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A genogram is the graphical representation of relationships and structures within a family. As a rule, all family members of several generations (family of origin and current family) are recorded in a genogram.
A genogram is frequently used as a basis or supplement for a Family Constellation or Systemic Therapy as well as in couple and family coaching. It serves to understand relationship patterns and connections within a family, as well as to illustrate recurrent patterns in the family history.
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A genogram provides a good overview of the family, the family tree and their structure. From a meta-perspective, relationship patterns can be recognized. Frequently, family patterns that appear again and again can be traced back over several generations. By using a genogram, one's own life story and life experiences can be classified in a larger context. Thus, certain behaviors, decisions, crises, taboos, fates or illnesses can be better understood and arranged against the family background. Visualization with the help of a genogram can help to gather information from the family history, to sort this and make connections transparent.
The genogram evolved from the work of several key family therapy practitioners. The first family trees (genograms) were created by the American psychiatrist and psychotherapist Murray Bowen. Bowen (1913-1990) is considered one of the founders of Systemic Therapy. His goal was to use genograms to gain an overview of family generations and existing family patterns. Ivan Boszorményi-Nagy (1920-2007), a Hungarian-born physician and psychiatrist, co-founded one of the first family therapy research centers in Philadelphia (USA) that later became the largest family therapy training center in the US. He assumed, among other things, that invisible bonds exist within the family structure and express themselves as "emotional debts". These debts are recorded over the course if generations and must be repaid over and over again. Symptoms present in a family member are a sign of outstanding debt. Therefore, the family background should always be considered in therapy.
He introduced the multi-generational perspective as an important innovation that is today an integral part of Family Constellation work. The family therapist Virginia Satir (1916 - 1988) brought the development forward. Building on Bowen's and Boszorményi-Nagy's work, Satir developed the "Family Sculpture" to visualize family relationships, in which family members position themselves like statues that interact with each other. Finally, family therapists Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson adopted Bowen’s idea (generational family pattern) and systematically developed the genogram as we know it today. Although the idea had existed for a long time, the genogram was only introduced to family therapy at the beginning of the 1990s.
A genogram captures all members of the family tree. The family of the spouse or life partner does not matter, after all, it is not about their own family of origin. If, however, there is a person who has a great importance in one’s own life, this person can then also be noted. Of course, when creating a genogram for one's own children, the family of the spouse/partner, if that person is the other parent, will also be included and outlined. All family members are listed, including those who died young, missing or marginalized members. These include one’s own siblings, parents, their siblings, grandparents and their siblings, as well as step-parents or persons who belonged in any way to the family. Miscarriages or stillbirths in the family circle are also noted.
Creating a genogram template requires some preparation. How you actually proceed depends on whether you want to sketch a genogram for your own family or whether it is being created for a client as part of a coaching process. In the first case, you can start researching relatives yourself and collecting information. In genogram work with coaching clients, the interview guide shown in section 1.2 offers appropriate questions.
If you want to create a genogram of your own family, it is best to proceed step by step and gradually familiarize yourself with your family history. Gather as much information about your family as possible. Write down everything you know about your siblings, parents, grandparents, uncle and aunts. Ask family members, especially older ones, about the family’s history. Be sensitive. Browsing through photo albums can be a good start here. Some relatives will be happy to tell you things, while others could be more concerned that sensitive issues may come to light. Be appreciative and approach the research and conversations without prejudice. Even your own siblings are often a treasure trove of memories that you may have forgotten.
Of course, these preparations are also possible for clients in family counseling or coaching, provided they have enough time for it. From a practical point of view, the research will presumably take place in the course of the coaching process and the client will initially only be able to provide the information already known to him.
When creating a genogram, a structured questionnaire is useful to capture as much information as possible. In addition, other family members can be interviewed to get a comprehensive picture and fill in gaps in knowledge. The following questions are suggestions. It has proven useful to first collect information about the client and his family, then ask for information about previous generations (parents, grandparents).
Start with one parent and their family, then the other family. Here is how to keep track.
Corresponding questions, as far as they can be answered, can also be asked for the generation of grandparents.
In addition to the biographical data already recorded, additional information is now requested, as far as it has not been revealed in free conversation.
You do not have to work through the questions as in a catalog. Often the client will tell more if he can tell more freely. The questions are a guide to writing down all the important things, but they can also be answered in a free conversation.
After (or even during) the collection of information, the individual family members and their relationship to each other are visualized. It makes sense to start with one's own generation, starting from one's own person and existing siblings. These are all arranged in a horizontal line. A level above it, the parents are visually represented, and a level above that, the grandparents and on another level higher possibly the great-grandparents. Certain symbols have been established for graphical representation. This genogram template is based on the symbols usually used and based on those of McGoldrick and Gerson. Occasionally, individual symbols are modified.
(A detailed overview of genogram symbolism can be found in Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson's "Genograms in Family Counseling", see bibliography below.)
Once all the data is recorded, as can be found in family trees, names, marriages, birth and death dates, children, etc., special events are added. What else is known about the family members?
The data can first be noted down on Post-its. Most likely, there will be a lot to comment upon for some members, while others will seem to have fewer characteristics. That, too, can be an interesting clue if someone has obviously been barely noticed.
The relationships between each other can also be depicted by supplementary symbols (see connecting lines). You can use your own symbols if they are very meaningful.
Now we come to the evaluation and thus to the actual genogram work. This is probably the most interesting part for some. Many insights and “aha” experiences probably arose while the genogram was being created (example: "All the first-born women in the family remained unmarried or entered the monastery.") Thus, some initial conclusions can already be deduced.
The complete genogram now offers a good overview. It quickly becomes apparent where fatalities piled up, where lifestyles resembled each other, or where the same relationship patterns occurred. Where are there recognizable connections to current difficulties or life crises?
The evaluation of the genogram should be solution-oriented. That is, no rash interpretations should be made. Instead, it makes more sense to approach the evaluation with concrete questions.
The questions mentioned are just a suggestion and can be expanded as desired. The genogram provides an inexhaustible basis for exploring your own family history. In depth, the findings can now be approached professionally. For example, in a systemic coaching process, or in Systemic Therapy. The genogram can also be the basis for a Family Constellation, since a lot of information is already known.
The creation of a genogram can take several days or weeks. Here are a few practical tips:
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