Genograms

A genogram is a family tree on steroids: instead of just names and dates, it maps three or more generations of relationships, patterns, and emotional dynamics onto a single page — and suddenly the family's story becomes visible at a glance.

Genograms grew out of Bowen family systems work and were formalized by McGoldrick and Gerson. The construction conventions are standardized and testable. Squares = males, circles = females; the identified client is often marked with a double line. Horizontal lines show relationships/marriages; vertical lines connect parents to children. A birth date sits at the upper left of the symbol, the age inside, and an X through the symbol means the person is deceased. Marriages, separations, and divorces get specific line codes (a divorce is shown with two slashes across the marriage line; a separation, one slash). Ages, dates, births, deaths, illnesses, occupations, and ethnicity are annotated.

Beyond the family structure, genograms overlay relationship quality: close, conflictual, fused, distant, or cutoff relationships each get their own line style. That's what turns a static chart into a map of emotional process — letting counselor and client spot repeating patterns, triangles, and intergenerational themes.

Clinical uses: assessment, building rapport, revealing multigenerational patterns (addiction, illness, divorce, roles), and normalizing the client's experience within a larger story. There's also a career use — a career genogram maps family occupations and work messages to surface vocational influences (that career-specific application is developed in a Domain 4 career topic).

Clinical Pearl: Memorize the two anchors examiners test: squares = male, circles = female, and an X through the symbol = deceased. The genogram is a visual assessment tool mapping three generations of relationships and patterns — its emotional-dynamics theory comes from Bowen.