I have been a part of someone else’s Hellinger family constellation some years ago, so was familiar with the work, as well as watching variations upon this theme.

Ever had a taste of Hellinger family constellation work? Share your experience at the bottom of this page.

Hellinger family constellation is to do with gathering your family (usually family of origin, but can be the ‘family’ of people with whom you live or work, or perhaps even an organisation such as a corporation, a club, or community), either physically or represented energetically, arranging them how they appear in your psyche, and opening a dialogue between the various elements.

We spoke for a while about which particular ‘family’ I wished to work on, some current issue that was impacting on my life. I found one, and we then spoke of what kind of resolution I hoped to gain – an interesting proposition in itself, a big part of the healing right there.

She then had me draw, with my left hand, some kind of representation of each of the figures in this ‘drama’, and arrange the drawings on the floor in the way I perceived they were in relation to each other: ie, some were close, some facing each other, others with their backs to the others etc.

She then had me stand in turn upon each of these drawings/representations, and tune into how that person felt, what was happening for them.

As the various conversations broadened, so did the various character’s responses deepen, until there were, in terms of my life and its convolutions, some profoundly fresh perspectives on issues that I had dealt with many times before over the years, from which I could view the various characters in the drama of my life.

I began to feel far more compassion towards the various characters, particularly in light of what was ‘new information’ and was genuinely surprised when at the end of the session I felt complete and at ease with some characters.

I find it amazing with this kind of work that it has a ripple effect with many others in your life.

People around me changed alchemically, almost deliberately, even though they had no idea what I had been through or understood, but whatever issues I had flagged and communicated about as being theirs whilst standing in their position in my constellation, they were apparently sorted out in their lives.

Once I sorted their stuff out in my psyche, it was sorted out in theirs.

Over the next few days lots of things bubbled up in our home, things that had been creating a low grade stress, and these were somehow released, which was great.

My partner started using Hellinger family constellation work to sort out organisational issues within some groups she was involved with, and it worked like a charm.

Written by Mark O’Brien for the “Session of the Month’, Here & Now magazine 1999-2005

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