Family / Theme Constellation

What is a Familien-/Themenaufstellung?

The Familien-/Themenaufstellung is a method from family therapy or systemic therapy in which individual people are placed in the room as representatives for family members or topics and related to one another. The aim is to visualize the web of relationships within the system.

What happens in a constellation?

In the constellation the representatives are first arranged according to the client's inner representation. That means a client positions the individual members of their family or their topic as they currently experience the relationships between the people involved and to themselves. They also name a representative for themselves or stand for themselves in the constellation. Their inner, felt reality is thus made externally visible.

The people who take on the positions as representatives usually receive no detailed information beforehand about whom or what they represent. They settle into their position and describe from that perspective what they perceive at the moment. This can already lead to astonishing situations, for example when the person placed as the “aunt” makes statements that actually correspond to the real aunt.

A constellation provides a new picture of the relevant topic and of our feelings toward the other members.

The representatives step into the position of another person or feeling or complaint or object, etc., but they are not performing a role-play. From the perspective assigned to them they can freely perceive what is actually happening inside them at the moment and express it. These can be, for example, statements about who among the other people is currently in the way, felt to be too close, or experienced as not belonging. Often participants in their assigned position sense things they could not possibly know in reality, for example that someone is missing or that the relationship between father and daughter is disturbed in some way.

When is a Familien-/Themenaufstellung useful?

A constellation is not a cure-all and is not indicated for every issue. Moreover, a constellation is not equivalent to therapy. It can make sense, however, if problems are likely related to family, job, future planning, projects, and much more. Anyone who wishes to do a constellation should therefore have a concrete question. Example issues or reasons for a constellation include:

Unexplained, recurring strains, crises, separation, or failure of life plans and projects.

Suspected blockages due to beliefs held in the family system (Never go into debt! A separation is a sin! etc.).

Strong feelings of guilt, obligations, or pangs of conscience that are not explainable.

A suspected or actually experienced trauma.

Rifts, conflicts, avoidance of contact with family members (or other close people).

The suspicion that certain illnesses might be related to the family.

Unfulfilled desire to have children

Unexplained feeling of having lost a person, with the suspicion of having had a lost twin.

Self-worth problems, fear of failure, fear of loss, difficulty letting go (of a deceased person).

Energetic and spiritual problems and strains

And much more.

Constellation - what does it really bring?

A constellation can bring clarity to the relationship patterns of a system, new insights into mechanisms and ingrained patterns that we have unconsciously and unreflectively taken on in our family/company/life. Often this is the first step toward new, constructive relationships in the family and in one’s own life or toward addressing issues. However, someone who enters a constellation without a concrete question cannot expect concrete answers. Therefore a clear formulation of the concern in advance is important. It is also often a question of when a family constellation shows effects. Depending on the topic set up, solution strategies can emerge very quickly, already immediately after the constellation or within the next few days; some developments only become apparent over several weeks. It can indeed take time for a constellation to have an effect.

Aftereffects can also include changes in areas of life that were not prominent and which at first are not associated with the constellation. For example, the resolution of a professional problem after the unclear relationship between mother and son has been worked on. If conclusions remain unclear, there should be the option to follow up on the experience with the constellation leader or coach.

Facilitator: Klaus X. Ruhland

Energy contribution: € 111,- / Stellvertreter freiwilliger Ausgleich

Registration: please by Monday, 19.10.2026 at k.ruhland@sei-die-einheit.de or Tel: 09421-33913 / 0177-6393396

Copyright: Pixabay / Anemone123

Published at Dahoam in Niederbayern