An interesting story recently happened in my clinical practice. I have been consulting for two years now, and the methods I use have taught me to accept everything that happens with universal calm. But I never cease to be amazed! Particularly amazing discoveries occur when working with generic topics. I really like to explore this particular area, as the source of most of the symptoms that the client brings to therapy. In this story, we started working with severe anxiety several months ago, and gradually went to a systemic family approach because an additional request for healthy relationships in family and couple, so we delved into the genogram. Having compiled a genogram of five generations, we saw how “triangles” of dysfunctional relationships (conflict, codependent) are inherited in the family and how the theme of alcohol abuse and oncology is manifested in them. It is obvious that a strong tension once appeared in the generic system, which gave rise to such a scenario. Since there is usually practically no information about the fifth generation (great-great), we included metaphorical cards. We used portrait decks by Irina Orda, as well as the Allegory deck + Whisper of Rod cards by Elizaveta Guryanova. The technique was simple - the client blindly laid out the portraits on a ready-made genogram. Then, they sequentially turned over the cards of each pair (great-great grandmother and great-great grandfather), described the characters and destinies of the characters (based on the client’s unconscious material, which was projected onto the cards). To clarify the relationships between members of the tribal system, Allegory cards were used. We found one interesting story (about which there was only fragmentary information) about a great-great grandmother who died from exhaustion during the famine years, giving all the food to her children. By completing this story with details, the client came to accept and understand the fuller picture and motives. We came up with the topic of relying on one’s own values ​​and principles, accepting the experience of ancestors, instead of incomprehensible and seemingly meaningless sacrifice. A more striking discovery was the discovery of an ancestor excluded from the family system. When choosing cards for one couple, another card accidentally fell out, which we decided to leave for further research (see photo). When studying the characters and personalities of the great-great grandmother and great-great grandfather, a picture emerged of the distant (detached) relationship between the mother and daughters, the cause of which was a family secret. The third dropped portrait revealed the story of a “random” connection, and a biological father excluded from the system. At first, we accepted this as a hypothesis, and double-checked it with the help of Allegory cards. Having turned to the Whisper of Rod cards for messages, we received confirmation. Indeed, all members of the family system must take their place in the family. By accepting them in our heart, voicing their presence in the generic unconscious, giving them a place in the family tree, inscribing them in the genogram, we relieve tension from ourselves as part of the generic system. We do not pass this tension on to our children, and family relationships become more harmonious and healthy. Interesting story? Are you working with your family? Do you know your excluded ancestors? If you are in Yekaterinburg and working with family interests you, I invite you to groups on June 18 and 19