Bert hellinger and family constellation therapy

Abstract

The aim of this study is to introduce the German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger and the family constellation therapy, to explain some important concepts in the model, the causes of the problem and the place of emotions. For this purpose, some electronic databases (Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, Electronic Books, Wiley Online Library) were scanned. Family constellation therapy, introduced to the world by Hellinger at the end of the 20th century, adopts the understanding that the family has been connected invisibly to each other for generations. This approach, which believes that family in which the individual was born shapes the person and all members in the family system is destinedly connected to each other. While creating his model, Hellinger also benefited from some important names and therapy approaches such as Arthur Janov, Eric Berne, Milton Erikson and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy. The family constellation is a therapy model developed by synthesizing various therapy approaches and combining Zulu culture and rituals. It is suggested in the model that a significant part of the psychological disorders, perhaps even the majority, were caused by problems in the root family. In the family constallation, which can be applied as individual and group session, problems arising due to disruption of order, systemic entanglement, interrupted reaching-out movement are discussed. During the psychotherapy session, the individual is taken back to his family, reunited with his/her family in the inner world. It is shown his current place in the family system. An opportunity is given to the individual to recognize the person whom he/she has identified in the family and to solve this identification. Thus, the energy in the family is freely flowed.