A reconstituted family —blended family in Anglo-Saxon literature— arises when one or both members of a couple come from a previous union with children. The system then includes: biological father/mother, their respective previous partners (living or deceased), children from previous unions, current stepfathers/stepmothers, children common to the new couple, half-siblings.
In the genogram: ALL previous unions are drawn with their respective lines (with a double bar if there was a divorce, X if the previous partner passed away). The children of each union hang from their corresponding sibling line. Stepfathers/stepmothers appear connected as the current partner to the biological father/mother, but the children they bring come from their previous family branch.
Critical systemic rules: the biological father/mother has systemic precedence over the stepfather/stepmother for each child. The current partner has precedence for couple matters. The previous partner 'is not erased' even if they have died or divorced: they belong to the system and must be visible. Children from previous unions belong to the entire system, not just the biological parent.
Frequent errors and their consequences: when the new couple tries to 'erase' the previous partner from the clan, the children feel that a part of their origin is being taken away and manifest it as conflict. When the stepfather/stepmother occupies the symbolic place of the biological father/mother (instead of their own place that respects the order), painful cross-loyalties appear.
Clinical example
A 9-year-old girl develops severe school problems when her father remarries. Reviewing the genogram, it is seen that the new wife acts 'as if' she were the mother, and the biological mother (who lives and co-parents) has been erased from conversations in the father's home. Restoring the symbolic place of the biological mother resolves the symptoms.
Illustrative case, anonymized and composed from frequent patterns in Family Constellation sessions.
Bibliography
- Genograms: Assessment and Treatment — Monica McGoldrick, Randy Gerson, Sueli Petry. W.W. Norton, 4th ed., 2020.
- Love's Own Truths — Bert Hellinger. Herder, 2001.
- Good Love in Couples — Joan Garriga. Destino, 2013.
These books are in the reference library that nourishes Constelando el Origen.
Related terms
Previous partner belongs (Hellinger convention)
A parent's or grandparent's previous partner is drawn completely, with the marriage line cut by divorce, but remains in the genogram. Hellinger: "ex-partners are not erased."
See entryCouple lines in the genogram
Solid horizontal line (marriage), dashed (cohabitation), one oblique bar (separation), two oblique bars (divorce). Universal McGoldrick convention.
See entryBelonging
First systemic law: everyone who belonged to the system, belongs forever. Excluding someone forces the system to represent them later.
See entryStepfather and stepmother (systemic role)
The biological parent's partner who is not the child's progenitor. Belongs to the system with its own place—not as a substitute for the biological father/mother. Their systemic function is complementary, not a replacement.
View entryA session that names what hurts
If you recognize this dynamic in your own story, a Family Constellation can reveal where it comes from and what movement brings order to it. Daniela accompanies each case with respect.
Sessions in Spanish only