Family constellation: what it is, what it is for (and how it works)

Family constellation is an alternative therapy developed by psychotherapist Bert Hellinger, which aims to facilitate the understanding of psychological disorders, especially those that may be stimulated by the dynamics of family relationships or relationships.

This type of approach is considered pseudoscience, as there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness and, therefore, it is not approved by the Federal Council of Psychology or the Federal Council of Medicine. However, it is recognized and offered by the SUS, as part of the National Program of Integrative and Complementary Practices (PNPIC).

It is important to emphasize that family constellation does not promote healing and does not replace psychotherapy with psychologists or medical treatments for psychiatric illnesses.

What is it for

According to the theory that serves as the basis for family constellation, the sessions can help resolve family problems, relationship difficulties between parents and children, as well as challenges in intimate relationships.

Thus, the people who generally resort to family constellation are those who:

• They seek to resolve family problems;
• They need to address negative relationship patterns;
• They want to overcome an internal turmoil;
• Who have experienced significant trauma or loss.

Furthermore, family constellation therapy also appears to be a great tool for those looking to achieve a higher level of professional or personal success.

How therapy works

In general, in this type of approach, a group of people who do not know each other are used to replace and take on the role of some family members of the person who is trying to find a solution to the difficulty or concern they present.

Afterwards, the therapist encourages interaction with these “family members” and asks each individual to try to identify which emotions are behind the phrases and behaviors of the person seeking the solution. It is important, therefore, that none of the people representing the family know the person undergoing therapy, nor the problem to be treated, as these factors should not influence the way emotions are interpreted.

During this time, the therapist stays outside the interaction and tries to evaluate all perspectives and then, together with the emotions reported by each person, shows the person all the facts about their interaction with the “family”, identifying points of greater stress, which need to be worked on.

Since it is a relatively complex therapy, family constellation does not always bring immediate results, and several sessions may be necessary until the person begins to identify what needs to change in their interaction with some family members. From one session to the next, it is common for the therapist to change the roles of different “family members” until finding the organization/constellation that best helps the person identify their obstacles.