Constellations

In coaching and therapeutic work rituals or ritualized intervisions provide adequate symbolic solutions in complex life situations.

Nowadays we are affected by constant changes. The consequence is, that traditions get lost. Therefore rituals can provide identity, strength and support and provide affiliation for the individual.

Cultural and religious rituals can be applied in therapeutic work.

It is important to consider the differences of social culture and industrial societies on the one hand, on the other hand the different cultures and regions, as well as religions.

In everyday life, while exercising in economy, in politics or in (combination with) critical life-changing moments, rituals can be used by individuals, couples or families.

„Rituals are more important during a communication than words are needed to think.” (Marry Douglas, brit. Ethnologin)

From the constructivist point of view there is no everyday-life ritual itself- only if participants do such an ascription of meaning during a process of systemic self-reflection (Willke, 1989 und Schweitzer, 1998), it becomes an everyday life ritual informing about the culture of the particular organization.

So is the rhythmic breathing an automatism which goes along with humans from the beginning of their existence until the end of it.

Making oneself aware of breathing can be ritualized in many ways. For instane to be aware of receiving, agreeing and consciously noticing while breathing in and in the same time also being aware of releasing and letting go while breathing out.

According to Victor Turner, the human being is neurobiologically constructed to communicate through rituals. The human being transcendences its physical existence due to the possibility to interpret the world and being able to give it a meaning. Its interpretation outlives its own life on earth.

Sokrates is not forgotten and the “wednic” rituals are still in practised after millenniums.

„The world is stronger than the human,
but the interpretation of the world’s significance,
is stronger than the world.”
(Irma Breitwieser, artist)

Here “ritual“ means the construction of “sense” as a social cultural benefit.

The idea of ritual was all along associated with a transcendental dimension.

In the religious context it is more important to focus on the image of humainty.
“Who am I? Where do I come from? Where will I go? What am I doing here? Which system do I belong to? With whom am I connected and in which way? In which intensity and deepness these questions are asked or answered depends mainly on the religious point of view.” (translated from “Chaos und Ordnung im Ritual“ Cornelia Vogelsange)

Rituals are supposed to release energy for changes, which can help employees in organizations to resolve hardened relationship patterns.
Rituals can be defined as an organized sequence of symbolic actions.
A ritual supports change and is always dynamic. In a chaotic emotional situation the function of rituals is a “canalization of affect” which brings order and clarification.
Thereby can a ritual of acknowledgment often free energy for change. Ritualized breathers have their merit.
The ongoing therapeutic work always awakens the inventive talent of client and therapist astoundingly. The rituals, created or developed in this moment, can be meaningfully canalized within huge conflict energies, e.g. separation, loss or new beginnings.
Emotionally compressing averting messages, which are present in a system, can be dissolved -in the therapeutic context- after mental clarification by means of affirmation of reinforcement and by speech/ knock rituals. Thereby individual freedom can be experienced without losing affiliation to the system.
¹(Potential module for a workshop- on demand: „Finding rituals that serve my life.”)

In art therapy the therapeutic process, expressed in color and form, does not only make the topic “visual” , “visible” or “comprehensive”, but can also be creatively ritualized in its form.
For instance thematically recognized in a moldable clay figure, either dried and restored to the earth or dissolved in a purifying fire. In a painting process (expressive painting) a topic can be transformed by continuous painting or a developed essential aspect of the picture can be creatively and thus thematically revisited and developed further.
„Abandonment does not take- but give. It gives the magnitude of the simple.” (Heidegger)

Through many years of accompanying fasting patients (according to the Buchinger Method) in their physical and mental cleansing ritual, I was able to see how fertile soil can be created for self-cleansing, regulatory mechanisms of personality maturation.
For me as an art therapist this special condition of my counterparts is -in individual or group therapy -oftentimes an additional support for far-reaching, releasing therapeutic work.
The way of applying rituals often appears by itself, across cultural and religious standards.
My counterpart and his background thereby offer the platform during therapeutic work and its corresponding guidelines.

„Each religion has its own beauty.“ Dalai Lama

During my long-standing cooperation with therapists belonging to the Pallottiner-Order, I experienced how recovered long forgotten Christian rituals can have wondrous curative and releasing power, e.g. anointment or blessing rituals, rhythmic iterations, acting meditation, bibliodrama, new forms of conciliation rituals, etc.