Lisa Iversen received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington in 1992 and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Her Bachelor of Arts degree, a double major in Sociology and English and minor in Women’s Studies, is from the University of Minnesota.
Lisa’s therapy, facilitating, teaching, and writing worklife is based in the Pacific Northwest. From 1993-2000, her psychotherapy practice was at Seattle’s Samaritan Center of Puget Sound, formerly Presbyterian Counseling Services. Since 2001, her practice has been based out of Bellingham, Washington, located between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C. She is the author of Ancestral Blueprints: Revealing Invisible Truths in America’s Soul. Regarding her background in Systemic Family Constellations, Lisa says,
“I was introduced to Systemic Family Constellations in 1998 at a Heinz Stark workshop sponsored by Seattle therapists Jeanne Snyder and Sandy Zyboyan. My learning path has been to work with as many seasoned facilitators as possible — to experience the consistency of the phenomenon balanced with the uniqueness of each facilitator.
“Kay Abramson, a close friend and therapist colleague, and I hosted facilitator Gabrielle Borkan in Seattle in 1999 and 2000. I have also organized three workshops and trainings each for Daan Van Kampenhout and Sneh Victoria Schnabel from 2005-2008; worked multiple times with Bert Hellinger, Dietrich Weth, Hunter Beaumont, Heinz Stark, Albrecht Mahr, Ursula Franke, Gunthard Weber, Francesca Mason Boring, and others in various regions (e.g., Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, NYC, Esalen, San Rafael, Denver); and on single occasions with Jacob Schneider, Stephen Hausner, Ilsa Kuchera, Wolf Buntig, and other seasoned practitioners.
“I was a participant in Germany’s First International Training Intensive for English speakers in 2001 (with a five month baby and great husband in tow) and Germany’s Second Conference on Spirituality & Constellation Work in 2006 (organized by Sneh and her husband, Rama Prem).
“I began facilitating in 1999 with Kay; I remain grateful that in my early years of facilitating we could hold each others’ hands, figuratively speaking, while navigating our way in the knowing field. In 2000 my husband and I had a baby; after spending a year at home with our daughter, Kellia, I gradually returned to my therapy practice specializing in Constellation inspired wisdom.
“I do my best to shape my work offerings in balance with parenting/family life (e.g., working more locally before our daughter began school, increasing travel to other regions as she grows older). In my ten plus years in this field, I have noticed that there seems to be a minority of facilitators who are M.W.Y.C. — Mothers With Young Children.
“There is a strong teaching component to all my offerings. I enjoy working with people from diverse lineages and faith traditions. Working with those who are ready to disentangle from familial burdens while accessing the strength that can only be found in our ancestral roots is a blessing.
“I have led workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest and lower British Columbia; Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, MN; and LaCrosse, WI, working with groups of all sizes as well as individuals in person and on the phone.
“Since July of 2008 I have had a weekly radio show, “Life Conversations presents Ancestral Blueprints” (www.LifeConversationsRadio.com), hosted by Atlanta-based Ade’ Anifowose and Ombassa Sophera. The show introduces constellation principles and brings awareness about ancestral resonance to a diverse listening audience. I have been interviewed on the Atlanta-based television program, “A Woman’s Place” and radio talk shows, and had articles published in the international journal, The Knowing Field (www.theknowingfield.co.uk).
“For the First U.S. Conference on Systemic Constellations organized by Jane Peterson in 2005, I was a member of the planning team for the Pre-Conference Community Building Day for Facilitators. Following this Portland, Oregon, based conference, I continued a leadership role in our region by co-planning and participating in a weekend retreat for key facilitators in the Pacific Northwest.
“For the Second U.S. Conference in Ashville, North Carolina in 2007, I collaborated with organizer Sheila Saunders to include awareness of American historical issues in conference programming; was a member of the trauma panel; moderated the plenary historical influences panel; and led a one day plenary workshop regarding the influence of American historical trauma entitled, ‘In the Shadows of History: White People Don’t Know They Have Ancestors’.
“I am currently serving on the Program Committee for the Third U.S. Conference on Systemic Constellations to be held in Mesa, Arizona, from September 29-October 5, 2010.”
“Over the years, I have gotten to know Lisa as a dedicated and knowledgeable practitioner in the field of systemic constellations. Her many years of experience as both a licensed psychotherapist and facilitator of constellations are combined wonderfully in a gentle holding that makes clients feel welcome and respected. As she is able to work with personal issues, as well as, for example, the collective patterns of denial and repression in society at large where it concerns race and religion. I can wholeheartedly recommend Lisa to clients of all backgrounds.”
Daan Van Kampenhout, author of Images of the Soul and The Tears of the Ancestors.