Concept

Constellations or systemic arrangements or systemic solutions are a process work methodology using dynamic spatial imagery. It is used to map the current state of a system or to find the best possible solution in therapy, coaching and psychological counseling, as well as in pedagogy, the legal field, social work and many other fields. A system can be, for example, a person, a relationship, a family, an organization of any level, a landscape.

Family constellations are a type of methodology that focuses on family systems and is based on the idea that problems are passed down through generations, creating stress in the here and now. By exploring our feelings and family memories, we can break free from family patterns that cause suffering. Working with family constellations helps us find the causes of problems and resolve them.

Alfred Adler was the first to use the term "family constellation" to refer to the family bonds and sense of belonging that exist within a family. The classical family constellations were developed by philosopher, theologian and psychotherapist Bert Hellinger between 1975 and 1990. He developed this form by combining his previous work in therapies with his own life experiences.

The traumas of previous generations of the family system manifest themselves in the problems and difficulties of currently living family members, even if the current sufferers are not aware of the original event. Hellinger called systemic entanglements the connections between current and past problems that are not due to direct personal experience and that arise when unresolved trauma has hit the family through events such as murder, suicide, the death of a mother in childbirth. The early death of a parent, or sibling, as a result of war, natural disaster, emigration or abuse. Psychiatrist Iván Böszörményi-Nagy called this phenomenon “invisible loyalty”.

The philosophical orientation of family constellations was derived through the integration of elements of existential phenomenology, family systems therapy, and indigenous mysticism.

The phenomenological relationship can be traced through the philosophers Franz Brentano, Edmund Husserl, and Martin Heidegger. Their perspective is expressed in existential phenomenology and through it, captures meaning and cognition.

Family constellations take their form from family systems psychology. Influencers of this movement include Jacob Moreno, the founder of psychodrama; Iván Böszörményi-Nagy, a pioneer of intergenerational systems thinking; Milton Erickson, a pioneer of brief therapy and hypnotherapy; Eric Berne, who coined the concept of life scenarios; and Virginia Satir, who developed family sculpture—a precursor to systemic constellations. Over the past decade, many practitioners around the world have made progress in further developing this process.

At first glance, Bert Hellinger's concepts may seem to be a natural extension of the work of several generations of the Milanese School, and are simply expressed briefly and intensely. However, upon closer examination, the heightened spirituality of Hellinger's work becomes apparent. This may be due to the early influence of Hellinger's work as a Catholic priest, his work as a Zulu missionary, or his great love for the philosophical teachings of the Chinese philosopher Kung Tse (Confucius). All of these influences are combined in a way that makes Hellinger's work unique. Of particular importance is the difference in the traditional relationship between Zulu parents and ancestors and the family relationships of ordinary Europeans. Heidegger postulated that being human is finding oneself in a world that has no clear, logical, ontological, or moral structure. In Zulu culture, Hellinger found the security and balance that were the hallmarks of Heidegger's elusive authentic Self. Traditionally, the Zulu people lived and acted in a religious world centered on their ancestors. They were seen as positive, constructive and creative sources. The connection with the ancestors is a central element of the constellation process.

The roots of the constellation are located:

1) based on classical psychotherapies and research, such as family therapy;

2) shamanism and African influences, as Hellinger worked with the tribes there, experiencing a systemic way of thinking based on lineage and traditions and its effects;

3) Christianity – acceptance of the universe as greater than science.

The predecessors and influences of the constellation method are:

– Sigmund Freud, who spoke about the memory traces of previous generations and the collective memory of humanity;

– Carl Jung, who defined the term “collective unconscious”;

–psychoanalysts who continued to work on issues of the collective unconscious, such as Francoise Dolto and Nicolas Abraham;

– A neo-Freudian group consisting of Harry Stack Sullivan, Eric Fromm, Karen Horney, and Clara Thompson, which became the forerunner of family therapy. Neo-Freudian theories caused a fundamental shift in the field of psychology: instead of observing intrapsychic factors, interpersonal phenomena and their social contexts began to be studied. In the mid-20th century, approaches emerged that viewed the family as a system and found that the background of the person was important for understanding him;

– Don Jackson, Paul Watzlawick, Jay Haley, John Weakland, etc., who founded the Palo Alto Mental Research Institute (MRI) based on the ideas of the renowned anthropologist Gregory Bateson, an influential communication theory. The institute later became a Mecca for family therapy;

–The original idea for the concept of loyalty used in constellations comes from Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy in contextual therapy;

– psychodramatist Anne Ancelin Schützenberger, who dealt with the theme of recurring destinies across generations. She used both genograms and psychodrama as her working tools;

– German psychiatrist Thea Schönfelder, who began placing assistants (representatives) in psychodrama with little prior information and without rehearsing the roles beforehand.

The strength of constellations lies in the following.

1. Basis for systems theory.
2. Interpretation of the spatial relationships between the elements of the constellation.
3. Using resolution sentences as an intervention technique.
4. Based on the perceptions, emotions and thoughts of people replacing elements of the system (so-called substitute cognition).