Whether you’re a therapist, counselor, social worker, or healthcare professional, understanding genograms can greatly boost your ability to comprehend and analyze family dynamics. With this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about genograms, from what they are, how to create a genogram, to how to understand what they mean.
What is a Genogram
A genogram is a visual tool that allows you to visually map out and explore the intricate relationships, patterns, and influences within a family system. Unlike a standard family tree, a genogram includes additional information such as medical history, emotional relationships, and social interactions.
By examining the interplay of genetics, behaviors, and social factors across multiple generations, genograms provide valuable insights into a person’s background, emotional health, and overall well-being.
How to Make a Genogram
Making a genogram is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the basic steps on how to make a genogram:
- Gather names, birthdates, and key family details.
- Choose symbols for gender and relationships.
- Arrange family members hierarchically, starting with yourself.
- Add details like marriages and divorces with varied lines.
- Label each member with names and essential info.
- Use line styles to show relationship types.
- Analyze for patterns and insights.
1. Gather information
Start by collecting detailed information about each family member. This includes names, birthdates, and key life events, but aim to go further by exploring information that reveals patterns, such as:
- Education and career paths
- Health conditions or major illnesses
- Significant life events, challenges, or achievements
Speaking to multiple relatives can help you gather different perspectives and fill in any gaps, creating a fuller picture of your family’s history.
Creately tip: Use sticky notes and the integrated notes panel to jot down notes as you go. You can also add multimedia by directly dragging and dropping images or attaching documents to each shape, providing a rich context for each family member.
2. Choose symbols
Genograms are most effective when symbols are used consistently and purposefully. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with standard genogram symbols, as they are designed to convey complex family relationships and patterns quickly. Decide early on if you need additional symbols for unique family dynamics or specific traits that recur within your family. For example, you might want to create custom symbols to represent common health issues or shared hobbies across generations.
Creately tip: Creately includes genogram symbols to depict gender, family relationships and emotional relationships. With these you can create family genograms, relationship genograms, emotional genograms, and more. You can also browse for more symbols using the in-app Google image search or drag and drop them from your own device.
3. Draw the genogram
Begin with yourself at the center or base of the genogram, connecting yourself to your parents, siblings, and then extended family. Arrange each generation hierarchically, with older generations at the top and younger generations below. To maintain clarity:
- Work systematically from one side of the family to the other.
- Draw from oldest to youngest within each generation for an organized flow, making it easier to spot patterns.
Creately tip: Use Plus Create to quickly add the next shape and the connector to speed things up. Use the Quick Toolbar to switch between symbols and connectors. You can then use the preset color themes to quickly customize your genogram.
4. Include additional details
This step is where the genogram can go beyond a simple family tree and become a rich resource for understanding family dynamics. Use different lines or markers to indicate marriages, divorces, estranged relationships, adoptions, and other important connections. By differentiating between relationship types, you can highlight key dynamics and see patterns or recurring issues (like separations or tight family bonds) that have affected multiple generations.
Creately tip: Use the integrated notes panel and additional data fields for each shape to add and store more information on each family member.
5. Add labels
Each family member should be labeled not just with their name but also with any relevant identifiers that make their role or history clear at a glance. Consider labeling with details that stand out or may have impacted family dynamics, such as educational achievements, major relocations, or significant life changes. Including full names and both birth and death dates (if applicable) helps anchor each individual’s place in the family history.
6. Indicate connections
Represent relationships with a variety of line styles and thicknesses to convey the type and strength of each connection. Solid lines can represent strong or close connections, while dashed or thinner lines could indicate less frequent or strained interactions. If emotional or behavioral patterns are central to your genogram’s purpose, use distinct line styles to represent types of relationships (e.g., supportive, conflicted, distant), giving added depth to the visual.
7. Interpret and analyze
This step involves closely studying the genogram to identify themes, behavioral patterns, and any recurring influences that emerge across generations. Look for intergenerational patterns, like career paths, family health trends, or recurring interpersonal dynamics (such as strong bonds between certain family members or frequent relocations). Taking time to analyze these patterns can help you understand how family histories shape current relationships and experiences.
Creately tip: Quickly share the genogram you created with others by adding them as collaborators with edit or view access. Collect their feedback via comments and track the changes they make with live mouse tracking and synced previews.
History of Genograms
Genograms were introduced in the 1970s by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson as a visual tool for understanding families. McGoldrick and Gerson expanded on the concept of family trees by including additional information such as emotional relationships, behavioral patterns, and significant life events. This allowed them to explore the interconnectedness of family members and identify influential factors that shape individual experiences.
Since then, genograms have become widely used in fields like psychology, social work, healthcare, and research. They help professionals assess patterns across generations, uncover hidden influences, and identify systemic issues.
