The Family constellations Appear as a therapy that seeks to achieve in people a release of thoughts or beliefs and Feelings or emotions that displease the individual. It is a technique that has not been free of criticism given its character of therapy alternative.
Sometimes people are not aware of what the problem is or what causes us suffering, but at other times we are and in spite of it We could not change it.
What are the family constellations?
The technique of family constellations starts from the conception that conflicts or ways of behaving that cause psychological problems in a Subject, are regulated by a transmission through their past generations.
It is a conception far removed from the vision that has the psychology and the psychological therapy about the problems of the individual and the way of Solve them.
Despite this transmission between generations, the family constellations do not refer to any genetic transmission, nor from the Learning history of each subject. It would be a cultural transmission, so to speak.
It is a technique that aims to influence the unconscious part of the human being, since it is here that the most deeply rooted beliefs in the Person and causing discomfort and suffering.
Numerous situations cause the human being pain and suffering, and despite knowing its origin, can not modify it to find peace.
The family constellations act on personal problems, psychological disorders , Medical illness or relationships with other people.
It has also been used to resolve conflicts in the school environment between parents and school or between students within the classroom, as well as in Business.
Through the family constellations we obtain information about the interactions of the system in which the individual develops.
History of the family constellations
The family constellations appear about the middle of the decade of the eighty, from the German version Familienaufstellung , what could Be translated by"placement of the family".
The history of family constellations goes back to Bert Hellinger (1925), the creator of the technical file.
Hellinger was born in Germany and was a philosopher, theologian and pedagogue. He was a missionary of the Catholic religion in South Africa and psychoanalysis In Vienna.
He developed his own model from the ideas he received from psychoanalysis, from the Group Dynamics , Phenomenology, hypnotherapy and sensitization Gestaltic
Perhaps because of the therapeutic formation of its creator, some assumptions of the constellations seem to be based on some psychoanalytic assumptions, although here With a collective character and not individual.
In family constellations, as in psychoanalysis (and saving a lot of distances), it is intended to heal the person by extracting from the unconscious Certain contents to work on the session.
One of the criticisms received by the family constellations is their lack of a theoretical model or verifiable and testable hypotheses.
Evidence of family constellations
There is little empirical evidence and theoretical framework around the family constellations.
At the empirical level, it has not been possible to prove whether it is an effective technique for psychotherapy and for the psychological treatment of patients. At the theoretical level, Even if their presuppositions are based on a grounded theory.
It has received much criticism about its consideration as part of psychotherapy (as a psychological technique), as well as about what are the Mechanisms by which it could be considered effective or the school to which the technique would belong.
The family constellations have the approval of some people who are satisfied with this technique.
However, and despite this, the demonstrated therapeutic efficacy of the technique is not such. There are no contrasted studies or empirical results that Their effectiveness.
References of individual patients may be found, but not studies that meet the requirements of scientific evidence.
At the theoretical level, its foundation also presents problems. One is the possibility of refuting their assumptions and many of their approaches lack validity.
Some authors aim to frame the family constellations within the type of systemic cut therapies. Nor has this been exempt from controversy.
Although they may consider that there are common elements, such as:
- The importance of family.
- The role of the family in solving problems.
- Conception of the family as its own system.
However, there are other significant differences between family constellations and systemic therapies, for example, such as Importance that the former give to the past.
Nor in the constellations is there a psychotherapy relationship between the constellator and the constellator, something that does exist in systemic therapy.
Thus, systemic therapy rejects that it can be considered as a type of therapy of his.
Main elements of family constellations
There are some significant elements within the family constellations that it is important to become familiar with in order to know this technique.
A) The unconscious or unconscious consciousness
All individuals have a part of the personality Which is visible to our environment, with which we relate to others and to the world.
However, all this is also involved by other elements such as instincts or deep beliefs that are not accessible to consciousness. TO All this is what we call the unconscious.
This technique proposes to come to understand that unconscious, that deeper part of the human being that has its roots in the survival of the same.
From the family constellations we start from the idea that most of our mind is inaccessible to us, that is, it is unconscious. Y Moreover, the most striking of this is that for them in this unconscious would find a kind of"historical memory."
This is the cultural part to which family constellations refer. There is a historical memory in the unconscious of each not only own, If not collective, of the ancestors.
It would be shaped by the experiences of our ancestors, dating back thousands of years. Some of the daily examples that from this practice Are considered to be the reflexes presented by newborns.
Our ancestors had a series of experiences, experiences and learning that have been nested in the unconscious.
Through this technique, human beings can understand what it is and how it works, and become aware that there are a lot of experiences or Knowledge in the unconscious of each one and that remain there to the margin of the conscience of oneself.
All of them influence daily the conduct of each and remain forever, to reproduce and spread to the rest of generations.
Regarding the unconscious consciousness, the author, Hellinger, argues that the origin could go back to the origin of the human race, when people Lived in medium groups and acted in a similar way to ensure their survival.
In this way, they took care of each other to be able to guarantee well-being to the group and all of them considered important. Not being able to do without any Of them for the survival of the group, there was some"force"that propelled them in that direction.
