What is a genogram in social work professional#

If you're writing up the family history, patterns established in a genogram can be very helpful as a way of explaining why ancestral family members left one geographical area for another, what sorts of relationship issues members had and may help to unearth other family members who were not officially recognized.

Be very careful to avoid approaching your family members in a judgmental way as a result of making a genogram talk to your family or personal counselor before proceeding to reach conclusions from a self-generated genogram. This is generated by using symbols representing gender and. While you might find your aunt has a tendency to quit every job she has ever had while your cousin has always seemed to steal other people's boyfriends, it's not a good idea to use the genogram to 'prove' your point that a family member needs psychoanalysis. A pictorial display of an individuals family relationships and kinship network (see illustration).

Avoid using the genogram to make assumptions about the motivations of family members as well, or using this to confront them.

Talk to a medical professional about any potential for hereditary problems of this type. The data is one thing, but avoid using it to confirm that your family has a particular disease, or mental issue. There may be hereditary patterns or particular psychological tendencies that are very noticeable when grouped together in this way. Once you've made the genogram, look carefully to see what patterns can be identified. The Genogram Template worksheet offers a straightforward and accessible template for mapping family relationships. Do you want to know who in your family has depression, addictions, or a history of cancer? Perhaps you want to know more about why your mother and her mother never get along, by looking for the right clues you’ll be able to make a genogram that serves your goals. This systems-oriented approach is a powerful way to visualize and understand the impact of family dynamics. Think about what kind of information you want to learn from making your genogram.A genogram is a lot like a family tree in that it is a picture that uses shapes and figures to represent the people, relationships, and events in your family.

It will also tell you how many kids each union (typically between two individuals) has, what each child is like, and what the individual relationships are between members on more than just a physical level. A genogram is a way of recording and interpreting your family's history so you can better understand the genetic, medical, social, and cultural aspects of your family.

For example, a genogram can tell you who is married, divorced, widowed, etc.

You'll not only learn who is in your family, but how everyone is connected through physical and emotional relationships. Only in addition to looking at the branches, you also look at the leaves on each branch. Once you know why you're making a genogram, whether it’s for a healthcare provider, school project, or just to get to know you and your family more, knowing what it is you want to learn can help you to organize how you go about populating your genogram.

What is a genogram in social work professional#