What Lies Beneath

With Katie Despres

Saturday 21 November 2026

10am–5.30pm

A full day to explore what may be influencing your life, relationships and sense of belonging.

We are all part of systems — our families, relationships, communities and the wider world. None of us exists in isolation.

Sometimes we find ourselves caught in familiar patterns, carrying responsibilities that don't seem entirely ours, or struggling to understand why certain situations keep repeating.

Family & Systemic Constellations offers an opportunity to explore these experiences from a different perspective.

This full-day workshop gives us the time and space to work more deeply, with guided exercises, group constellations and opportunities for reflection.

Whether you're completely new to constellations or have experienced the work before, you're welcome.

What is Family & Systemic Constellations?

Family Constellations was developed by Bert Hellinger, drawing on a range of influences, including his experiences living and working among Zulu communities in South Africa.

The approach explores how we may be influenced by the experiences, relationships and patterns of the systems we belong to — sometimes in ways we haven't consciously recognised.

Difficult events, losses, exclusions, unresolved conflicts and unspoken family histories can all shape how we understand ourselves and relate to others.

Constellation work offers a way to explore these influences through an experiential, embodied process.

Rather than simply talking about a situation, we create a representation of the system using members of the group.

As people take their places, different perspectives, relationships and patterns may become more apparent.

The intention isn't to prove a particular story, find someone to blame or force a resolution.

It's to make space for what may not yet have been acknowledged, allowing a different understanding of ourselves and our relationships to emerge.

What can you bring to a constellation?

People come to this work for many reasons, including:

Family relationships, parenting and intimate partnerships

Repeating patterns or difficulties in relationships

Grief, loss and experiences of separation

Belonging, identity and questions about ancestry

Work, money, purpose and feeling stuck

Responsibilities or emotional burdens that feel difficult to put down

Important decisions or transitions in life

You don't need to arrive with a fully formed question.

Sometimes there's simply a feeling that something isn't quite right, a longing for something to be different, or a situation that hasn't shifted despite your best efforts.

We begin with what matters to you now.

How the day will unfold

We'll begin with a guided meditation and grounding practice, allowing time to arrive, settle and become present with ourselves and the group.

Before moving into individual constellations, we'll explore some simple exercises that introduce the principles of systemic work and the experience of representing.

These exercises help us develop awareness of what we're noticing in our bodies, our relationships and the space around us.

We'll then move into group constellations.

Each constellation begins with a conversation with the person bringing an issue. Representatives may be invited to take places within the space, allowing a picture of the wider system to emerge.

As facilitator, I guide the process, paying attention to what becomes apparent without imposing a predetermined explanation or outcome.

There will be breaks throughout the day, with time for reflection and integration.

We'll close with a grounding practice before leaving.

Bringing your own issue

Two Guaranteed Issue-Holder places are available.

These places are for people who know they would like to bring a personal issue for a constellation during the day.

There may also be opportunities for further constellations, depending on the time available and what emerges within the group.

For these additional constellations, participants will be invited to put their names forward, and selections will be made during the workshop.

Booking a representative/field place does not guarantee that you'll have your own constellation.

However, bringing an issue isn't the only way to participate in the work.

The importance of representing and witnessing

Representatives are central to constellation work.

You may be invited to represent a family member, a relationship, an aspect of someone's life or something less tangible, such as belonging or a difficult decision.

This isn't acting or roleplay. You're not asked to invent a character or perform.

Instead, you're invited to notice your own experience — sensations, impulses, emotions or changes in how you relate to others within the constellation.

Witnessing can also offer an opportunity for reflection.

Sometimes we recognise something of our own experience through another person's constellation, even when the circumstances are quite different.

Every role matters, whether you're bringing an issue, representing or witnessing.

You are always free to decline an invitation to represent, take a break or step back from an exercise.

Do I need previous experience?

Not at all.

I'll guide you through the process, explain what we're doing and make space for questions.

You don't need to know anything about Family Constellations beforehand.

All I ask is that you come with curiosity, a willingness to notice your experience and respect for the other people in the group.

Constellation work can sometimes bring up difficult feelings. We work at a pace that allows space for this, without requiring anyone to push beyond what feels manageable.

The process can offer insight and a shift in perspective, but particular outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Tickets & investment

Representative / Field Place

£95 — Standard

£75 — Early Bird (limited to five places, subject to availability)

Includes participation in the full day, group exercises, representing and witnessing, with the possibility of being selected for an additional constellation if time allows.

Guaranteed Issue-Holder Place

£145

Limited to two places.

This ticket guarantees time for your own constellation during the workshop, alongside participation in the rest of the day.

Eventbrite booking fees may apply.

What to bring

Please wear comfortable clothes and bring:

A notebook and pen, if you enjoy reflecting or taking notes

A water bottle

Lunch and any snacks you might need

An extra layer for comfort during quieter exercises

There will be breaks throughout the day.

Further practical information and the full venue details will be sent before the workshop.

Continuing the work

I also facilitate a monthly Family & Systemic Constellations Circle in Bristol, usually held on the third Thursday of each month.

Some people enjoy attending a full day and then returning to the monthly circle to continue exploring, representing and witnessing over time.

I also offer private constellation sessions for individuals and couples, both in Bristol and online.

About Katie

I'm a Family & Systemic Constellations Facilitator with advanced training, including work with couples and intimate relationship systems, and a Senior Yoga Teacher with over 1,500 hours of training.

I've been exploring constellation work for around ten years.

My approach is relational, embodied and grounded in the understanding that we cannot fully understand ourselves in isolation from the people, histories and systems we belong to.

I hold space with curiosity and respect for what emerges, rather than seeking to impose an interpretation or promise a particular outcome.

www.katiedespres.com

Places are limited to keep the group small enough for meaningful participation.

I look forward to welcoming you.