What are family constellations and what can you achieve with them?

Family constellations are a method within systemic work to gain insight into the root causes of an issue. It is a working method that focuses on the dynamics within the systems that a person is part of. It is used in coaching and counselling to explore with a client how they are influenced by these systems in their lives. By gaining insight into these influences, people can gain much clarity about their functioning and about possible causes of their problems. In our training programmes, systemic work and family constellations are therefore always part of the curriculum.

What can you achieve with a family constellation?

From the systemic approach, you can say that a client never comes alone, because everyone is part of multiple systems. This includes the system of the family of origin, but also the systems you are part of in your later life. All systems affect the individual’s functioning.

The system of the family of origin occupies a special place, because the things you inherit in your childhood often play a major role in the rest of your life. Character, talents, skills, economic status, as well as patterns, beliefs, illness and trauma can be passed on from generation to generation. They are carried by “the system” and the people who are part of it. You may encounter these patterns again in your later life within new systems, like your relationships, school, work and other communities. Systemic work can make these (un)conscious patterns visible.

The patterns from your childhood can be both serving and hindering. A family constellation can reveal the influences of the family and other systems on the client’s behaviour and decision-making process. If the patterns are obstructive, you can help your client to break free from the patterns, to get closer to themselves and to make their own choices. If the patterns are serving someone, you can work with your client to see how they can make more use of this strength.

The origins of systemic work

The methodology was initially developed by Bert Hellinger, among others, to work with families (family constellations). Later, Hellinger also developed methods for working in organisations (organisational constellations).

Bert Hellinger’s most important contribution consisted of his theory on ‘the dynamics of belonging’ (belonging to a system) and loyalty to family and groups. For example, what place do you occupy in a system? Is that the right place, with the right responsibilities? And what about the balance between giving and taking in that system?

Learning to look and work systemically

Systemic work is a very valuable part of the coaching process and is therefore part of all our training courses. You will learn how to work systemically with 1-on-1 setups (with, for example, figurines or floor mats). In doing so, you will learn how to look at a client’s (family) system, as well as how to apply systemic work in organisations. By visualising how people (and sometimes things) relate to each other, the client sees and experiences which dynamics are at play in the system and how that affects them in their current life. This insight provides ways to further explore and break through obstructive patterns and/or to strengthen empowering patterns.

Sources

Bert Hellinger Instituut – https://hellingerinstituut.nl/