What is Family Constellations?
Family Constellation is a diagnostic tool which aids in identifying the core issue in the lives of the people in their relationships. It is a subset application of Systematic Constellation. Family Constellation has become the fastest growing psychotherapeutic technique which is becoming quite popular. This dynamic and evolutionary therapy was originally developed by Bert Hellinger who recognized that we’re all unconsciously linked in a complex system of bonding relationships over three or four generations. Each of us inherit psychological or emotional problems from previous generations that we take for our own.
“Family Constellations and movements of the Soul is an alive, uniquely fresh phenomenological experience. It has the potential to touch our deepest cores, transforming our lives and the lives of those around us. Hidden dynamics, often spanning two or three generations, may appear in the family “field” and lead to distress, illness and emotional difficulties. This work requires, while at the same time deepens, a profound respect for the mystery of life and the forces that shape it and moves you towards peace in the soul.”
Family Constellation is often done in a group sitting & is led by a facilitator. It helps the participants to identify the urgent issues which need to be addressed. Each participant is awarded the opportunity to set up a constellation to dig in the issue. The participant coming forward to present their issue asks the other participants to be the representatives. The participant then arranges and asks the representatives to address a role which he/she feels intuitively should be done by a representative. These representatives usually represent either the family members or any feeling such as depression, anger or anything else which they would like to work on. The participant then sits down and observes the entire scene.
The entire process is intuition driven & the aim is to tap into the Knowing Field (as described by psychiatrist Albrecht Mahr). The Knowing Field helps the participant to identify & understand the feelings and emotions which these representatives mirror at this point of time. These are those hidden or unseen feelings, emotions or mechanisms which are not fully understood consciously. The participant usually does not know or has little knowledge about these emotions. Nevertheless, the representatives usually experience feelings or physical sensations that inform the process.