might mean. ### What happens You begin with a question, difficulty or something you want to change. The people or elements that belong to it are given a place. From there, you look at the relationships, test small movements and follow what changes in the system. ### What is asked of you For a constellation, you will need 3 things: a question or issue you want to explore, a goal you want to work towards, and the relevant facts about your life and family history. You do not need to prepare the whole story; what matters is the information that connects to what you are working on. ### Why we constellate You can understand a pattern very well and still find yourself living it. A constellation lets you work with it as an experience, not only an idea: seeing the relationships, feeling different positions and trying what happens when something changes. The intensive at a glance 4 Days 4 Facilitators 1 Group throughout Constellations, exercises, psychoeducation Is this you? ## From feeling stuck to _seeing differently_ You can't quite articulate what's bothering you. An embodied, lived understanding, not only an intellectual one. You feel stuck in repetitive thinking, with nothing changing. Witnessing the dynamic in action: less self-blame, more agency. Relational dynamics feel overwhelming and murky. The pattern becomes legible, and less oppressive. Before you decide ## Four things that create a _safe_ space ### A Safe Container Clear structure, respect, and attention to pacing, so you won't be overwhelmed or disrespected. ### Four Facilitators Cecilia, Simon, Anca and Xilo together, so you receive personalised attention across four days. ### At Your Own Pace No forced participation. You choose how far you go, always with your consent. ### Growing Together Transformation happens through shared witnessing rather than in isolation, with the group holding each constellation alongside you. ![A small group settling after a difficult moment in an intensive](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/intensive-after-difficult-moment.webp) ## We are shaped by what you _survive_ Trauma operates both individually and systemically. The impact reaches into your body, your relationships, and across generations in your family. Four days gives a constellation room to move at that depth, rather than staying on the surface of understanding. Between constellation work, learning, and reflection, you have time to arrive, to set up your own work without hurry, to witness the others, and to let what you've seen settle before you carry it home. ## Who you'll _meet_ An international, multicultural group of people seeking personal growth and understanding. Some come with therapy or coaching backgrounds; others are simply curious about their own systems and how they work. What draws everyone is openness to trauma-informed work, to witnessing others, and to what it takes to belong to yourself. ![Six adults in a small close circle late in a workshop day](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/workshop-circle-intensive.webp) Inside a constellation ## What happens once the constellation _begins_ Every constellation is different, but the process has a recognisable shape from the first question to the closing. Stage 1The interview Stage 2Setting the picture Stage 3The constellation unfolds Stage 4The closing Stage 1 of 4 ### The interview You begin by talking through what you are bringing. The facilitator helps you find the question or issue you want to explore, the goal you want to work towards, and the relevant facts from your life and family history. Stage 2 of 4 ### Setting the picture You then set out the people or elements that belong to your question, in the room, with members of the group taking their places as representatives. As the representatives take their places, you can begin to see the relationships and dynamics in the system in front of you Stage 3 of 4 ### The constellation unfolds The facilitator asks representatives what they notice from where they are standing and follows what begins to emerge. Positions can change, movements can be tried, and different possibilities can be experienced as the picture develops. You stay involved throughout, watching and responding to what happens. Stage 4 of 4 ### The closing Towards the end, it comes back to you. You may step into the constellation yourself, experience the new picture directly, and take time to notice what has changed. We close carefully, leaving space for the experience to continue settling afterwards. Who is in the room ## _Who does what_ in a constellation There is the person bringing the question, the facilitators, and the representatives who take places in the constellation. Across the four days, you experience the process from different positions as one constellation gives way to the next. ![A constellation in progress, with a client, a facilitator, and representatives placed around the room](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/roles/constellation.webp)![The same scene, with the client highlighted](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/roles/client.webp)![The same scene, with the facilitator highlighted](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/roles/facilitator.webp)![The same scene, with the representatives highlighted](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/roles/representatives.webp) The constellation The client The facilitator The representatives A constellation set out in a room: one person working on their own question, one holding the process, and the rest standing in for the people the question is about. In this intensive the same scene is worked with the same group throughout the four days, each person taking their turn. The person whose question it is, that is you. You set the goal in your own words, you place the people who matter, and you decide how far the session goes. What is asked of you is to notice what you feel from where you stand. Your facilitators hold the direction and the pace, ask what you notice, and offer experiments you can try when you are ready. What the picture means stays yours to decide. Four facilitators work across the four days, and the four days are built to run with a team rather than one person alone. The ones standing in for the people in your question. As a group, you report what you feel from inside a position: sensations, impulses, where their eyes go. The focus is always on the experience, on what is felt, rather than on interpretation. Anyone can step out of a role at any moment, and everyone is thanked and released by name at the end. Facilitators ## Who _holds_ the room ![Cecilia Altieri](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/cecilia.webp) ### Cecilia Altieri Psychotherapist · SSP provider · Executive coach · Systemic facilitator · Trainer [Meet Cecilia →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/cecilia/) ![Simon Maebe](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/simon.webp) ### Simon Maebe Systemic coach · Systemic facilitator · Head Trainer [Meet Simon →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/simon/) ![Anca Florea](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/anca.webp) ### Anca Florea Systemic facilitator · SSP provider · Trainer [Meet Anca →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/anca/) ![Xilo Espinoza](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/xilo.webp) ### Xilo