Genograms are used in a variety of fields, such as medicine, psychology, social work, genealogy, genetic research, and education. It is a graphic representation of a family tree that displays detailed data on relationships among individuals. Why do social workers use Genograms?Ī genogram is a tool often used in social work for assessing a person’s background, exploring the quality of relationship between family members, and explaining behavioral patterns in children, adolescents, and even adults. In the case of a miscarriage, there is a diagonal cross drawn on top of the triangle to indicate death. How do you show a dead person on a genogram?Ī triangle is used to represent a pregnancy, a miscarriage or an abortion. For example, a family tree might show us that Emily and Kevin are married, while a genogram could tell us that Emily and Ken are married, but they are emotionally distant from one another. Imagine a genogram as a family tree with much more detail about how the family members interact with one another. A genogram is also a very helpful tool in the realm of social work. This tool makes it easier for professionals to identify where issues and concerns come from within the family.

Genograms help depict the key people in an individual’s life and their relationship with them. How does a genogram help us to think systemically about individuals and families? The genogram allows the patient to see hereditary patterns of behavior and medical and psychological factors that run through families. The word genogram refers to a diagram illustrating a person’s family members, how they are related, and their medical history. a diagrammatic representation of a family that includes pedigree informationthat is, individual histories of illness and deathbut also incorporates aspects of the interpersonal relationships between family members. Put simply, a genogram visually represents family relationships and provides an opportunity to gather information from the family not only about their child with autism but also may include relevant information about siblings, the wider family, social supports, and any mental health or medical issues.

Examples of genograms in social work