The Impact of a Standardised Family Constellation Exercise on Parentified Individuals- A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Family Constellations are widely recognised for their experiential impact but face challenges regarding empirical validation, standardisation and replication. The practice’s subjective nature often limits its integration into evidence-based clinical frameworks.
Aims: This study aimed to explore the effects of a Standardised Family Constellation Exercise within a virtual setting, focusing on adults who had experienced parentification. The goal was to assess whether a structured and replicable approach could elicit therapeutic effects and meaningful personal insights.
Method: Ten Greek-speaking adults aged 18–45, with no prior exposure to constellation work, participated in the process through the Delightex Edu platform. The intervention included structured resolution sentences and symbolic visualisations targeting the systemic burden of parentification. A qualitative design with Thematic Analysis was used to examine participant experiences.
Results: Six core themes emerged: (1) the Burden of Responsibility as a Psychosomatic Experience, (2) Revival of the Child Role, (3) the Power of Resolution Sentences, (4) Ambivalence – Guilt – Letting go, (5) Identity and Role Renegotiation, and (6) the Therapeutic Value of Visualisation.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that a Standardised Family Constellation Exercise can reliably evoke profound emotional reactions, facilitate the symbolic resolution of the parentification burden, and support shifts in participants’ self-concept and family role dynamics. Despite limitations such as sample size and the researcher’s dual role, there is therapeutic potential of structured constellation methods as accessible, trauma-informed interventions within clinical settings.