Developed by German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger, Family Constellation Therapy is a type of group therapy led by a therapist or facilitator with special training in the technique. In Family Constellation Therapy, the person participating or receiving the therapy selects other members of the group to serve as stand-ins for his or her actual family members. These people are arranged in a circle, called the family constellation. The surrogates or stand-ins hear about the family history or the issue of concern to the person receiving the therapy. Then the stand-ins are asked to describe how they feel or anything they think regarding the connection between the family members they are portraying and the person getting the therapy. This process frequently leads to a greater sense of understanding and empathy.

Family Constellation Therapy looks at the family as a system and the individual’s role in that system. This can lead to exploring family relationships from generations back and how those impact the present. Family systems frequently have unspoken rules or laws, and problems often occur when someone fails to follow these laws. These are the roots of the beliefs we have that may not work for us anymore, may not be healthy, and may not even be accurate. 

This type of therapy can be particularly helpful when dealing with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. For these issues, people frequently talk about a genetic predisposition to these conditions or learned behaviors, that can carry on down through multiple generations. In Family Constellation Therapy, you may find that your current issues and behaviours have roots from previous generations that you hadn’t realised.

Family Constellation Therapy benefits the person receiving the therapy and the group members participating as stand-ins for the actual family members. The person receiving the therapy stands outside the circle and is able to observe dynamics and connections that he or she may not have considered before. The stand-ins are new to the particular situation–they don’t know the person’s family history and or the particular situation being addressed, so they can bring fresh insights and give the person different perspectives to consider. The actual family members being portrayed aren’t there, so the person seeking the therapy is free from worrying about the possibility of hurting their feelings or suffering repercussions for sharing a family secret. The people serving as stand-ins benefit in a couple of key ways. They may recognize aspects of themselves and their family generational dynamics and may gain a greater understanding of their own situation or trauma.