About Jan

Systemic Constellations found me in my early 40’s during a time of both busy career success – and – unexpected emotional upheaval. I was planning an exit from 12 years of public school teaching, about to certify with the Justice Institute of BC in conflict resolution, and in the hay-day of an exciting basketball officiating career – while simultaneously making sense of sudden family of origin losses.

In 2003, with impeccable timing, I received a mail-out regarding a 3-day intensive with Dr. Jane Peterson from the Human Systems Institute. The weekend experience imprinted my journey with family and systemic constellations – including training with Jane and moving into ed support with the HSI – creating a platform for my own facilitation career to emerge.

Early facilitation opportunities were often with friends and networks of people familiar – in various locations in BC, and for a couple of years in Eugene, Oregon. However, a natural shift to facilitating day long & weekend public constellations circles, in tandem with intensives & conferences along the way, proved to be key in the development of an informed skillset and facilitation style. Influential to that 2nd phase of development were Dr. Ursula Franke, Mark Wolynn, and the first few North American Systemic Constellations Conferences featuring a diverse list of facilitators & trainers from North America, South America, and Europe.

What shifted me from facilitation augmentation to a stronger sense of calling and purpose, was an unexpected request from two BC coastal First Nations to bring constellation work to their health and wellness programs. The indigenous influence of both working in community – and – weaving cultural aspects of ancestral land, nature, and ceremonial practice into my facilitation of systemic constellations has shaped me deeply. I’m still currently working with members of these communities and have close friendships stemming from my 12 years of facilitation work with the people of those territories.

Unique, to my approach with these coastal travelling opportunities is a team & community emphasis. I travel with an experienced team of representatives, all alumni from my year long program, so clients and relations who come to the circle are free to observe, witness and support.

By 2016, a large network of people in Vancouver, BC – where I had been facilitating monthly workshops – asked me to start an intensive year long Systemic Constellations Exploration Program in the Cowichan Valley – now known as SCEP. This fall I will start a 8th consecutive SCEP, having added Salt Lake City, Utah to the SCEP calendar in 2018/19.

From the outset, the intention for this program has been multidimensional by nature: experiential, explorative, learning pods, homework exploration in between sessions, consultation with alumni, guest facilitators (gratitude to Susan Schlosser, Brigitte Sztab and Helga Beer), nature constellations, and a lending library.

Currently, and with gratitude, I continue to facilitate, educate and host at my home in the unceded territory of the Cowichan People. I offer public systemic constellation circles, trauma informed systemic constellation consultation & supervision, a fluid & adaptive SCEP (I work organically with each year long group, rather than deliver a “fixed” curriculum), and collaborative work with other facilitators.