Family Constellations and Shamanism: Ancestral Wisdom Across Worlds

Therapeutic modalities and ancient spiritual practices may seem, at first glance, to come from very different worlds. Yet there are striking resonances between Family Constellations, developed by German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger, and shamanic traditions found in many cultures — including the indigenous Zulu worldview Hellinger encountered during his formative years.

At its heart, both Family Constellations and shamanic healing traditions are concerned with the unseen: the ancestral currents that flow beneath everyday life, shaping relationships, emotional patterns, and a sense of belonging.

Bert Hellinger: The Bridge Between Worlds

Bert Hellinger (1925–2019) originally trained as a Catholic priest and spent 16 years living and working among the Zulu people in South Africa — an experience that deeply shaped his later work. During this time, he gained a profound appreciation for the Zulu respect for ancestors and the interconnectedness of life.

Although Hellinger later trained in Western psychotherapeutic traditions such as family systems therapy and phenomenology, his encounter with Zulu spiritual life left an imprint on his thinking about how human systems carry the influence of past generations.

One frequently cited summary of his insight is this idea about the nature of family bonds:

“Our hearts remember those who gave us life, those who gave us love, and those whose fate is entangled with our own.” – Bert Hellinger 

This reflects not merely a psychological insight, but a relational ontology — a worldview in which relationships, ancestors, and the living are fundamentally intertwined.

Ancestors, Constellations, and the Shamanic Field

In many indigenous and shamanic traditions — Zulu included — ancestors are not distant memories but active presences in the lives of their descendants. They are guides, protectors, and often intermediaries between the living and the spiritual realm.

In Zulu culture, ancestors (often called Amadlozi) are understood as spirits of those who have passed on but continue to influence the vitality and direction of the living. One description from Zulu practitioners explains:

“The Zulu culture has a strong belief in Ancestors ‘Amadlozi’ ... They are regarded as our guides ... Constellating an unresolved issue is similar to doing a ceremony, talking to ancestor/s asking for forgiveness…”

Here we see an explicit parallel between constellating family dynamics and engaging in an indigenous ancestral ceremony — a type of experiential invocation of meaning and resolution rather than a purely cognitive or analytical process.

In shamanic healing across cultures, work with ancestors often involves ritual, symbols, and guided journeys — all aimed at restoring balance and harmony to a person’s life story. Similarly, Family Constellations uses representatives or symbolic positions in space to “make visible” hidden family dynamics and entanglements. Participants often report that this feels less like cognitive insight and more like engaging with a larger, relational field.

Why This Resonates With Shamanism

At the core of shamanic practice is the belief that unseen forces — spirits, ancestors, the collective psyche — influence our health and destiny. The shaman enters non-ordinary states to engage with these forces, seeking healing both for individuals and for their communities.

Family Constellations, while not shamanic in the ritual sense, shares a phenomenological orientation: it assumes that there is an underlying “field” of relational forces that can be accessed and transformed. Hellinger described this as tuning into the “orders of love,” invisible dynamics shaped by belonging, balance, and generational entanglements.

This echoes shamanic sensibilities where healing is less about logical analysis and more about participation in a deeper field of relational truth.

Caveats and Complexities

It’s important to note that Hellinger himself clarified that his time with the Zulu did not literally create Family Constellations as a method — he saw his method as drawing from many sources, including his own therapeutic training.  However, the resonances with indigenous understandings of ancestors and intergenerational bonds are undeniable.

And while many find constellations powerful and meaningful, the method remains controversial within mainstream psychology — critics point to its lack of empirical validation and its pseudoscientific elements.

Final Reflections

Whether viewed through a psychotherapeutic lens or a spiritual-shamanic lens, what connects Family Constellations and shamanism is a shared reverence for the ancestral roots of human life. Both traditions invite participants to consider that our struggles, loyalties, and emotional legacies are not confined to the present moment but are echoes of relationships that span generations.

In that sense, the “healing field” of a Family Constellation and the ancestor-honoring practices of Zulu spiritual life both remind us that the past is not past at all — it lives on, shaping who we are and offering pathways toward deeper reconciliation and belonging.