An Exploration of the Therapeutic Experiences of Representatives in Family Constellations

The purpose of this study is to explore the essence of the phenomena experienced by representatives in Family Constellations and to identify the therapeutic meanings inherent in that process. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with adults aged 20 to 60 who had experience as representatives in Family Constellation workshops. The collected data was analyzed according to Max van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological research method. The findings revealed five thematic clusters in the therapeutic transition process of representatives: ‘Standing in that place’, ‘Becoming that person, not myself’, ‘Re-experiencing through my own story’, ‘New awareness’ and ‘Healing experience’. The participants accessed the field through the suspension of judgment (epoché) and experienced immediate physical and emotional reactions. They maintained an objective observational stance, distinguishing these reactions from their own personal feelings. Specifically, through a psychological preparation process of ‘letting go’, they functioned as active mediators conveying information from the field. They demonstrated a dynamic of conforming to the flow of the field by regulating personal cognitive interventions with meta-cognitive abilities during their role-plays. These experiences went beyond mere role-playing; by physically responding to the suffering of others, the representatives paradoxically confronted their own unresolved issues. This process led to a restoration of fundamental respect for their parents and a sense of profound psychological stability. These results suggest that the representative experience is a unique therapeutic mechanism that expands an individual’s narrative into a systemic order within actual reciprocal relationships, leading to substantive psychological integration. Finally, based on the findings, this study proposes directions for future research on Family Constellations.