Hellinger posits that many modern psychological struggles—depression, anxiety, or recurring relationship failures—are not merely individual issues but symptoms of "systemic entanglements". These entanglements occur when the natural order of a family system is disrupted, often by:
: There is a natural order based on time of entry into the system. Parents are "big" and give, while children are "small" and receive. Disruptions to this hierarchy, such as a child trying to "save" a parent, often lead to systemic entanglements.
is a seminal text for anyone seeking to understand the foundational principles of Family Constellation Therapy . First published in 1999, the book is a recorded interview between German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger and journalist Gabriele ten Hövel.