With his” Familienaufstellung " Bert Hellinger created a whole new field within psychotherapy in the late 20th century. the current 21. century, which he and his wife Sophie Hellinger developed into the Original Hellinger Familienstellen. This was not a psychotherapeutic method, but a help to life, which can open the way for everyone to fulfillment and happiness. Despite this, there are people, especially from countries outside the German-speaking world, who claim that family constellations were not developed by Bert Hellinger. What is the background of this false claim?
This claim is based on an incorrect translation of the term” Familienaufstellung “by the internationally used term”family constellation". Sigmund Freud himself, and especially Carl Gustav Jung and Alfred Adler emphasized the importance of the family to the individual: the thinking, action, and feeling of each member of the family influences the opinion of others. For this the term “Family Constellation”was established. Since the 1920s, this term has been used in German nonspecifically to describe the psychological and behavioral effects of family members among themselves.
In 1965. Austrian psychologist Walter Toman finally published his book “Familienkonstellationen. Its impact on man.” Thus, this notion was firmly established long before the work of Bert Hellinger – also internationally. Therefore, it cannot be used as a translation for Bert's family constellation and therefore has nothing to do with Bert Hellinger's later Familienstellen. Because at that time the Familienstellen, as we know it, did not exist at all.
Of course, Familienstellen did not suddenly fall from the sky, but was built – like everything new – on what came before. As psychotherapists became bored and seemed to be not successful enough while their clients lay on the couch, they began to try a variety of new approaches. Therefore, decades before Bert Hellinger's innovation, the notion of Representative existed in some other “schools”. This is true, for example, for the psychodrama founded by Jakob Moreno or the family sculpture of Virginia Satir. In Family Sculpture, the therapist determines a particular position or vision in which or with which the client should experience a new experience. In psychodrama the therapist and the client give certain guidelines to the representatives-similar to the description of roles in theatre. They then play the show until a possible solution is found. This could take hours. Of course, it was not about the now famous Familienstellen after Hellinger, but about family therapy.
In contrast, Bert Hellinger did not specify anything, nor does he invite the representatives to do anything, but in the Original Hellinger Familienstellen, the constellation leader completely refrains. He remains a very careful observer. His approach is absolutely phenomenological. He feels in a special way reserved connected with what is happening in front of him.
The decisive difference between the original Hellinger Familienstellen and all other methods using the term “family constellation” is as follows: although a change in the feelings of the representatives could be observed, it was not known what invisible laws determined this dynamic. The solution to the psychological problems was therefore impossible. One only saw the effect, but did not know the cause.
Bert Hellinger's approach, on the other hand, was something completely new and unique, since his insights allowed him to discover the basic life principles that lie in the background of this dynamic. They obey and are subject to very specific orders, summarized by Bert Hellinger as “love orders”. They are not interchangeable nor can they be arbitrarily interpreted. No one can escape these rules. They are also not driven by our thoughts, desires and will. This shows, it seems, that these orders were given to us like iron laws. For this reason alone it is useful and meaningful for every human being to know the commands of love so as not to break them.
Recognizing the” orders of love " and the effect of collective conscience, Bert Hellinger was able to use his constellations to expose and resolve the burdensome dynamics and dynamics that cause disease in families. This is his revolutionary achievement, far surpassing anything that has been seen, seen and thought of so far. These laws were not known until now. Bert Hellinger understood the connection between individual laws and created the Familienstellen according to Hellinger. Serve people, help and guide them further.
Constellations create an energy field in all present, whether bystanders or representatives, which is felt mentally, emotionally and physically. On all these levels.
- Fully translated from English and German to Croatian from the website: https://www.hellinger.com/en/familienstellen/what-is-family-constellation/the-term-familienstellen/. We waive all rights that belong to him.
In the development of Familienstellen Berta and Sophie Hellinger a total of five stages can be distinguished. At each stage, fundamental and entirely new insights into human behavior are discovered. These stages are detailed below by clicking on the link.
- What does a group of systemic constellations look like?
If someone stood by and watched the constellation work, what would they see? You would see a group of people sitting in a circle, you would see that the unuar of that circle were somehow separated by 2 people, and you could assume that they were the client and the constellator, the one who leads the work.
- Who is the representative at work?
The representative (the person attending the workshop) who is being put to work should know only little or nothing about the problem of the person who is asking the topic that is their problem or that they want to clarify. It turns out that as soon as the representative is placed, when he is centered within himself, he comes into contact with the field or other world from which he gets precise information. The representative doesn't need to know anything. There is no need to worry or worry about what awaits him. He only has to allow himself to be captured in a mindful way by the movement that guides him further in his work. You should also not think or interpret, but give in to movement.
- What would happen at the workshop?
A few people would stand, some might sit or lie down some would move. It would look like a play in which there is no script, and no instructions to work. It is not known who represents whom. But the situation absolutely and without any doubt reflects the very precise and honest life situation of the client, his problem. What else do we see? We see someone closer to someone, someone further away, someone hugging someone, and someone has their back turned to someone. In addition to positions, we also see emotions that reflect these relationships - someone is angry or sad at someone. Thus we can say that constellations are postural and relational representations of the invisible dynamics of some problem or challenge that is put before the life of one person. In this way, we truly discover what is actually happening, what is the real source of the problem and how to accept and live it permanently. In this way, systemic constellations are best known - for their positive effects on people's lives, and for their results.
- What were the constellations in the beginning, and what are they today?
In the development of Familienstellen Berta and Sophie Hellinger a total of five stages can be distinguished. At each stage, fundamental and entirely new insights into human behavior are discovered. These stages are detailed below by clicking on the link.