Nowadays, there are genogram software and digital tools available to make creating and sharing genograms easier. They remain an important part of therapy, family assessments, and research.
When to Use Genograms
Now that you know how to make genograms, let’s look at when genograms can be used. They can be used in various situations to gain a deeper understanding of family dynamics and relationships.
Therapy and counseling: As a diagnostic tool in client counseling, genogram help to explore family patterns, unresolved issues, and better understand the clients' emotional well-being.
Medical and healthcare settings: To gain insight into patients' health history, genetic predispositions, and potential risk factors to make more informed diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Social work and family services: In social work genograms are used to guide interventions and develop effective strategies to address family issues.
Research: To study family systems, hereditary traits, and the impact of relationships on individual well-being.
Education: In education, genograms help students understand their own backgrounds and promote self-reflection.
Personal growth and self-reflection: It can be a helpful tool for personal growth, understanding relationships, and exploring the impact of one’s upbringing.
Different Types of Genograms
There are various types of genograms that can be used to explore different aspects of a person’s family dynamics. Here are some common types:
Standard or family genogram: This is the most common type of genogram, which includes basic information about family members such as names, dates of birth, and relationships.
Medical genogram: Focuses on health-related information, such as illnesses and genetic factors that run in the family.
Emotional genogram: Emphasizes the emotional relationships, communication styles, and behavior patterns within the family.
Cultural genogram: Explores the cultural and ethnic background of the family, including traditions and values.
Career genogram: A career genogram is a specialized type of genogram that focuses on mapping and exploring the career paths, achievements, and influences within a person’s family.
Genogram Symbols
It’s important to note that genogram symbols can vary slightly depending on the conventions used by different professionals or cultural contexts. When creating or interpreting a genogram, provide clear explanations and use key symbols consistently for better understanding and communication. Here are some common genogram symbols and their meanings:
Basic Genogram Symbols 
Family Relationships 
Medical Genogram Symbols 
Medical Genogram Symbols - Colored 
Tips and Best Practices for Creating Genograms
Gather accurate information: Make sure that you have accurate and up-to-date information about family members. Double-check names, dates of birth, and other relevant details to ensure the genogram is as accurate as possible.
Maintain confidentiality: Genograms contain personal and sensitive information about individuals and their families. It is crucial to maintain confidentiality and use genograms only in appropriate professional settings, adhering to ethical guidelines and privacy regulations.
Create a safe and supportive environment: When discussing genograms with clients or patients, create a safe and supportive environment for them to share their family history and experiences. Encourage open communication and active listening to create a deeper understanding.
Consider cultural sensitivity: Be aware of cultural considerations and sensitivities when creating and interpreting genograms. Different cultures may have unique symbols, values, or expectations related to family dynamics. Respect and honor diverse perspectives and practices.
Encourage collaboration: Involve clients or patients in the process of creating genograms. Encourage them to share their insights, interpretations, and perspectives about their family relationships and patterns. This collaboration helps build a sense of ownership and empowerment.
Use genograms as a starting point: Genograms provide a snapshot of family dynamics, but they are not the entire story. Use them as a starting point for exploration and understanding. Combine genogram information with other assessment tools, therapeutic techniques, and interventions to develop a comprehensive understanding of the individual and their family system.
Maintain neatness and organization: Create a clean and organized genogram by using straight lines, spacing symbols appropriately, and labeling family members clearly. This enhances readability and makes it easier to interpret the genogram.
Genogram Examples and Templates
Family Genogram Template
Career Genogram
Conclusion: How to Make a Genogram
Creating a genogram goes beyond building a simple family tree. It’s a powerful tool for gaining insights into family dynamics, patterns, and histories, offering a unique way to explore connections that have influenced generations. As you build your genogram, remember that each symbol, line, and label represents a part of your family’s story, providing a clearer understanding of relationships, health trends, or behavioral patterns.
Whether you’re using your genogram for personal discovery, research, or a professional purpose, taking the time to gather detailed information and accurately represent connections will make your genogram a valuable resource. By interpreting these patterns, you can gain deeper awareness into factors that shape family experiences and open doors to meaningful conversations with relatives.
FAQs
What are the advantages and disadvantages of genograms?
Advantages of Genograms:
- Visual representation of family relationships and dynamics.
- Comprehensive information including medical history and social factors.
- Identification of patterns and influences.
- Holistic assessment within the family context.
- Aid in targeted intervention planning.
Disadvantages of Genograms:
- Limited scope, focusing mainly on family dynamics.
- Interpretation challenges and the risk of making assumptions.
- Dependence on accurate and complete information.
- Potential emotional impact on individuals and families.
- Cultural considerations and the need for sensitivity.
It’s important to be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of genograms to use them effectively while considering their limitations and potential impact.
