Family Constellations Therapy: How Does It Work?

Family Constellations Therapy: How Does It Work?

Last update: 30 April, 2016

Family constellations is a new therapeutic approach which seeks to understand the behaviors found within families. Through this therapy you can see and analyze the way you are shaped by the relationships you have with the people closest to you, your family.

It’s a fact that your personality, way of viewing life and the way you face your day to day depend on what you learned throughout your childhood. Many times we don’t understand why we have certain problems or can’t change some of our ideas on things. Family constellations help you understand where all of this comes from and it gives you the necessary tools to change.

Family constellations therapy has proven effective and is gaining in popularity. Here we’ll share the basics so you can better understand this therapy and help you figure out if it’s what you need.

family of 5 holding hands

Benefits of family constellations

Family constellations therapy is gathering a lot of support within emotional therapy. It’s not hard to understand if you take the following benefits into account:

  • It allows you to understand problems from their origins. Many therapies focus on the search for a solution. In family constellations you start from the foundation of your life and, potentially, your problems: your family. It allows you to understand how the negative patterns may be affecting you and gives you solutions to change in an effective manner.
  • It’s a therapy which requires a smaller time investment. The majority of psychological therapies require many months or years to treat the situations that may be bothering you. This amount of time can be drastically reduced with family constellations since understanding the root problem is easier.
  • You can solve emotional problems. Depression? Aggression? Constant toxic relationships? It doesn’t matter which problem you have, you can change it with family constellations. This is due to the fact that all emotional problems arise from systematic suffering. When you understand its origin, you may solve the problem by facing or confronting it.
  • It improves your family relationships. Family constellations help you see what’s wrong with your family and helps you improve it. Sometimes you can’t simply change the acquired patterns, but you can change the way you’re behaving. This therapy allows you to heal your wounds, forgive and deal with toxic people that you can’t get rid of.

What are the effects of family constellations therapy?

We already mentioned the benefits of family constellations therapy, and surely they seem interesting. But it goes even further than that, because the therapy not only affects your past but also your present.

  • It will improve your connection with your family. Maybe you think that when you discover how your family has negatively affected you, you’ll want to run out of there. Actually, it’s the opposite. When you discover the reasons behind your behaviors, you’ll have a broader view of it. The things that seem impossible to accept or forgive can now be seen from a different perspective. This improves the relationships you have with your loved ones.
  • A deep change takes place within everyone that participates in family constellations therapy. Can you imagine a therapy in which the whole family can heal at once? Although there are other alternatives, family constellations allow for the unearthing of secrets and emotions that just isn’t possible in other therapies. You’ll even be able to better understand the members that don’t take part of the therapy, and it’s equally useful for the youngest members of the family.
  • It allows you to create a solid foundation for future generations. You may think that because they’re little, it really doesn’t matter what happens. What you shouldn’t forget is that if you have started this type of therapy, it’s because your childhood was affected.
family of 4 looking at stars

Take advantage of the benefits of family constellations

I know that talking about your problems is already hard enough, and that doing it in front of your family so that each member can assume their responsibilities is even tougher. But doing so is the first step to evolving from acquaintances living under the same roof to a true family that supports each other.

Have you ever participated in family constellations therapy? What did you think of it? Would you ever do it?


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.