{"id":81708,"date":"2022-12-09T09:03:19","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T09:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=81708"},"modified":"2022-12-09T09:04:14","modified_gmt":"2022-12-09T09:04:14","slug":"family-constellation-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/family-constellation-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Constellation Therapy: A Practical Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Smiling<\/p>\n

When someone seeks treatment for an emotional problem or mental health issue, there are several options available. Some people may see a doctor for medication, whereas others may see a counselor or therapist. <\/span><\/p>\n

One option for treating mental and emotional problems is family constellation therapy, which can help people to heal by uncovering dysfunctional family dynamics. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>History of family constellation therapy & impacts of the therapeutic modality<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Bert Hellinger is credited<\/span><\/a> with beginning family constellation work after being drafted in the German war during the Third Reich and then spending time as a missionary in South Africa. <\/span><\/p>\n

After studying other modalities, including Gestalt therapy, Hellinger determined that psychological symptoms resulted from the soul subconsciously trying to stay loyal to a person’s family system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bert Hellinger’s family constellation work focuses on the idea of the “family soul” and states that when people are not <\/span>connected correctly<\/span><\/a> to this system, they are deeply impacted. <\/span><\/p>\n

When people feel that they have been disloyal to their families, they feel guilty, whereas they feel innocent when loyal to the family. Guilt surrounding disloyalty to the family system can lead to psychological distress and <\/span>mental health problems<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Studies<\/span><\/a> with constellation therapy have shown that this modality can be highly impactful. A recent report that reviewed the results of 12 different studies indicated that 9 studies found an improvement in mental health with this type of therapy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the available research,<\/span> family constellation therapy is beneficial for treating a variety of mental health problems<\/b>, which will be discussed in further detail below. An additional benefit of this modality is that it is typically brief. <\/span><\/p>\n

Someone may be able to attend a group family constellation workshop over the course of one day, or they may identify troubling family dynamics within just a few individual sessions with a counselor or therapist. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>What is family constellation therapy?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

Now that you have an idea of the history and benefits of family constellation therapy, it’s helpful to understand the specifics of this modality, as well as the answer to, “How does family constellation therapy work?” <\/span><\/p>\n

In most cases, family constellation therapy is carried out in a group setting<\/b>. Therapists may host workshops, and people with no relation to each other attend to participate in family constellation sessions. <\/span><\/p>\n

People who are seeking a resolution to a family issue are called “seekers” during these group sessions, and those who are representing the seeker’s family are called “representatives.” <\/b>People chosen as representatives of the family dynamic do not know the seeker or have any background information on the seeker’s problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the group sessions, the seeker brings forth issues they would like to resolve, and the representatives react to the seeker’s emotions.<\/b> The therapist or facilitator may ask members about their emotional reaction to the problem the seeker brings forth. <\/span><\/p>\n

The therapist may also place “representatives” of the seeker’s family in certain positions or have them role-play certain scenarios to replay the problems in the seeker’s family of origin. <\/span><\/p>\n

This process is said to shed light on the nature of the seeker’s problem, and it may even help them to resolve the issue at hand.  The representatives play the role of the seeker’s <\/span>family relationships<\/span><\/a>, and they are said to be able to feel the emotions that come up related to the seeker’s issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through this process, the representatives are believed to identify the issue within the seeker’s family. <\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about family constellation therapy here:<\/span><\/p>\n