Family & Systemic Constellation Therapy

Explore the healing power of family constellation therapy and Uncover hidden dynamics within your family system, heal ancestral wounds, and find a resolution for a more harmonious and fulfilling life. Discover the transformative potential of this unique therapeutic approach.

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Family & Systemic Constellation Therapy

Family constellation therapy is a therapeutic intervention that a therapist might use in order to gain insight and information into a client’s family history, dynamics, and possible dysfunctional patterns. German therapist Bert Hellinger developed this intervention based on components of Gestalt therapy and psychodynamic therapy. When utilizing the family constellation, the therapist has people who are not related to the client take on roles of various family members to act out dynamics related to the client’s concerns. This technique is considered a form of expressive therapy, and the goal is to help the client work through a concern or develop better insight into a conflict. Since a traditional family constellation involves humans standing in as the client’s family members, it is often done in a group setting.

Group members can take turns as the main client and stand in for each other’s family members. The therapist directs the family members’ posture, position, and words, although sometimes the activity involves minimal talking. The client might interact directly. with their relatives in the constellation or stand aside and watch the interactions unfold. The family constellation can also be done individually. The client could use a sand tray or other creative expressive therapy technique, using toys or figurines to represent their various family members. Similarly, they could use art therapy techniques to draw their family tree and indicate the various dynamics within the family. Individual family constellations do not allow the client to role-play family interactions with other physical humans, but the therapist and client can work together over a longer period of time to map out relationships and notice patterns.

Benefits

Constellation therapy helps individuals become more aware of the underlying family and systemic issues that may be contributing to their challenges or emotional difficulties. It can provide a forum for addressing and resolving family conflicts, tensions, and unresolved issues in a safe and structured environment. Constellation work can facilitate the healing of ancestral wounds and intergenerational trauma, potentially breaking harmful patterns that have been passed down through generations.

Participants often report a greater sense of empathy and understanding for family members and their perspectives, even in cases of estrangement or conflict. As individuals address and heal family and systemic issues, they often experience personal growth, increased self-awareness, and a stronger sense of identity. Constellation work can transform limiting beliefs, fostering a more positive and growth-oriented mindset.

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FAQ

What is systemic family constellations?

Family/systemic constellation therapy is a short-term group intervention aiming to help clients gain insights into and then change their inner image of a conflictual system and finally change their behaviour in relation to that same system”. There are three guiding systemic principles for constellation work: Belonging, Order and Balance. These principles are the “Orders of Love” that Hellinger discovered by observation as constellations were developed.

Who found family constellation?

Family constellations is the creation of a German psychologist named Bert Hellinger. Hellinger travelled to South Africa as a missionary in the 1950s. He became interested in the customs of the Zulu people and a particular ceremony they used to understand one another.

Why is family constellation important?

Family constellation in Adlerian therapy refers to the role’s individuals adopt within their family of origin, shaping their behaviours and beliefs. Understanding these roles helps clients gain insight into their issues and work toward healthier relationships and self-improvement. It offers a unique and structured method for revealing hidden family and systemic dynamics that may be influencing an individual’s life. These hidden dynamics can include family secrets, unresolved conflicts, unspoken loyalties, and intergenerational traumas. Family constellation therapy helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of their challenges and emotional difficulties. It can illuminate how these issues are connected to the broader family and systemic context.

Who participates in family constellation?

The seeker is known as the individual who comes to resolve an issue. The facilitator is the therapist, who directs the constellation. The other participants may be actual family, other metaphorical people, or another role. : Representatives are individuals chosen to stand in for family members, elements, or aspects of the client’s issue or question. These representatives do not need to know the details of the client’s family or issues but are guided by the facilitator to intuitively represent the dynamics or emotions of the individuals or elements they are standing in for. Representatives can be other participants in the constellation workshop or training, or they can be experienced facilitators or therapists.
The facilitator is a trained and experienced individual who guides and oversees the constellation process. The facilitator creates a safe and structured environment for the session, assists the client in selecting representatives, and directs the representatives in their placements within the constellation. The facilitator interprets the dynamics that emerge during the constellation and helps the client gain insights and resolution.

What is another name for a family constellation?

Family Constellations, also known as Systemic Constellations and Systemic Family Constellations, is a therapeutic method which draws on elements of family systems therapy, existential phenomenology and isiZulu beliefs and attitudes to family.

Family & Systemic Constellation Therapy