What is Family constellation ?

Family constellation is a therapeutic approach founded by the German psychotherapist and philosopher Bert Hellinger in the 1960s, incorporating the knowledge he learned from his time with the Zulu people, and his other studies. This methodology of work is based on the idea that unresolved trauma within a family system is passed down from generation to generation.

“The members of a tree who do not conform to the norms or traditions of the family system, those who since childhood have constantly sought to revolutionise beliefs, going against the paths marked by family traditions, those criticised, judged and even rejected, these are usually called to free the tree of repetitive stories that frustrate entire generations."

– Bert Hellinger

When a traumatic event occurs within a family system and is not clearly identified, named or processed, a pattern can take root. Unconsciously, out of loyalty and to honour those ancestors whom came before us, we, the next generations, may repeat variations of these patterns without knowing why.

Family constellations is a therapeutic method that enables us to explore these family entanglements, unspoken dynamics and blockages that we may face throughout our lives. By allowing us to expand our perspective to include the root cause of our problems in life, family constellations help us to acknowledge past generations and their traumas, and to re-include those family members who have been excluded, forgotten, rejected or left unspoken of.

Embarking on the journey of family constellations means opening our minds to a new and deeper form of awareness about our relationship with ourselves, our family and our loved ones. It helps us to better understand how, from a very young age, our parents – and the generations before them – have, unconsciously, influenced our perception of life and how we interact with others. And, it is only once we identify and name these family patterns that we can release ourselves from them and begin to heal.

From my experience, if there is one thing I have learnt, it is that it is by no means about ‘fixing’ our parents, grandparents or others in general or about erasing the past, but about accepting and honouring what is, in order to find a new way to live with it.

“In doing this kind of work you tread a certain path, you could call it a spiritual path if that word weren’t so inflated. The more of this work you do, the more it forces you into a way of behaving, into understanding, into humility, into a calm composure, and gentleness. In doing the work, your own maturity grows, and the more mature you become the more beautiful the work is.”

– Bert Hellinger

My Family constellation lineage

  • Bert Hellinger (Founder)

    After spending nearly 16 years of his life living and learning from the Zulu people, he understood that there are rules operating the family system.
    The two main ones are:

    • Everyone has an equal right to belong to their family system
    • There is a hierarchy in terms of time.

  • Barbara Morgan

    Originally trained as a Gestalt Psychotherapist, Barbara Morgan has been working with constellations since 1997, one year after the Founder, Bert Hellinger first came to England. Her experience of family constellations has been personally transformative and as best she can, Barbara 'walks her talk'.

  • Roisín Fallon

    Roisin embarked on her training journey to become a facilitator in the UK under the guidance of Barbara Morgan in 2013/2014, and continued her journey as her apprentice and her apprentice trainer until 2021.

    Since then, Roisin has engaged in various trainings with facilitators worldwide to broaden her perspective.