Espinoza Systemic facilitator · Trainer [Meet Xilo →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/xilo/) Practical details ## The place, the price, and the _dates_ ![The current Brussels workshop room](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/workshop-room-current.webp) ![The facade of Avenue Palmerston 3 in Brussels](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/images/avenue-palmerston-3.webp) Next dates coming soon Brussels €755 (VAT included) Get notified The next edition is being scheduled. Leave your email and you will be the first to hear the dates and the early bird fees. Notes on constellations, intensive dates and occasional news from the practice. Unsubscribe any time. ### Transport Easy to reach by public transport: metro and buses stop at Schuman, a short walk away, and Brussels Airport connects by direct train. [Download the venue map (PDF) →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/downloads/eisec-venue-map.pdf) ### Food & Amenities Snacks and drinks are provided throughout the day, with space to store your own food if you bring it, and cafés and restaurants nearby too. Hotels sit within walking distance for anyone travelling in. After the intensive ## What past participants _say_ > Cecilia provided a safe environment for all of us to open up and share the most that was necessary for true healing. Gabriela [Read more in Hugs →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/hugs/) > This has been my first time on family constellations workshop and it's been so a wonderful and magic experience. Ursula [Read more in Hugs →](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/hugs/) ## Be the first to hear the next dates A small group, four days running, the same facilitators throughout. The next edition is being scheduled, and the dates and early bird fees go to the newsletter before anywhere else. [Get notified](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/#notify) ## Questions, _answered_ What you work on Safety and the group Fees and registration Venue and travel What will I work on? Anything that is alive for you. A relationship, a symptom, a grief, a decision you are standing in front of, or simply wanting to understand yourself better. You do not need to explain your whole history, and you do not need to know anything about family constellations first. How does family constellations help? By making the hidden dynamics in a family system visible. It can surface patterns that were passed down without anyone naming them, and help break cycles that repeat across generations. Where something has stayed unfinished, it can work toward resolution. And alongside the constellation itself there is the recognition of being seen and understood by a group, and a stronger sense of your own agency in your own life. Do I need any experience with family constellations? No. Cecilia, Simon, Anca and Xilo guide every step, and people come at every level of familiarity with constellations. Come with a question that matters to you, nothing else to prepare. How do I participate? You set up a question or difficulty, place the people who matter to you, and work with what the arrangement shows. You are also asked to stand in for others in their constellations. That is where you experience the method from the inside, and it is often as moving as working on your own question. Is this confidential? Yes. Nothing spoken in the room is shared outside it. The group's confidentiality and the intimacy it creates is one of the things that makes the room safe. Will I have to share personal information? You say enough to set up your question, often just a few words, and you do not need to explain your whole story. How much you share is always your choice. How is the intensive trauma-informed? We attend carefully to pacing, consent, and regulation. There is time to arrive and ground. You can decline any role at any moment. Multiple facilitators watch the group throughout, giving the four days room to work at real depth. Who typically comes to an intensive? People from many countries, with mixed professional backgrounds: some coaches and therapists, others in personal growth work, and others simply curious about their own systems. The common thread is openness and a real question. What is the fee? €755 (VAT included) for all four days, 09:30 to 17:00 each day. How does registration work? Registration opens once the dates are announced. Join the newsletter above and you will hear the moment they are set. How do I pay? After completing the registration form, you'll receive an email with payment instructions. What payment methods are accepted? Bank transfer or credit card for the deposit and balance; card payments carry a 4% surcharge. On the day itself, payment by QR code or cash is also accepted if arranged in advance. Will I receive a booking confirmation? Yes. After completing the registration form, you'll receive a booking confirmation by email. Can this workshop count towards professional development? Yes, for those working in helping, coaching or facilitation roles. Participation can be documented and provided as a transcript of continued professional education through EISEC, on request. Where does it take place? Avenue Palmerston 3, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. In person. What are the dates and times? The next edition's dates are coming soon, and they are announced to the newsletter first. The intensive runs 09:30 to 17:00 across all four days, with doors open from 09:10. What is the language? English. Where can I stay if I'm travelling from abroad? The venue sits in an area with plenty of nearby hotels; NH Hotel Berlaymont is a convenient option within walking distance, and the venue itself is easy to reach by public transport. Can I bring my own lunch? Yes. Snacks and drinks are provided throughout the day, there's space to store food you bring, and there are cafés and restaurants nearby too. Not sure four days is your next step? [Private sessions A practitioner, your question, your own schedule. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/sessions/) · [Monthly online workshops The same work, one evening, online every month. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/workshops/online/) · [Training to facilitate The three-year path, if this becomes a vocation. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/training/) · [How to reach us Questions before you register.](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/contact/) [Private sessions A practitioner, your question, your own schedule. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/sessions/) · [Monthly online workshops The same work, one evening, online every month. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/workshops/online/) · [Training to facilitate The three-year path, if this becomes a vocation. ](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/training/) · [How to reach us Questions before you register.](https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/contact/) If you are in crisis right now, or you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please turn first to your doctor, to a crisis line where you live, or to the emergency services. --- _Markdown version of https://www.ceciliaaltieri.com/intensive/, generated from the published page. 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