Family Constellations is a therapeutic method developed by German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger in the 1980s. This technique reveals hidden dynamics within the family system that may be affecting our current life, even across several generations.
The fundamental principle is that we belong to a "family field" or "morphic field" that connects us with our ancestors. Unresolved traumas, family secrets, exclusions, and injustices can create "entanglements" that are unconsciously transmitted from generation to generation.
Through a constellation, these hidden patterns become visible, allowing resolution and release of burdens that don't belong to us. The work can be done in groups (with representatives) or individually.
1Origin and History
Bert Hellinger (1925-2019) was a German Catholic priest, psychoanalyst, and therapist. He worked as a missionary with the Zulu people in South Africa for 16 years, where he observed the importance of ancestors and the family system in African culture.
After leaving the priesthood, he studied psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, transactional analysis, and neurolinguistic programming. From the synthesis of this knowledge and his observations about family dynamics, he developed Family Constellations.
The method gained popularity in Germany in the 1990s and spread globally. Today it is practiced worldwide, with variations and developments from different facilitators.
2The Orders of Love
Hellinger identified three fundamental principles that govern family systems, known as "The Orders of Love":
1. Belonging: All members of the family system have the right to belong. When someone is excluded, forgotten, or rejected (for example, an aborted child, a "shameful" relative, a first love), the system seeks compensation, and another member may unconsciously identify with the excluded one.
2. Hierarchy: Those who came first have precedence over those who came later. Parents give and children receive. When this order is reversed (children emotionally caring for parents), imbalances are created.
3. Balance between Giving and Receiving: There must be balance in relationships. When someone gives too much or receives too much without compensation, discomfort and imbalance are generated in the system.
3Types of Constellations
Group Family Constellations:
The classic form. The client chooses representatives from the group for family members. Representatives are placed in the space according to the client's intuition and begin to experience sensations and emotions belonging to the people they represent. The facilitator guides the process toward a resolution image.
Individual Constellations:
Can be done with figures, dolls, papers on the floor, or visualization. The client works directly without representatives, moving through the space themselves.
Organizational Constellations:
Application of the method to companies and organizations, exploring team dynamics, leadership, and organizational structure.
Soul Movements Constellations:
Later development by Hellinger where representatives follow internal impulses without facilitator intervention, allowing the "soul movement" toward resolution to emerge.