Brazil Seeks to Ban ‘Family Constellations’ from Judicial Proceedings Amid Pseudoscience Concerns

Original article: «Pseudociencia»: En Brasil quieren prohibir las «constelaciones familiares» en los procesos judiciales

Brazil’s Social Security, Welfare, Childhood, Adolescence, and Family Commission of the Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill aimed at prohibiting the use of ‘family constellations’ in judicial proceedings.

According to a report from RT, the use of these ‘therapies’ as a conflict resolution method in family courts is widespread in Brazil, despite institutions like the Federal Council of Psychology labeling it as pseudoscience that can lead to re-victimization, especially in cases of gender-based violence.

The legislative proposal was introduced by Deputy Duda Ramos of the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement, receiving support from Deputy Silvia Cristina, a member of the Progressives bloc, who presented it to her colleagues in the Commission.

In her presentation, the legislator emphasized that the approval of this ban is both necessary and urgent to prevent potentially severe legal, ethical, and psychosocial consequences. At this point, Brazilian Deputy Cristina referred to the opinions of the Federal Council of Psychology and other professional entities that echo concerns about the lack of scientific foundations to support the credibility and effectiveness of ‘family constellations.’

«Given this alarming situation, I reiterate that any attempt at reconciliation between the victim and their aggressor poses an extreme risk and must be avoided at all costs. The practice of family constellation therapy contradicts this notion,» stated Silvia Cristina, highlighting the plight of women facing violence in Brazil.

What are family constellations?

This therapy was created by German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger to ‘resolve’ conflicts among family members, especially couples and parents with children, through group or individual sessions that recreate scenes intended to evoke feelings about the family.

According to the website of the foundation that continued Hellinger’s work after his death in 2019, these representations are expected to bring to light ‘beliefs we have adopted from our parents that keep us captive.’

It is also claimed that these concepts were embedded in the subconscious and currently hinder our progress, preventing behavior changes. The promise is that once the ‘hidden beliefs’ blocking these changes are clear, they can be questioned, released, and rewritten if the individual chooses to do so.

The practice is governed by three ‘basic orders of life’: that of ‘equal right,’ which establishes that all family members have the same right to belong, so denying or depriving a family member of this belonging leads to disorders with far-reaching consequences; that of ‘hierarchy,’ which ‘demands that everyone in a family occupies their given place and rightful position’; and that of ‘balance,’ which defines family ties in terms of equivalent exchanges (giving as much as one receives).

This hierarchical order has faced significant scrutiny, as it legitimizes the patriarchal system by assuming the subordination of women and children to men as natural.

Moreover, it privileges biological ties over emotional ones and undervalues non-traditional family models, which is functional for the re-victimization of women who have suffered gender violence, children subjected to domestic abuse, and individuals from vulnerable groups.

Via RT