Dr Abi Berger

Family Constellations Facilitator

and GP

I grew up telling stories. In time this evolved into writing stories and for a while as a teenager I thought I wanted to make documentaries when I grew up. I was drawn to science and medical stories - trying to explain how things work or why things happen.

I chose to study science subjects at school because writing, history, art, and music were things I could always enjoy, whatever I studied. In time I applied to go to medical school because it had become apparent that I was interested in people over everything else, and “en route” to a medical degree I also obtained a degree in psychology.

I did not lose my desire to tell stories and I became a medical journalist whilst also training to become a GP. For many years I created a professional life which allowed me to do both.

In 2001 I discovered family constellation therapy and over the years dipped into this as one of the most enlightening and therapeutic forms of self-discovery and understanding I have ever found. In 2010 I took a sabbatical from work for three months and completed a documentary making course - I made a short film about family constellation therapy. I promised myself that one day I would train as a “constellator” myself.

After 20 years of running an NHS GP Surgery I stepped away to continue working as a GP in other ways, and by doing so freed up time to take on family constellation training.

Rose C Jiggens and I met on a two-year family constellation training course in 2016 and graduated together from the Constellations Academy (London) in 2018. Our teachers were Nicola Dunn - a family therapist - and Robert Rowland-Smith - a writer and philosopher.

I continue to work as a GP, making sense of people's stories; and I sometimes write, to tell my own stories. I remain fascinated by storytelling and helping people to make sense of their experiences.

Rose and I are building a family constellation practice together - we facilitate group family constellations - and I also take on one to one work. We work in-person and remotely, on Zoom - both environments offer deep and transformative experiences., bringing a form of magic to the work.