Bert Hellinger
In the years since the publication in English of Love's Hidden Symmetry, Bert Hellinger has traveled light years toward an even greater understanding of the intricacies of relationship and resolution. Love's Own Truths represents another important milestone in the search. For readers, the book is a compass left at the side of the road. We can leave it there -- afraid that we may have to change course -- or we can pick it up to see where it directs us. Hellinger describes Love's Own Truths as a fundamental statement of his approach. And for those who know him, clearly this was no small task. The approach -- practical, improbable, complex, and simple -- cannot be easily described. It must be "seen." First, the verbatim transcripts of three powerful workshops allow access to the various ways in which fragments of the life force puzzle can break apart or come together over generations. Time and again, feelings of distress can be traced to disconnects in the family system and the deeply subconscious attempts of other parts of the system -- whether one or many family members -- to put things back in balance. Readers will discover many opportunities to unlock new perspectives in their own healing process as they stand alongside the workshop participants.
Second, explanations of the therapeutic linchpins that hold this approach together, even when all hell is breaking loose, help readers grasp what is happening, especially in the family constellations, when the healing movements are subtle or seemingly obscure. Pivotal are the discussions of the resumption and completion of previously interrupted movements by a young child toward the mother or father.
Third, Bert Hellinger describes in detail the "inner posture" that both gives meaning to and draws meaning from what he calls phenomenological psychotherapy. Given the chance, the congruence between the posture and the process gives power to the resolutions that are revealed so that they may be dependable and enduring.
The inclusion of several of Hellinger's teaching stories adds yet another dimension to the reading. We quickly realize that some points are made stronger when they are lifted out of the immediate context, which may be emotionally charged and distracting. A master storyteller, Hellinger's gentleness and humor come through very clearly. The closing interview -- or conversation between friends -- offers another opportunity to understand the work on a different level and to see the man behind it through a new lens. Here, after being the subject of so much debate, Hellinger has the chance to express his views in an open and intellectually generous forum.
About the authorOne of Europe's most visible -- and controversial -- psychotherapists and authors, Bert Hellinger has also become a leading voice in the healing arts internationally. A former priest and missionary to the Zulu in South Africa for 16 years, as well as an educator, psychoanalyst, body therapist, group dynamic therapist, and family therapist, he brings vast and diverse experience to his work. Helping professionals everywhere have embraced the new possibilities that this innovative approach offers to their clients. The family constellations, which have become the hallmark of Hellinger's approach, as well as his observations about -- and insights into -- family entanglements and their resolution, have touched the lives of thousands throughout the world.