Ancestor Syndrome, Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger | Agoracademie

The Ancestor Syndrome: the book from Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger

The Ancestor Syndrome (published in 1998) is a not-to-be-missed book for anyone who is interested in Psychogenealogy.

Translated in several languages, more than 350,000 copies were sold around the world, which makes it a reference book for some and a true bible for others.

We will give you a short presentation of its author, Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger.

In her book, she presents the influence of our ancestors in our daily life and the solutions to release it through a transgenerational therapy.

To do so, the psychogenealogist draws a specific type of genealogical tree (called genogram) that shows the ties between family members (as is done in genealogy, the research of family ties) but also and above all the important events that can cause psychological problems.

By analyzing this tree with enough clarity and distance, with a systemic approach, it is possible to detect the problematic repetitions that have been passed from generation to generation.

According to Psychogenealogy, we have debts to pay that come from our ancestors' past and, if they remain unpaid, these debts will continue to create problems for the descendants...

The therapy work will then consist of finding a way to break the transmission of this negative and limiting psychological inheritance in order to free the person that is suffering and avoid a new “contamination” for other descendants.

This therapeutic work is done with the help of a psychotherapist, or with a Psychogenealogy practitioner trained to this “new” discipline developed in the eighties (another work to consider is also from psychoanalysts with transgenerational psychoanalysis). 

The Ancestor Syndrome: the DVD

Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger has actively participated in the propagation of her therapeutic and transgenerational method through her famous book The Ancestor Syndrome but also with conferences, trainings and many videos, some of which are available online:

• through YouTube for example.

One of the most well-known videos is a 77 minute DVD showing a conference presented by Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger in June 2003 (at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France).

She explains her theories, shares her clinical experience and offers a path to self-reflection on memories that can prevent one from living his life fully if he doesn't learn to free himself from wounds and other traumas lived by his ancestors.

Who is Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger?

Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger was born on March 29^th, 1919. As we have mentioned earlier, she is the author of the best-seller The Ancestor Syndrome, one of the reference books of Psychogenealogy.

This work on transgenerational links, family secrets, the anniversary syndrome, trauma transmission and the ways to get free from them is the fruit of a life of both research and professional encounters.

In terms of credentials, Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger has a PhD in Psychology and in Psychotherapy.

She also became a very renowned professor at the University of Nices where she directed the Laboratory of Social and Clinical Psychology for two decades.

In terms of professional encounters, she met the well-known author Françoise Dolto (who wrote a number of successful books including The Cause of Teenagers; Dolto was Anne's Psychoanalyst and without a doubt a huge source of inspiration for her and as well:

• Jacob Moreno (Psychodrama),
• Carl Rogers (Person Centered Therapy),
• Gregory Bateson (Palo Alto school)
• and many more.

Thanks to this long and deep work on herself (psychoanalytical in particular), to her research and professional encounters, Anne Ancelin-Schutzenberger still continues today (passed away on 23. March 2018) to share with strength and will the fruits of her entire life.

We can never thank her enough for her huge contribution to the development of Psychogenealogy and send her our affection.

Training in Psychogenealogy

Are you interested in Psychogenealogy and wish to take online and at-distance training?

Don't wait to check into the available program on our Agoracadémie e-learning platform (see « Shop”).

If you have any questions, please contact us.