B) The system of functioning of the unconscious
So far we have seen what the unconscious is and how it reproduces. However, you may wonder what the function is.
Situations recorded in the family unconscious are transmitted from one generation to another. All members of the same family remain Connected in some way through unconscious experiences.
They will keep not only experiences and experiences, but also information, unresolved situations, etc.
In this way, if any situation an individual has not been able to solve it satisfactorily, through this historical unconscious would ensure that in the Next generation, an individual of that family keep him in his unconscious to return to the situation and heal it.
If this did not happen, it would happen to the next generations. It would be the task of one of them to"heal"it so that it does not reproduce and can be released as well The family unconscious through the generations.
Family constellations allow us to approach the family unconscious to heal and release that part that is the source of inappropriate behavior.
C) Involvement / plot
We have already started from the idea that the constellations argue that there are certain actions or situations that affect an individual who have their Departure in events suffered by previous generations.
Individuals are unconsciously assuming those past obligations, those"entanglements"or"implications"called here.
You can also suffer an"implication"when the person has unconsciously identified with an ancestor who suffered some tragic problem (Illness, premature death...).
Some examples of these"implications"may be suicidal ideas, murders, macho and aggressive attitudes, a feeling of unhappiness for being a Unwanted son
Implications or entanglements is what is revealed through the family constellations, which leads the person to finally get rid of Of them and that they cease to be part of the family unconscious.
D) Right to belong to the family
One of the fundamental norms of family constellations is that all members are part of the family and have the right to feel Recognized.
And all family members have the right and obligation to support and recognize all members of their family.
(E) Older people have priority over young women
Recognizing that the priority over young people has those members of the family who arrived earlier is also a budget for this theory.
In the family unconscious, there is only information about our family?
Although generally, as we have already said, in the family unconscious passes information between generations, it is necessary to clarify this point.
In some cases, the person who is constellating may also be linked to other persons who, although they do not have a consanguineous relationship with She, can also be part of the family unconscious.
One example that is usually named is murder. If our ancestor committed a murder, his unconscious and that of the victim were"merged"and translated Symbolic form (since it is important to clarify that the language of the unconscious is different) in a painful emotion.
It is important to bring it to light to heal and work it and to stop being part of the family unconscious.
Through this technique is sought to find the origin of the situation, recognize it, talk about it to achieve the solution.
In the representation of the constellation, the participants take the role of the constellation's family members. However, in Certain moments and under the supervision of the constellator, may represent roles of members outside the family of the person who is constellating If necessary to resolve the case of the moment.
It is important to take into account, in relation to the family, that all members are part of it, even if they are not spoken, are missing, deceased, Were prematurely dead or have gone abroad and missed the runway.
When one of them is forgotten or excluded from the family, the family system does not allow it, since it seeks unity and well-being of the group. Is An invisible force of conservation of the system.
Thus, if you exclude yourself in one generation, the next will include you within your family to be able to solve it, so that these members relegated Who have a stronger impact on the family.
Procedure of the family constellations
Family constellations are done in groups. However, it is important to emphasize that this is not a group therapy, since it is not the dynamics Of the group therapy that is followed for this type of sessions.
In the constellation session a fundamentally personal and experiential work is carried out. But also group attending the constellations of the rest Of participants.
Participants are people who have no link between them, the constellations usually having a single session length that can Several days depending on the number of participants.
The person who regulates or directs the group is usually called a"constellator"or"therapist"and varies the number of participants, ranging from three or Six people to a score.
Participants are positioned in a circle and one after another, in turn, are demanding and immediately configuring their family. Each one of them Has a time to constellate.
When one of the participants begins its constellation, the rest of people who are within the therapy, actively participate in the same Representing different experiences of the unconscious of the person who constellates.
In some cases, it is the person who constellates who chooses by intuition among the rest of the participants those who will help him to represent His family in the constellation.
Connecting the collective unconscious
The family constellations start from the"collective connection"of the Collective unconscious.
Although the people who represent the family members of the constellation have no connection with it, it is interesting To emphasize that at the beginning of the constellation these people begin to feel like them.
Through this technique can be made an analysis of the problem, its origin or etiology, how it affects a person everyday, and so on.
It is important to highlight their group dynamics given that the participants intervene in the therapy of the individual who"constellates".
These participants offer and receive the emotional manifestation of the unconscious of the person who is constellating.
They do not know anything, there is the importance of being unrelated people.
What happens, therefore, is that it is evident in the session the"collective unconscious"that flows and seems to arise in the consciousness which are the mechanisms Which give rise to those painful situations.
The role of the constellator
From the help of the constellator, there are signs of the origin of the emotional block that the subject is having and therefore, it is known the place that You have to attack to heal it.
The role of the person constellating is passive, since at that moment it is external to what happens and is represented by the rest of the participants with the Intervention of the constellator.
In the representation appear different members of the family of the person, including his extended family. Moreover, it is obviously not necessary for Individuals of the family are alive so that they can appear represented in the constellation.
