WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
The Origins
The Constellation process was originally developed by German psychotherapist and philosopher Bert Hellinger — an evolution of work he did with Virginia Satir, integrated with insights from his years in the priesthood and extensive training in psychology, phenomenology, transactional analysis, and the observation of life and people in general.
With growing evidence of its transformational power, the constellation art has steadily gained in popularity since the mid-1980s.
Since then, it has been refined and developed by a wide range of practitioners and is now used in therapeutic, coaching, and organisational contexts around the world.
Perception -
Explaining the Unexplainable
“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton,
you may as well make it dance."
George Bernard Shaw
Trying to explain the Constellation process is a lot like trying to describe an orange to someone who has never seen or tasted one.
After a long explanation, they might have an idea — but when they finally taste it, everything changes.
It becomes a full-bodied experience that words alone could never convey.
The same is true for constellations. You can read about them, but to truly understand them, you must experience one.
So if you still feel curious but confused — you’re in good company. Many have stood where you are and still stepped forward, drawn by something deeper.
Just as our physical genetic code is passed down from generation to generation, patterns of behaviour, trauma, and difficulty can also be transmitted — an energetic inheritance of sorts. These unseen influences ripple through the system, affecting later generations in ways we might never connect until we widen the lens.
This same principle applies to organisations. A business is a living system — born from an idea, shaped by its “parents,” its history, and its unique dynamics.
Problems within its energetic code, combined with those of the people who work within it, often surface as tension, stagnation, or recurring issues.
These energetic patterns act like invisible fields — subtle but powerful, much like the unseen gravitational pull between the moon and the tides.
We cannot see the force itself, but we can see its impact.
Principles -
The Ideas Behind the Work
“Interventions are only effective when they touch the client’s love,
activate it, and affirm it — and the client’s reaction is the criterion
we use to determine the fit of the interpretation.”
— Bert Hellinger
Process -
How It Works
“Nothing is impossible — the word itself says I’m possible.”
Audrey Hepburn
Systemic Constellation work explores these unseen relationships — making the invisible, visible.
It invites the client to create a spatial representation of their issue, revealing the underlying dynamics that have become entangled.
In 1:1 sessions, we use objects, floor markers, or paper to represent the elements involved.
In group workshops, participants may represent people or aspects of the system — it is not necessary for the actual people to be present.
Through observation, presence, and gentle facilitation, the system begins to show its movements.
The facilitator — guided by knowledge of systemic principles — helps bring awareness, language, or movement that allows energy to flow again.
This is not about force or fixing.
It’s about creating space for what has been unseen to find its rightful place.