What is a Constellation?

Family and Systemic Constellation is a powerful therapeutic method to help people connecting the dots and to see where things got tangled up in their family system. When we are emotionally invested on an issue, often times we are blind and overwhelmed by our emotions. We don’t understand why we feel so strongly about someone or something, and why we keep doing things that doesn’t make sense to ourselves. Sometimes it is like living a repeated nightmare. You keep trying to shake it off and just couldn’t.

In these confusing and messy situations, Family Constellation can instantly reveal where those strong feelings come from, and whether they belong to you or not. In many cases, you may be secretly identified with an ancestor and unconsciously repeating his or her fate. Many people think it’s magic because they intuitively know what the constellation revealed was true. No one can fully explain how constellations work. Yet, recent scientific theories and studies can explain parts of it. For example, the studies on epigenetic tell us that trauma can be transmitted through generations. Even though you have never met your grandparents, you can still be affected by the trauma they went through.

What are the roots of Family Constellation?

Constellation is developed by Bert Hellinger, a German Philosopher and psychotherapist. Many holocaust survivors and their offspring’s were deeply touched by this work. It is a modern interpretation of ancestral practice across many cultures and deeply rooted in the Zulu tradition and other indigenous wisdom. The theoretical base of this work includes Virginia Satir’s family sculpting, Jakob Moreno’s psychodrama, and Ivan BoszormenyNagy’s contextual therapy.

What does the constellation process look like?

A respected indigenous teacher once described constellation “like a bear dance.” If you are familiar with Satir’s Family Sculpture or Psychodrama therapy, you can find some trace of these therapy approaches. However, the truth is that Family Constellation has its own life and is unique in its own philosophy.

The constellation process generally looks like this:

1. A client talks to a facilitator about an issue that she or he is seeking a solution.

2. The facilitator suggests the important people or elements in this issue that can be set up as representatives.

3. If it’s done in a group, the client or the facilitator will pick someone to be the representatives.

4. If it’s done in a private session, we can use figures or objects to be the representatives.

5. Once the representatives are set up in the field, they will feel and move in certain ways that are consistent with what they represent.

6. We sit back and observe the movement, postures, feelings and interactions of these representatives.

7. We check in with the representatives, ask them questions to further clarify their feelings and relationship with each other.

8. The client can take in what resonates with him or her or make some inner adjustments according to the information they received. This is a very simple description of the process, and each facilitator will bring their personal touch and what they received from the client’s field accordingly.

What issues can you set up a constellation:

– Family and extended family issues
– Couples issues
– Parenting issues
– Workplace conflicts
– Career choices
– Money issues
– Health issues, such as unexplainable pain
– Chronic medical conditions
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Transgenerational trauma

This process increases the flow of love and creativity, and brings more harmony and balance to your life. If you feel stuck or stagnate in any parts of your life, you are welcome to explore the possibility of setting up a constellation with me.