The person constellating can be traced back to as many generations as he wishes, as long as he is able to remember it.
Everything can be represented, including people who were rejected in the family for any question ( Drug addiction , Diseases, orientation Sexual), as well as infant deaths or even abortions.
The Role of Participants
It is also important the way in which the participants are placed. To do this, when standing, the person places them in a certain position. This way, one can observe the configuration that gives the family (positions, projections, distances, etc.).
The participants are those who begin to act indicating how they feel, what feelings they have, if they perceive tensions. Focus on the situation Present, what they perceive at that very moment.
Verbal elements may also appear throughout the therapy. They are directed to leave clear relationships of the person. When these sentences are said, the Participants, who are representing family members, have to evaluate the impact of words on how they feel.
What is the purpose of constellation?
Family constellations seek to heal the person, eliminate pain and suffering to find peace and happiness .
It starts from the idea that the pain and the blockade that the person experiences in his life does not have to be exclusively his responsibility, his Experiences or decisions.
Thus, there is the unconscious, a deeper part where a series of intense beliefs are inherited that we have inherited from our ancestors, as Can be our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great grandparents...
The aim of the family constellations is to relive the unconscious painful experiences that their ancestors could not solve and are Transmitted through the generations through the familiar unconscious.
It would be an individual constellar task to heal and change those facts or situations in your family history that cause pain in order not to Transmit it to their descendants.
Hellinger, the author, recognizes different types of feelings that can affect the intervention:
to) Primary feelings : Those that happen at that moment and that generate strength and lead the person to act. They are short in time and Reach the target set early.
B) Secondary feelings : They prevent action and lead to inaction, since they absorb the energy of the person.
C) Feelings adopted systemically : The person is outside of himself, as in an"alienation".
(D) Goal feeling : Are those that present without the emotion.
What topics can you constellate about?
Virtually any subject that causes pain and suffering in the subject may be susceptible to constellation.
It can be constellated on problems and conflicts with our family, with our partner, with past relationships.
It can constellate to face difficult moments in life, to face complicated social relations, diseases, traumatic experiences, Orientation, sadness...
Thus, the consequences can lead to solve any type of conflict, learn to face separations or death, clarify feelings That we have, to get a personal balance or to be happy.
What is the role of the constellator?
The constellator attends to the dynamics generated in the session. In this way, he observes all the participants. These are important because in them The emotions, the people, the situations that are present in the unconscious of the constellation will be projected.
The constellator is the one who evaluates what happens throughout the session. It has to have a formation in family constellations and is therefore the one Will determine the place of the emotional block in the unconscious of the person who is subjected to constellation therapy. It will also Transmit it to the person who constellates it.
It is also his task to position the various elements in the unconscious of the one who is constellating. It's the"healing"part. You must resolve the Conflicts, restoring emotional bonds...
It is important to emphasize that to heal and integrate the experience, one must work with responsibility.
The constellation gets at the end of the therapy that there is a reconciliation in the history of the family and for it follows a series of norms:
- Senior members have priority over young people.
- You have to balance losses and profits.
- All family members must be integrated.
- The most important variable is the link between the family and their sense of belonging to the group.
- The wisdom of the family is determined by the order of the latter.
How is healing achieved?
As already mentioned, healing comes when the unconscious part of the individual manages to work from the family constellations.
Since in this unconscious everything is found, the person begins to realize after the healing in the way of feeling but above all, in the Situations around you.
After constellation, when you have to integrate healing, the person begins to see the world in a different way and then begins to feel good With Herself.
It is important to keep in mind that the basis of family constellation therapy is based only on a single session work. Each person Constellation with the rest of participants during the hour that corresponds to him and it is at this moment when he is freed of the repetitive patterns that he Accompanied
Later, having healed him through a deep work in the session, the discomfort and suffering that accompanied him disappear. Does not require Later effort, the person has been"released".
Therefore, since its therapeutic efficacy has not been proven, it must be considered an alternative therapy, which has followers but can not be intertwined with interventions based on empirical data.
References
- Alonso, Y. (2005). The family constellations of Bert Hellinger: a psychotherapeutic procedure in search of identity. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 5 (1), 85-96.
- Booth Cohen, A. (2006). "Family Constellations": An Innovative Systemic Phenomenology Group Process From Germany. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 14 (3), 226-233.
- Bourquin, P. The family constellations: in resonance with life.
- Gómez, F., Pérez, A. M. (2005). Research on the application of Bert Hellinger's method of family constellations to clinical supervision. Journal of Research in Psychology, 8 (1), 29-50.
- Hellinger, B. (2008). The collective unconscious and the family constellations. Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, 14, 83-88.
- Hellinger, B. (2003). The orders of the help.
- Hellinger, B. (2008). The familiar constellations of the spirit. ECOS-Bulletin, 16.
- Medina Pacheco, B. What are family constellations? Faculty of Psychology, UMSNH.
- Website: The family constellations: http://mardeluz.es.
- Ulsamer, B. Working with trauma and the family constellation: An impossible, coincident, complementary, enriching relationship?