What is it about?
Many people struggle with anxiety, depression, and stress, and there is a constant need for therapies that work both effectively and quickly. Our study was one of the first to rigorously test a psychotherapy called Family Constellations in its individual format, within a real-world clinical setting in Portugal. We followed 75 adults through an average of 7.5 sessions, measuring their psychological distress before and after the intervention. We wanted to answer a simple question: does this therapy really make a difference? The results were remarkably clear. The vast majority of participants—nearly 9 out of 10—didn't just feel better; their improvement was clinically significant. We saw large reductions in symptoms, and the therapy proved to be safe and well-tolerated, with very few people dropping out or experiencing a worsening of symptoms.
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Why is it important?
The main takeaway from our study is efficiency. In a world where mental healthcare can be difficult to access and afford, finding a therapy that produces such strong results in a short amount of time—an average of just three months—is a significant step forward. Our study suggests that Family Constellations should be viewed as a powerful and cost-effective psychotherapeutic tool. For practitioners, this provides a promising, evidence-based option. For healthcare systems, it points toward a way to help more people, more quickly, and with fewer resources.
Perspectives
After more than two decades of working with Family Constellations and witnessing its profound impact on our clients, we felt an almost moral responsibility to bring this approach into the rigorous arena of scientific inquiry. This article is the culmination of a long journey to build a bridge between clinical practice and empirical validation. Our greatest hope is that this work will not only help to legitimize Family Constellations but also inspire other practitioners of innovative modalities to embrace research. We believe that it is in this union—between the art of therapy and the discipline of science—that our field can truly advance and meet the immense mental health needs of our time.
Jorge A. Ramos
Instituto de Ciências Integradas
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the effectiveness of individual family constellations for adult psychoemotional distress: A quasi-experimental study., Practice Innovations, August 2025, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pri0000298.
You can read the full text:
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