A genogram in psychology is more than a family tree—it’s a visual tool for therapists, counselors, and mental health professionals to explore emotional patterns and relationships. This guide explains how to create a genogram psychology step-by-step, its benefits in therapy, and why Creately is ideal for accurate professional psychology genograms with free real world examples.
What Is a Genogram in Psychology?
In psychology, a genogram is a visual representation of a person’s family relationships and medical history, extending beyond a simple family tree to include emotional and social dynamics across multiple generations. It’s a tool used by therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals to understand patterns in family interactions, identify potential psychological or medical predispositions, and guide treatment.
Uses of a Genogram in Psychology
A psychology genogram helps therapists, counselors, and educators understand a person’s emotions and family patterns. Here are some common uses of a genogram in psychology:
1. Couples and Family Therapy
In therapeutic sessions, a psychology genogram helps couples and families see repeating issues like communication problems or emotional distance. This clear picture makes it easier to understand each other and build healthier relationships.
2. Psychological Assessment
Mental health professionals use a well-constructed genogram psychology example to spot patterns like behavior habits or emotional triggers passed through generations. This helps them create better treatment plans by understanding what someone might have inherited emotionally or mentally.
3. Counseling Diverse Family Dynamics
In psychology, genograms now include inclusive genogram symbols to reflect modern family dynamics like blended families or same-sex parents. This makes therapy more accurate and meaningful for all types of families.
4. Educational and School Counseling
In academic settings, school counselors use a detailed psychology genogram to understand a student’s family life and any stress affecting their behavior or learning. In school-based interventions, it helps uncover patterns like emotional withdrawal or family pressure, so counselors can design more effective, individualized intervention plans.
5. Family Reconnections
In a therapy session, a genogram in psychology can be used to map out emotional estrangement across three generations. By identifying patterns of disconnection, the family or the index person can open discussions that ultimately can lead to reconciliation and a meaningful reunion.
6. Counseling Trauma Survivors
Genograms are instrumental in tracing generational trauma. A psychology genogram can reveal cycles of hardship and resilience, allowing the therapist to reframe their narrative around strength and recovery. This empowers the individual to embrace healing through a broader, compassionate perspective.
Examples of Genograms in Psychology
With ready-to-use templates, it’s easier to understand family and emotional patterns. These curated examples of genograms in psychology show how they’re used in real-world psychological settings like family therapy, trauma assessment, school counseling, and more.
How to Create a Genogram in Psychology: Step-by-Step Guide
Creating a genogram in psychology involves more than just drawing a family tree—it requires careful observation, accurate use of standardized symbols, and attention to emotional and psychological relationships. Whether you’re a therapist, counselor, or student, the following steps will guide you through building an effective genogram.
Step 1: Define the Purpose
Before starting, clarify why you’re creating the genogram. Are you exploring generational trauma, emotional relationships, or behavioral patterns? The goal will determine the depth and focus of your psychology genogram.
Step 2: Gather Family Information
Collect detailed information across at least three generations. This includes:
- Full names, ages, and birth/death dates
- Marriages, divorces, separations
- Sibling order
- Medical or psychological conditions
- Key life events (e.g., abuse, loss, addiction)
Where possible, conduct interviews or use case files to capture both factual and emotional data.
Step 3: Use Standard Genogram Symbols in Psychology
Apply genogram symbols in psychology to represent family members and relationships. Use:
- Squares for males, circles for females
- Horizontal lines to indicate marriages or partnerships
- Vertical lines for children
- Dotted, jagged, or double lines to show emotional ties like conflict, closeness, or estrangement
- Additional symbols to represent abuse, addiction, mental illness, or trauma
Using consistent symbols ensures clarity and professional accuracy.
Step 4: Map Emotional and Psychological Relationships
Go beyond surface-level connections by identifying emotional bonds and psychological patterns. Highlight elements like:
- Enmeshment or emotional cutoffs
- Repeating behavioral traits (e.g., anger, anxiety)
- Attachment styles or roles (e.g., caretaker, scapegoat)
This step transforms a basic family tree into a true genogram in psychology, offering insight into how these dynamics affect the individual today.
Step 5: Analyze Patterns
Review the full genogram to identify recurring themes or psychological trends. Look for:
- Multi-generational trauma
- Repetitive relationship issues
- Emotional distances or alliances
- Inherited coping mechanisms
This analysis forms the foundation for therapeutic conversations and treatment strategies.
