Discovering “Family Constellations”

What are “family constellations”? In her book “L'eco degli parenti” (Bompiani, 2025, pp. 288, also e-book) Valeria Curzio - creator of the podcast “Eco degli parenti” and the format “Ritagli” on YouTube - defines them first of all as systemic and spiritual constellations, according to the extraordinary method of the German psychologist Bert Hellinger who reveals the hidden dynamics, the repeating scripts and the silent conflicts in our lives.

In reality, the original German term (Familienaufstellung) means “ family representations” , but the phonetic similarity with the term “constellation” meant that it was translated in this way. Before family constellations, there were Jacopo Levy Moreno’s psychodrama, Gestalt and several other disciplines that used the body in a sort of representation. But what made Hellinger’s work so significant? As Curzio writes in his book, “family constellations, in Hellinger’s immense work, are not only a “technique” or an investigative tool (think of a microscope, for example), but have also become a vast theoretical and methodological system (we could compare them to microbiology, which uses the microscope). The technique of family constellations consists in representing situations and dynamics through people (but also objects) that are called representatives. In this sense, they are like living photographs that reveal the intricate plots of our existence”.

A fascinating description, a definition capable of intriguing and pushing us to read the over two hundred pages of a clear, ironic and engaging book, a book that transforms a complex theme into an adventure of awareness in which we feel at times spectators and at times protagonists, mirroring ourselves in the stories of many people. Among the stories of parents and children, complicated relationships and personal growth paths, Valeria Curzio acts as a guide with confidence, empathy and experience, driven by the awareness that sometimes it is enough to change perspective to rewrite one's own history. In fact, lending an ear to the echo of the ancestors means accepting a special invitation: exploring the past with curiosity, understanding the present with new eyes and creating a freer future in tune with one's soul without losing the smile along the way.

Because, to use the words of Valeria Curzio: "The human being is not a machine that breaks down. It is more similar to a wise living being like a tree. You can let yourself be accompanied for a while in reconnecting with your roots, and you can find the courage to push your branches higher, in search of more sun and more air. The deeper the tree sinks its roots into the earth, the more stable, safe and strong it is. Well-rooted trees protect mountains from landslides and avalanches."