“Is it possible that our past, whether we know it or not, is always saved somewhere? And even though we forget it, does our past stay with us?”

This question begins a very interesting series that I recently saw on Netflix. The way I found out about this was also interesting. At the beginning of the workshop, I usually ask why the new participants decided to participate in family constellations.

I was very intrigued by the answer from the youngest member of our last workshop. Netflix has a series about family constellations, and after watching both seasons, she knew it was the right method to solve what was heavy on her heart.

I have to admit that I had no idea that commercial Netflix would be interested in anything like this. After the workshop, I couldn’t help myself so I had asked her if the constellations were the same as they were shown in the series Another Self. According to her, they were exactly the same.

TV Series: Another Self. Photo /Source: NETFLIX

I was amused but also pleased. The very next day, my husband and I started binge watching. This Turkish blend of classic soap opera (a little sex, a little romance and a lot of hardship) with modern storytelling reveals a world of family constellations and deep self- discovery. Sixteen stories (two seasons) are intertwined with destinies that probably each of us has encountered. Forty-five-minute stories about friendship, personal battles and how our lives are affected by past traumas.

I was amused but also pleased. The very next day, my husband and I started binge watching. This Turkish blend of classic soap opera (a little sex, a little romance and a lot of hardship) with modern storytelling reveals a world of family constellations and deep self- discovery. Sixteen stories (two seasons) are intertwined with destinies that probably each of us has encountered. Forty-five-minute stories about friendship, personal battles and how our

ives are affected by past traumas.

The transgenerational traumas in this series are associated with historical events on the territory of Turkey. As a result of the Balkan War in 1912, approximately 20 million Turks had to leave their homeland in the Balkans and move to the coast of Anatolia. Also, the huge population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923 as a result of the Turkish War of Independence left a trauma in the lives of many.

Each of us has not only the personal traumas of our ancestors woven into our lives. In family constellations, we focus on ancestors up to the seventh generation, but this rarely happens. We almost always stay in the 20th century, as it was a very turbulent period in Europe. The First World War, the creation of new states, Hitler´s rampage, the Second World War, the re- change of borders, communism...

Where are your ancestors from? What political and environmental hardships did they have to face?

The way in which family constellations are shown in the series may not correspond to the actual method used. The sessions can be very different and everyone experiences the constellations differently. Some are more open to the constellations and their results, while others may take some time to feel the change in their lives.

The holidays are coming. If you don´ feel like watching Home Alone again, give Another Self a chance. You may get a different perspective on something what is heavy on your heart. And then we can take a closer look at it together at the next workshop.

Alexandra Alexander