If you’re wondering how to make a genogram, you’re about to dive into an insightful way to map your family’s history. A genogram is a detailed family map that uses specialized symbols to depict relationships, major life events, and the dynamics across generations. It goes beyond a traditional family tree and can help identify patterns of mental and physical health conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder, cancer, and other genetic illnesses.
To learn how to make a genogram, start by interviewing your family members to gather important information. Ask about health histories, significant events, and relationships to gather the data you need. Once you have the necessary details, you can use standard genogram symbols to create a diagram that outlines your family’s history.
Knowing how to make a genogram can offer you a deeper understanding of your family’s background, not just for personal insight but also for identifying any potential health patterns.
Part1 Deciding What You Want to Learn from a Genogram
1. Determine Your Reason for Creating a Genogram
The first step in creating your genogram is to understand your purpose. Knowing why you’re making it will help you decide which family information to collect. It also plays a crucial role in determining who you will share the completed diagram with, as some of the information may be sensitive or upsetting for certain family members.
Genograms can focus on various hereditary patterns or issues, such as substance abuse, mental illness, physical violence, and other physical health conditions. They offer a visual tool for healthcare providers to track mental or medical patterns across your family’s bloodline, helping to spot any recurring health issues.
2. Understand What You Are Looking For
Once you know your reason for creating a genogram, it’s time to figure out what you want to learn. Whether it’s for a healthcare provider, a school project, or simply to better understand your family, understanding your goals will help guide the way you structure your genogram.
A genogram goes beyond just identifying family members, like a family tree. It also dives into the relationships—both physical and emotional—among family members. You can uncover details such as who is married, divorced, or widowed, how many children each couple has, and the individual dynamics within the family.
Ask yourself what you hope to learn. For example, you might want to identify patterns of depression, addiction, or cancer in your family. Or perhaps you’re curious about the reasons behind family tensions, like the strained relationship between your mother and grandmother. These insights will guide how you build your genogram.
3. Decide How Many Generations to Include
Determine how many generations you want to represent in your genogram. This decision will help you understand who you need to contact for information and whether it’s feasible based on people’s ages and geographical locations.
If you need to reach out to distant relatives, modern communication tools like email, Skype, or social media can make it easier to gather information from family members you might not meet in person.
Knowing how far back you want to trace your family history will also make the process more manageable. Do you want to start with your grandparents, or perhaps trace back to your great-grandparents? This will help narrow your focus and speed up the process.
4. Develop a Set of Questions to Ask
Once you’ve clarified your goals, create a list of questions to ask yourself and your relatives. Tailor the questions to get the most relevant information in the quickest way possible. Here are a few examples:
- “What was your grandmother’s name, who was she married to, and when/how did she pass away? What was her ethnicity?”
- “How many children did your mother’s parents have?”
- “Did [family member] struggle with substance abuse?”
- “Did [family member] have any mental or physical illnesses? What were they?”
These questions will guide your conversations and help you gather the detailed information you need for your genogram.
Part2 Researching Family History
1. Write Down What You Know Already
Start by jotting down everything you already know about your family history. If you’re close with certain family members, you likely have a solid understanding of your family’s background. Review your list of questions and see which ones you can answer on your own before you reach out to others.
2. Talk to Family Members
Once you’ve gathered all the information you can from your own knowledge, it’s time to reach out to family members. Ask about family relationships, major events, and other details you might not know. Be sure to take careful notes during these conversations.
While your questions will guide your discussions, you might also discover new information by simply listening to the stories your relatives share. Encourage these stories by being an active listener and asking open-ended questions that invite more details.
Be aware that some topics might be sensitive for certain family members. Approach these discussions with care and respect, as they could bring up difficult memories or emotions.
3. Search Through Family Books, Documents, and the Internet
In addition to talking with family members, you may find valuable information in family books, old documents, or online resources. If certain details are unclear or if family members are hesitant to share, these sources can help fill in the gaps.
However, be sure to verify the accuracy of any information you find online or in books before including it in your genogram.
4. Look at Your Own History
Your own personal history can offer crucial insight into your family background. Begin by gathering information from your medical records, as this can provide a baseline for your health history. Take note of any medications you use, as they may mirror those used by other family members for similar conditions.
This step will help you link your own experiences with those of your relatives and make your genogram more complete.
5. Learn the Familial Relationships
For your genogram to be accurate, you’ll need to map out how everyone in your family is connected. Research the unions between family members, including marriages, divorces, children, and other relationships.
Look for details such as who is married, divorced, or living together. Also, note who may be widowed or separated. Depending on what you’re trying to uncover, you might need to ask more sensitive questions about short-term relationships or forced unions. Be cautious, as these topics could be difficult for some family members to discuss.
6. Learn the Emotional Relationships
Now that you understand the familial connections, it’s time to dive into the emotional aspects of your family’s relationships. This information will be especially useful when exploring psychological patterns in your family.
Assess the nature of relationships within unions—are they loving, or is there tension? Do certain family members not get along? Look for patterns of abuse or neglect and consider whether emotional factors, such as conflict or trauma, have affected your family over time.
By understanding both the physical and emotional aspects of your family’s history, you’ll be able to create a more detailed and insightful genogram.
Part3 Designing Your Genogram
1. Design Your Genogram
You can design your genogram using templates available online, or create one from scratch by hand. If you prefer, there are software programs specifically designed to help you create detailed genograms. Choose the method that works best for you and allows you to accurately represent your family’s history.
2. Use Standard Genogram Symbols to Represent Family Members and Relationships
Genogram symbols are essential for visually representing family members and their relationships, whether positive or dysfunctional. These symbols allow you to visually map out the information gathered from your research.
- Males are represented by squares, and females are represented by circles. In marriages, place the male symbol to the left and the female symbol to the right.
- A single horizontal line indicates a marriage, while two slanted lines represent separation.
- The oldest child should be placed below and to the left of the parents, while the youngest is positioned below and to the right.
- Additional symbols can represent significant family events such as pregnancy, miscarriage, illness, or death. A diamond symbol can even represent pets.
These symbols help you document both the factual and emotional relationships within your family, providing a clear visual representation.
3. Organize the Chart Based on Family Interactions
Begin your genogram with the oldest generation you wish to include, such as your grandparents or even great-grandparents. This allows you to capture the diversity of family relationships over time.
- Genograms show not only biological connections but also emotional interactions. You’ll use specific symbols to indicate closeness, conflict, estrangement, and other familial dynamics.
- Symbols also exist to indicate sexual or physical abuse, as well as mental and physical health disorders, which can reveal important patterns in your family’s history.
By organizing your chart around these relationships, you create a map of both family structure and emotional dynamics.
4. Look for Patterns
Once your genogram is complete, examine it closely to identify any significant patterns that may emerge.
- You might notice hereditary health conditions, such as a family history of certain diseases or mental health disorders.
- Psychological tendencies might also become apparent, such as recurring behaviors or emotional patterns within the family.
However, it’s important not to make assumptions based solely on the data. For example, while you might notice a certain trait running through generations, it’s best to consult a medical professional about any hereditary health concerns.
Be mindful not to use the genogram to make judgments about family members’ behaviors or relationships. A genogram is a tool for understanding your family history, not for confronting or labeling individuals. If you uncover troubling patterns, consult a professional counselor or therapist before drawing conclusions.
Lastly, if you’re documenting your family history, the patterns identified in your genogram can help explain past family migrations, relationship challenges, and even uncover previously unrecognized family members.
