Family Constellations, IoPT Constellations and IFS Internal Constellations all use the ‘morphic field’ phenomenon of group somatic resonance, as utilised by Burt Hellenger in his original Family Constellations.
I have participated in many Family Constellations and trained in IoPT Constellations. I loved both but also was disturbed by certain issues, including re-traumatisation. After training in IFS, I spent several years exploring how to fully combine the IFS protocol with the constellations process to create IFS Internal Constellations.
Family Constellations work with the external system of family & ancestors, whereas IFS works with an individual’s internal system of parts.
IoPT Constellations work with internal parts, so can appear similar to IFS at first, but there are many significant differences, a few of which are outlined below:
- IoPT does not include a universal essential Self (the IoPT ‘Healthy Self’ is roughly equivalent to unburdened, Self-connected Managers in IFS)
- IoPT constellations involve simply ‘encountering’ parts – there are no core questions to ask parts and there is no healing protocol equivalent to the IFS process of unblending, witnessing, retrieva, re-do and unburdening
- IFS maintains safety by working with Protectors first, on the understanding that they will backlash if we go to quickly to Exiles, whereas IoPT is an open space and the client decides which parts they get to know
- IoPT regards Exiles as the parts carrying trauma (they are called ‘Traumatised Parts’) and Protectors (called ‘Survival Strategies’) as unhealthy, whereas a core tenet of IFS is that all parts have a positive intention (and both Exiles and Managers can carry trauma)
- IoPT has no concept of being blended, so clients often go through a constellation completely blended with a part
- Perhaps most fundamentally, the core focus of IoPT is identity and autonomy, whereas the core focus of IFS is compassion and the other universal qualities of Self
Much as I admire Franz Ruppert (the creator of the IoPT method)’s books about trauma and identity, I experience IFS as a far more supportive (for both facilitator and client), compassionate and safer modality – and therefore more healing.
