GENOGRAM FAMILY ANALYSIS

Genogram Family Analysis

Genogram Family Analysis

Introduction

A genogram is a graphic representation of a family tree that displays detailed data on relationships among individuals. It goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to analyze hereditary patterns and psychological factors that punctuate relationships. Genograms allow a therapist and his patient to quickly identify and understand various patterns in the patient's family history which may have had an influence on the patient's current state of mind. The genogram maps out relationships and traits that may otherwise be missed on a pedigree chart.

Discussion

Genograms were first developed and popularized in clinical settings by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson through the publication of a book in 1985. Genograms are now used by various groups of people in a variety of fields such as medicine, psychology, social work, genealogy, genetic research, and education. There are many books and websites on the topic of genograms.

Genograms contain a wealth of information on the families represented. First, they contain basic data found in family trees such as the name, gender, date of birth, and date of death of each individual. Additional data may include education, occupation, major life events, chronic illnesses, social behaviors, nature of family relationships, emotional relationships, and social relationships (Abbott 2005).

Some genograms also include information on disorders running in the family such as alcoholism, depression, diseases, alliances, and living situations. Genograms can vary significantly because there is no limitation as to what type of data can be included.

Analysis

This genogram was made using the GenoPro Software. You may click on this link to get the sample genogram in larger size. If you have GenoPro installed on your computer, you may open the file SampleGenogram.gno to get the interactive version. Spin the mouse wheel to zoom-in and zoom-out. To begin, we can hide the emotional relationships by clicking on the shaded happy face button in the toolbar Show or hide emotional relationship. The genogram shown below is the same as above, without the emotional relationships.

Interpreting a Genogram

This genogram contains a wealth of information. For the purpose of this exercise, we will quickly overview the color codes and patterns inside the squares and circles (Gilbert 2007). These color codes are usually used to represent substance abuse such as alcohol or drugs, and the patterns inside the gender symbol usually represent a genetic disease. If you are not doing a medical genogram, these symbols can be ...