Understanding Family Constellation
A family constellation makes the hidden orders of a family system visible: entanglements, burdens taken on, loyalties no one has spoken aloud. On this page you will find my essays on constellation work: what happens, what it rests on, what the critique gets right and what it misses. Start with the question that brought you here.
Where are you starting from?
Start with the question closest to yours: each one leads to the essay that answers it.
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You are wondering whether a constellation is right for you, and you want an honest answer rather than a promise. Is a family constellation right for you? →
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You have booked a session, or are thinking about it, and want to know what to expect in concrete terms. The family constellation process →
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You have already done a constellation and are asking what the weeks afterwards mean. What happens after a constellation →
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You want to understand what this work rests on philosophically, and what to make of the criticism. The philosophy of constellation work →
What happens in a family constellation, and what does it rest on?
A constellation makes hidden orders visible instead of training new behaviour. The essays follow the path: from the decision through the process to integration, and on to the foundations.
- Is a Family Constellation Right for You? How to tell whether a constellation is right for you, and when it is not. Honest orientation instead of promises.
- Family Constellation Process From the preliminary conversation to the resolution image: what to expect, step by step.
- What Happens in a Family Constellation — and Why Words Cannot Capture It What is experienced before, during and after a constellation, beyond method and technique.
- Family Constellation Experiences — What Really Happens in a Constellation The three phases of a constellation from the facilitator’s perspective, and why what unfolds is so hard to put into words.
- Family Constellation in Individual Sessions How one-to-one work differs from a group, and how floor markers stand in for the members of the family.
- Family Constellation — What Happens Afterwards Six to twelve weeks of integration: when not to act, what dreams can mean, when an integration conversation makes sense.
- Philosophy of Constellation Work The foundations, from Confucius to Buber to natural philosophy. Why order is not a technique.
- Family Constellation and the Critique of Hellinger — What Is Justified What the critique gets right, and why a philosophically grounded approach takes it seriously without giving up the phenomenon.
- What Systemic Order Work Is What happens in the field of a constellation: order work is not therapy but the restoration of what was always there.
- Entanglement and Resolution The concept behind it all: the unconscious bond to another person’s fate, and resolution through recognition rather than understanding.
Frequently asked questions
When does a family constellation make sense?
What happens in a family constellation?
How long does a family constellation take?
What happens after a family constellation?
If you sense that your question needs a constellation, you will find my family constellation work in Berlin here, with the process, appointments and a free introductory call.