Systemic work
Systemic working teaches you to look at undercurrents in teams and organisations. You work with order, bonding and exchange, practise systemic questions and discover constellations as a working method.
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Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so feel free to book now.
In brief. Systemic Work is a classroom course of 3 days. You attend it in Amsterdam and The Hague, in a group of no more than 8 participants. The price is EUR 1950,- excl. VAT per participant, including course materials, lunch on location and a certificate of attendance. We also run this course for a team or department in-company.
- Working with Hellinger's three principles: order, bonding and exchange
- Experience-based: plenty of practice with constellations, case discussions and role play
- Directly applicable to your own practical cases from coaching, team or organisation
- Experienced trainer with a background in coaching, team work and organisational consultancy
- Small group, plenty of room for your own questions and position
Some situations are stuck in a way that logic cannot resolve. A team that keeps faltering after a reorganisation, a successor who never quite settles in, a collaboration that works on paper but grates in the room. Systemic work gives you the language and the working methods for exactly these issues.
Description
Systemic work does not ask 'what is the problem', but 'what place does this have in the larger whole' and 'which principle is being disrupted here'. You learn to look at undercurrents: loyalties that nobody names out loud, exclusions from the past, positions that are not right. That is often where the real weight of an issue lies.
You work with the three core principles from Bert Hellinger's thinking. Order is about who came where and when. Belonging is about who is part of the system and who has been excluded. Exchange is about what people give and receive, and whether that is in balance. Once you recognise these principles, you suddenly see how they show up in behaviour, conversation and group dynamics.
In addition to observing and recognising, you also practise with interventions. You learn to ask systemic questions that deepen without pushing, and you are introduced to constellations as a working method. You practise with your own cases and with cases from fellow participants, so that everything you learn is directly reflected in your own working practice.
By the end you will have a set of concrete interventions, a sharper eye for undercurrents and insight into your own position in the systems in which you work. You will also know when a systemic perspective helps, and when a different approach is more appropriate.
Topics
- Systemic thinking: what is a system and what makes it complex
- The three systemic principles: order, belonging and exchange
- Systemic perspective: recognising undercurrents in situations
- Disturbances: loyalties, exclusions and a breach of order
- Asking systemic questions: opening up, going deeper and naming
- Interventions in coaching and consultancy
- The constellation as a working method: what you can and cannot do with it
- Systemic work with teams and group dynamics
- Systemic work with organisations: mergers, reorganisations and succession
- Your own position in the systems in which you work
- When a systemic approach helps and when a different approach is more suitable
Result
After this course you look at situations in your work through a systemic lens and recognise patterns you did not see before. You understand how disturbances in order, bonding or exchange show themselves in behaviour and conversation, and you have the language to make that open to discussion.
Specifically, by the end you will be able to:
- analyse a situation systemically and name the undercurrent;
- work with the principles of order, bonding and exchange;
- asking systemic questions that add depth without steering;
- facilitating a simple constellation as a working method in coaching or team work;
- recognise disruptions in teams and organisations during mergers, reorganisations or succession;
- see your own place in the system in which you work;
- judge when a systemic perspective helps and when it does not.
Target audience
Do you work with people going through change and regularly come across situations that simply won't shift on a rational level? Then this course gives you a powerful extra lens.
The course is intended for:
- coaches and team coaches who want to look more deeply at the dynamics in their work;
- consultants and HR professionals who work with organisational change;
- managers who want to understand what is going on beneath the surface in their team;
- mediators who deal with deadlocked conflicts and working relationships;
- professionals in healthcare, education or social services who want to become familiar with systemic work.
Teaching method
You get an experience-based course from an experienced trainer. Each day combines a short introduction to the theory with plenty of practice: constellations, case discussions and role play. You work with your own practical cases and with cases from fellow participants, so you move directly between theory and application.
The trainer has been working with the systemic perspective for years and brings practical experience from coaching, team work and organisational consultancy. At the end of the course you will have a concrete set of interventions that you can use in your own work.
Prior knowledge
You don't need any specific prior knowledge for this course. It is helpful, however, if you have work experience in coaching, consultancy, HR, management or another role in which you work with people and groups. That way you can apply the systemic perspective directly to situations from your own practice.
Comments
You work with your own cases, so think in advance about a situation from your work that you would like to examine. That makes what you learn immediately applicable.
Practical information
- Number of days
- 3 days
- Course times
- from 10 am to 5 pm
- Teaching hours
- 18 hours
- Education level
- Suitable for all levels
- Preparation time
- None
- Included
- Course materials and lunch on site
- Certificate
- At the end of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance
- Cancel
- Free up to four weeks before the start (cancellation terms)
Language
The course is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer speaks English. English-language course materials can be used. If at least 3 participants register, the course can also be given entirely in English.
In-company
Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.
Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.
All start dates
3 training days. In order of date.
- Wed 3 to Fri 5 February 2027 Amsterdam · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 6 January Enrol
- Tue 10 to Thu 12 August 2027 The Hague · 10:00–17:00Free cancellation until 13 July Enrol
No suitable start date? Send us a date request, and we'll look at the options together.
