Family constellation is an experiential therapeutic journey in uncovering pieces of our authentic self. We have all suppressed or ignored certain parts of ourselves in order to let the family system we grew up in run more smoothly. We inherit physical characteristics from our parents, but we also inherit emotional patterns. Unconsciously we tend to perpetuate patterns of illness, failure, addiction, mental instability etcetera. The family constellation method was developed by Hellinger, who identified hidden ‘orders of love’ that operate in the depths of family organisms and the soul. Violation of these laws by previous generations, cause unconscious patterns in the following generation until the family wounds are healed. By doing therapeutic work in the present, we can impact the whole history of suffering backward in time.

The hidden family dynamics are brought to light by setting up a constellation of our family. During a family constellation session, a group of people gathers in a circle. From that group, we select individuals that are invited to represent specific members of our family and we intuitively position them somewhere in the space. The representatives start to have a certain experience in the position they were put in, and then an unpredictable and magical process takes place, guided by an experienced facilitator. An energy-field arises that guides the representatives and their movement and allows them to pass on essential information, about the systemic field, about hidden patterns, and other dynamics. In this process, a new, more natural, and healing balance can be found for the whole family system.

During this process, there is not much talking. We introduce a theme we wish to work on, and after some clarifying questions from the facilitator, the constellation is being set up. The aim is to avoid sharing a long story around the topic. This prevents the representatives to get lost in mental interpretations, so they can stay with their authentic sensory and intuitive experience. With intention, the representatives connect to the family soul which brings unconscious information to light. Healing soul sentences can be part of the process of restoring a loving flow in the family dynamics. Afterward, the inner image we had about our past and about what happened to us can shift drastically and it can be restored to a new and empowering image that is imprinted in our soul. This has an impact on all our current relationships and our relationship to life itself.