What is Family Constellation?

I get asked this all the time and one of the best and simplest descriptions I have found is one by Brenda Sutherland.

It is a therapy developed by psychotherapist Bert Hellinger.

It looks at different social groupings such as families, schools, organisations, countries and businesses as systems. 

Bert Hellinger discovered that how we live and thrive in these systems is based on three governing principles.

1)      The Need for Belonging

For example in the family, we are born into or married into a family that you belong to. “You are one of us”. 

2)      The need for social order.

Simply, those that come first in sociological order. For example, partnership before parenthood, eldest child down to youngest.  Each family member still has a special place even if they have passed.  In a business or organisation it is eg. the CEO, the Manager and working down to the ordinary employees (normally spoken).

3)      The need for equilibrium. 

The balance of giving and taking.  I give, you give a little more. So, by stealing, cheating or taking what is not yours, there can be no equilibrium.

If either one of these principles are out of balance, we become entangled and systemic symptoms start to appear and can prevent us from living our life fully. Any health interventions, counselling or other methods may not have made any difference.

Systemic symptoms can appear as an illness or a mental health issue, ongoing relationship patterns, destructive behaviour or persistent feelings of failure or failure to thrive financially. These symptoms point to something in the family of generations past or to early childhood issues, but when acknowledged, the client no longer has to be the symptom bearer and a sense of autonomy and peace is restored.

Family Constellation principles are our guide.  It can be done in a group setting where other members of the group do the representing, it can be done one-one-one with figurines or place settings or via a live online connection.  Family Constellation is a quick therapy with amazingly astonishing results.  Book a session in person or online and move in harmony with your ancestors.