This course for your team?
Plan your own group on a date that suits you, at your office, at our premises or online. We tailor the content to your day-to-day work, and training a whole group is cheaper than individual bookings.
- Your date and location
- Tailored content
- Multiple groups or an academy are also possible
- More than 25 years' experience
What others say about this course
"A highly capable trainer with broad expertise. The facilities are perfectly in order. A teaching day (7 hours) is just long enough to stay focused"
"In a short space of time – unfortunately I was unable to attend the second day – I learned some very practical applications."
"The content of the course is very good; you get a clear picture of how the material can be applied within your own organisation. Enjoyable exercises and an excellent trainer who teaches in an inspiring way."
“Learnit Training is able to get to know your organisation in a short time and to get straight to the heart of the matter during its courses.”
"I thought it was a very good course and I think I learned a lot from it. I also got tips that you can really do something with."
Training formats
Classroom
3 days€ 1950,-- Pleasant venue with a good trainer
- Small groups
- Inspiring and motivating
In-company
Bespoke trainingOn request- 100% for your group
- Bespoke training
- At your place or ours
Workshop
Up to 4 hours for groupsOn request- Suitable for events
- Interactive and inspiring
- Large groups too
Private training
At our place or yoursOn request- 100% just for you
- Achieve a lot in little time
- Whenever you want
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel free of charge?
Yes. Up to four weeks before the first day of the course you can cancel free of charge, without giving a reason. You then receive a credit note or, if you have already paid, a refund. If you cancel later, you pay part of the course fee: 25% between four and two weeks before the start, 75% in the two weeks before it and 100% in the final week. Moving to another start date is free of charge up to two weeks before the start, after that 50%. Sending a colleague in your place is always possible. Read the cancellation terms.
What does the Systemic Work course cost?
You can find the current price at the top right of this course page, along with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.
Do I need prior knowledge to start this course?
No, specific prior knowledge of systemic work is not required. Work experience in a role in which you work with people or groups is very welcome, however, because you will constantly link the theory to situations from your own practice. Think of coaching, consultancy, HR, management, mediation or a role in healthcare, education or social services.
Who is this course intended for?
The course is intended for coaches, team coaches, consultants, HR professionals, managers and mediators who want to look more deeply at what is going on beneath the surface in their work. Professionals in healthcare, education or social services who want to get acquainted with systemic work are also welcome. The common thread: you work with people going through change and you want an extra lens to understand situations that have become stuck.
What exactly will I learn?
You learn to look at situations systemically and to recognise undercurrents such as loyalties, exclusions and disruptions in the ordering. You work with the three principles of order, bonding and exchange and practise systemic questions, interventions in coaching and consultancy, and constellations as a working method. You also gain insight into your own position in the systems in which you work.
Is the course available in a classroom, online or in-company format?
By default this is a classroom course in a small group, because the working methods (constellations, exercises, case studies) benefit considerably from physical attendance. For teams or organisations we also offer the course in-company, tailored to your own issues. Get in touch if you are considering an in-company course.
Do I receive a certificate on completion?
Yes, afterwards you receive a certificate of participation from Learnit. This confirms that you have taken the course. It is not an accreditation as a systemic coach or therapist; longer, specialist programmes are intended for that.
Which teaching methods are used?
The course is experience-based. Short theoretical introductions alternate with constellations, case discussions, role-play and reflection. You will work with cases from your own practice and with cases from fellow participants. This allows you to practise in a safe setting with the situations you encounter in your own work.
What is the difference between systemic work and family constellations?
Family constellations focus on the family system a person was born into and usually take place in a therapeutic context. Systemic work as we offer it is professional and organisation-oriented: you apply the thinking to teams, organisations and work-related issues. The underlying principles are partly the same, but the context and the questions are different.
Can I start working with constellations in my own practice straight after the course?
You are introduced to constellations as a working method and practise with them yourself, so you gain a solid basis for using simple interventions in coaching or teamwork. For more complex constellations, for example involving sensitive themes or family dynamics, further study and supervision are advisable. During the course we discuss at length what you can and cannot do with constellations.
Is this a therapeutic course or a professional one?
This course is professionally oriented, not therapeutic. The focus is on application in coaching, consultancy, teamwork and organisational development. You will of course also come into the picture yourself (your own position in the system is part of the subject matter), but your working practice remains the starting point.
How does this course compare with the other coaching programmes at Learnit?
Our coaching programmes teach you the profession of coach, with a broad set of instruments and conversation skills. Systemic work is more of an in-depth perspective that you place on top of your existing work, whether you are a coach, consultant, HR professional or manager. The course therefore combines well with a coaching programme, but also stands on its own.
What if the case I bring in is emotionally charged?
Systemic work sometimes touches on deeper layers; that comes with the territory. The trainer safeguards safety within the group and you decide for yourself how much you contribute and how far you take a case. If a theme genuinely calls for therapeutic support, the course is not the place for it and we will discuss together what a more suitable next step would be.
Next start date: Wed 3 to Fri 5 February 2027 in Amsterdam
Free cancellation up to four weeks before the start, so you can secure a place now.