What Is Family Constellation Work?
Family Constellation work is a powerful therapeutic method that explores how unresolved traumas, patterns, and unspoken dynamics in our family systems can continue to shape our lives today. It helps us see that the struggles we face often don’t begin with us. They are part of an unseen inheritance carried through generations.
Research now supports what many indigenous traditions have always known: trauma can be passed down through families. Studies show that experiences such as famine, war, and loss can leave a biological imprint on our genes, influencing future generations (Discover Magazine, BBC News). Family Constellations give us a way to acknowledge and release these hidden burdens so we can step more fully into our own lives.
How Family Constellations Work
A constellation session creates a “living map” of your family system. In group workshops, participants are invited to represent family members (or even concepts like illness, fear, or money) within a circle. Guided by the facilitator, these representatives often experience emotions or physical sensations that mirror the real dynamics in your family, even if they know nothing about it.
As the constellation unfolds, hidden patterns such as entanglements, loyalties, or exclusions become visible. Through gentle movements, healing sentences, and acknowledgement of what has been excluded or unspoken, balance and order can be restored to the system. This process allows you to release what does not belong to you and reclaim your own life force.
Constellations can also be done one-to-one, using objects, floor markers, or guided visualisation.
Topics That Can Be Explored
Family Constellation work can be used for a wide range of issues, including:
Relationship difficulties (romantic, family, or friendships)
Patterns of anxiety, depression, or addiction
Repeating family dynamics (divorce, estrangement, illness)
Challenges around money, success, or career
Grief, loss, or unresolved trauma
Physical symptoms with no clear medical cause
Feelings of being “stuck” or carrying a burden that isn’t yours
Often, clients describe a sense of deep relief, clarity, and connection after a constellation — as if something long hidden has been brought into the light.
How Constellations Are Run
In workshops, a facilitator guides the process with great care. Participants sit in a circle, and when someone brings an issue, representatives are chosen from the group to embody different elements of the system. The facilitator observes how these representatives relate and helps move the system toward balance and truth.
This is not roleplay or theatre. People often find themselves deeply embodying emotions or sensations connected to the person they represent. It’s both mysterious and profoundly healing.
For one-to-one sessions, the process is adapted with markers, objects, or guided imagery, but the principles remain the same: bringing hidden dynamics into awareness and restoring flow.
My Approach
I use Systemic Constellations within my coaching and bodywork when it supports a client’s journey, especially to help them untangle patterns of stress, relational blocks, or ancestral weight. For more complex systemic issues, I refer people to an excellent facilitator, Illi, at the London School of Systemic Family Constellations.