Step 6: Document and Discuss
Once completed, the psychotherapy genogram becomes a collaborative tool. Use it during therapy sessions to open dialogue, reflect on personal history, and create actionable goals for healing or growth.
Step 7: Update as Needed
A genogram is a living document. As new information surfaces—especially in ongoing therapy—update it to reflect changes in relationships, roles, or understanding.
Why Use Creately to Create a Genogram in Psychology?
Creating a genogram in psychology is easier with Creately. Unlike complex diagramming software or hand-drawing, it offers a simple, intuitive platform with all the professional features needed. It’s ideal for therapists, counselors, educators, and psychology students who want accurate, detailed genograms without the hassle.
✅ Easy-to-Use Drag-and-Drop Interface
Creately lets you quickly create detailed genograms with no technical skills needed. Simply add psychology genogram symbols like emotional ties, relationship indicators, and gender markers in just a few clicks.
✅ Professionally Designed Genogram Templates
Don’t want to start from scratch? Choose from a library of pre-designed genogram psychology examples tailored for family therapy, trauma counseling, school psychology, and more. These genogram templates help you save time and maintain consistency in client assessments.
✅ Comprehensive Genogram Symbols
Creately offers a comprehensive genogram psychology symbols library to map family structures and emotional relationships accurately. It includes basic family symbols and detailed indicators for marriage, divorce, and emotions like love, conflict, abuse, and neglect, helping professionals create precise, insightful genograms easily.
✅ Real-Time Collaboration
Whether you’re working with a therapy team or sharing insights with clients, Creately supports real-time collaboration. This makes it easy to co-create a psychotherapy genogram during a session or invite feedback between appointments.
✅ Secure and Confidential
Creately understands the sensitivity of mental health data. All workspaces are protected with enterprise-grade security and privacy controls, making it a safe choice for therapists handling confidential client information.
✅ Cloud-Based and Accessible Anywhere
Whether you’re working in a clinic, school, or remotely, Creately’s cloud-based platform ensures you can access and update genograms from any device. Your work stays saved, synced, and shareable.
Helpful Resources
Learn how different types of genograms can help visualize important aspects of life.
Follow essential genogram rules for accurate family mapping, including symbol use, connection guidelines, and consistent generational structure.
See practical genogram examples that illustrate family relationships, emotional ties, and patterns across generations.
Understand the key differences between a genogram and a family tree, including their purposes, structures, and the type of insights they reveal.
FAQs About Genogram in Psychology
Who can benefit from using a genogram in psychology?
Can I create a genogram in psychology without clinical training?
What are the different types of genograms in psychology?
There are several types of genograms in psychology, each designed to explore different aspects of a person’s life and relationships. Common types include:
- Family Genogram – Focuses on family structure and relationships across generations.
- Emotional Relationship Genogram – Maps emotional bonds like closeness, conflict, or cutoff.
- Medical Genogram – Tracks hereditary health conditions and mental illnesses.
- Career Genogram – Shows patterns in professional choices across generations.
- Cultural and Spiritual Genogram – Highlights beliefs, values, and religious or cultural influences
Each type helps psychologists and therapists tailor interventions based on the unique dynamics and patterns within a client’s life.
What are the components of a psychological genogram?
A family genogram typically includes several key components:
- Individuals represented by gender-based symbols (squares for males, circles for females)
- Generational hierarchy, showing multiple family levels
- Relationship lines to indicate marriage, divorce, conflict, etc.
- Medical and emotional markers that reflect physical and psychological patterns
- Annotations that provide context, such as career paths, education, or behavioral traits
These components work together to create a comprehensive view of family dynamics over time.
Resources:
Alexander, J.H., Callaghan, J.E.M. and Fellin, L.C. (2018). Genograms in research: participants’ reflections of the genogram process. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 19(1), pp.1–21. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1545066.
Butler, J.F. (2008). The Family Diagram and Genogram: Comparisons and Contrasts. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36(3), pp.169–180. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01926180701291055.
Puhlman, D., Shigeto, A., Murillo‐Borjas, G.A., Maurya, R.K. and Vincenti, V.B. (2023). Qualitative genogram analysis: A methodology for theorizing family dynamics. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15(2), pp.276–291. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12496.
