The Art and Practice of Family Constellations

Book excerpt: This book has been written for those who are interested in deepening their understanding of the practice of family constellations. Many might ask whether this practice hasn't already been detailed in Hellinger's own books and videos. This book is a response to many practical questions of therapists and coaches. When I speak about the 'art' and 'craft' of the work, I am using these terms in the old sense. To become a painter, you have to master colours, techniques, perspective, etc. That is the master craft which the art requires. The more finely trained the craftsmanship, the more masterly will be the result of a new expression or theme. Art and depth of expression are not things which can be learned, but craftsmanship is. In addition to the few artists who truly break new ground, we have to also recognise the great number of learned practitioners of the arts. They have mastered their craft to such an extent that there is depth and expression in their work, even though they may not have developed a new, revolutionary style. In my training programme for constellation facilitators, a core of material has emerged which I pass on to those in training as a basic foundation for practising this craft. From the feedback in these groups, I am confident that this is a solid basis for the work with constellations.