Bert Hellinger and the development of family constellations

Family Constellations are a personal growth and therapeutic method of bringing to light the invisible dynamics that shape our lives.
This approach is due to the work of Bert Hellinger, who developed a systemic view of the family, showing how trauma, exclusions and disharmonies in past generations can affect our existence.

In this article we will explore the figure of Bert Hellinger, the basic principles of Family Constellations and how this practice has evolved to the present day.

Who was Bert Hellinger and how he developed the constellation method

Bert Hellinger (1925-2019) was a German philosopher, theologian and therapist, known for developing the method of Family Constellations. After a childhood scarred by World War II, he spent several years as a missionary in South Africa, living in close contact with the Zulu culture. Here he observed the deep respect for ancestors and family ties, elements that inspired his later work.

Throughout his career, he has studied various therapeutic currents, including:

• Psychoanalysis: the study of the unconscious and the internal dynamics of the psyche.
• Systemic Therapy: the idea that individual behavior is influenced by the whole family system.
• Transgenerational Analysis: the influence of unresolved experiences of ancestors on future generations.
• Ericksonian hypnosis: the work on trance and deep perception of reality.

These influences led Hellinger to develop an innovative approach in which people participate in a symbolic representation of their family, discovering and reorganizing hidden balances.

The basic principles of family constellations

Family Constellations are based on three orders of love, fundamental principles that govern harmony in a family system:

• Membership: every family member has the right to belong to the system. If someone is excluded or forgotten, the family’s collective unconscious will try to restore balance, often through unexplained suffering in subsequent generations.
• Order: there is a natural hierarchy in the family. Parents come before children, and siblings have a birth order. When this hierarchy is altered (for example, when a child assumes the role of the parent), tensions and emotional blocks are created.
• Balance of giving and receiving: in relationships, especially between partners, a harmonious flow of giving and receiving is essential. If either gives too much or receives too little, the relationship is likely to deteriorate.

Through the Family Constellations method, it is possible to identify where these orders have been violated and restore them, bringing greater harmony into one’s life.

How family constellations have evolved.

In recent decades, Family Constellations have developed in a variety of areas:

• Group Family Constellations: the traditional method in which a group of people participate in a collective representation of an individual’s dynamics.
• Individual Constellations: practices that allow working on personal dynamics without the need for a group, through symbolic objects or guided visualizations.
• Corporate Constellations: applied to the business world to understand the hidden dynamics within companies.
• Online Constellations: new modalities that allow people to work on their dynamics even at a distance, with sessions conducted via video call.

Conclusion

Bert Hellinger’s Family Constellations have revolutionized the way we understand relationships and family ties, bringing healing and awareness to thousands of people around the world. Their approach teaches us that our difficulties often arise not just from us, but from an interweaving of stories and experiences that span generations.

If you would like to explore this topic further and understand how this practice can help you bring more harmony into your life, also read our page on What are Family Constellations and how they work.

Giulio

Esperto di psicologia, spiritualità e ipnoterapia, con un percorso di vita che abbraccia culture, discipline e luoghi che spaziano dall’Asia al Sud America.