Family mapping
Family genogram: example, template and how to make one
Quick answer
Family genogram example
| Look at | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Top row | Grandparents: Robert and Dorothy Miller, Henry and Margaret Clark. The X through Robert's square means he has died (age 75 at death). |
| Middle row | Parents Susan and Thomas Clark joined by a marriage line, and Susan's brother William. |
| Bottom row | Their children Emily, James and Daniel, oldest on the left. Emily is the index person (highlighted outline). |
| Numbers | Age inside each symbol, birth year above it. |
| Key | Every symbol used: male, female, primary person, deceased, marriage, biological child. |
Add emotional lines, health conditions and life events to this structure and it becomes a clinical family genogram, like the larger example below or the 3 generation genogram examples.
What is a family genogram?
A family genogram is a detailed visual map of your family system across multiple generations. While it includes the basic structural information of a family tree (names, dates, and lineage), it goes dramatically further by capturing the emotional, medical, and behavioral dimensions of family life.
Developed from Murray Bowen's family systems theory and standardized by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson in the 1980s, the family genogram uses a set of internationally recognized symbols to represent individuals, relationships, and patterns. A square represents a male, a circle represents a female, and various line types indicate the quality of each relationship, from close and supportive to hostile and estranged. For the general definition, see what is a genogram.
The power of a family genogram lies in what it makes visible: patterns that repeat across generations. When you see that divorce has occurred in three consecutive generations, or that anxiety appears in every firstborn daughter, or that the family produces a "black sheep" in every generation, these are not coincidences. They are systemic patterns carried through family culture, learned behavior, and sometimes genetics. A genogram is the tool that makes these patterns impossible to ignore.
Family tree vs family genogram
| Family tree | Family genogram | |
|---|---|---|
| Shows | Who is related to whom | Who is related, and how they relate |
| Generations | As many as you can trace | Usually three, around one index person |
| Relationship quality | Not shown | Close, distant, conflict, fused, cutoff lines |
| Health | Rarely | Medical and mental health conditions shaded into symbols |
| Events | Births, marriages, deaths | Also divorce, migration, trauma, addiction, losses |
| Used by | Genealogists, families | Therapists, social workers, nurses, physicians, students |
Sources: genogram notation conventions as described in McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R. & Petry, S. (2020). Genograms: Assessment and Treatment (4th ed.). W. W. Norton; family systems concepts from Bowen, M. (1978). Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. Jason Aronson.
Family trees vs. family genograms
What a family genogram reveals
Emotional Bonds
Medical History
Mental Health Patterns
Behavioral Patterns
Role Assignments
Unspoken Rules
Family genogram symbols: relationship lines
| Line | Relationship | Notation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | Two parallel lines | Warm, supportive bond with healthy boundaries | |
| Distant | Dashed line | Emotional disconnection | |
| Conflict | Double dashed line (a zigzag when drawn by hand) | Active tension and arguments | |
| Fused / Enmeshed | Three parallel lines | Over-involved; boundaries blurred | |
| Estranged / Cutoff | Line broken by two short bars | Contact deliberately broken |
How to make a family genogram
- 1
Gather Your Family Information
Before you start drawing, collect as much information as possible. Talk to parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Gather names, birth and death dates, marriages, divorces, major health conditions, and significant life events. Even incomplete information is valuable — gaps in knowledge are themselves informative (why does no one talk about Uncle Robert?). - 2
Map Three Generations of Family Structure
Start with the oldest generation you have information about (usually grandparents) and work down. Use squares for males, circles for females, and horizontal lines for partnerships. Place children below parents in birth order, left to right. GenogramAI can build this structure automatically as you provide information through conversation. - 3
Add Dates and Demographics
Fill in birth years, death years (with cause of death if known), marriage dates, divorce dates, and current ages. Note occupations, education levels, and locations if relevant to the patterns you are exploring. This demographic layer provides the factual foundation. - 4
Draw Relationship Lines
This is where a family genogram diverges from a family tree. Add emotional relationship lines between key family pairs: close (two parallel lines), distant (dashed line), conflict or hostile (zigzag or double dashed line), fused or enmeshed (three parallel lines), or cutoff (line broken by two short bars). Be honest — this is where the real insights emerge. - 5
Mark Medical and Mental Health History
Add medical conditions, mental health diagnoses, substance abuse, and causes of death. Use the genogram convention of filling in a portion of the symbol to indicate conditions, or add text annotations. Color coding can help distinguish different types of conditions. - 6
Identify and Annotate Patterns
Step back and look at the complete genogram. Circle or highlight patterns that repeat: Does depression appear in every generation? Do oldest children always become caretakers? Is there a pattern of early marriage followed by divorce? Document these observations — they are the genogram's most valuable output.
Free family genogram template
Who uses family genograms?
Family Therapists
Genealogists & Family Historians
Students (Psychology, Social Work, Nursing)
Individuals & Families
Why create a family genogram?
- Understand why certain relationship patterns keep repeating in your life
- Identify hereditary health risks by mapping medical conditions across generations
- Process family trauma by seeing it in a systemic rather than personal context
- Improve family communication by making hidden dynamics visible and discussable
- Break negative cycles by becoming aware of patterns before passing them on
- Strengthen your identity by understanding where your beliefs and behaviors originated
- Support therapy work by giving your therapist a comprehensive family picture
- Create a meaningful family document that captures far more than names and dates
Frequently asked questions
What is an example of a family genogram?
A simple family genogram example: both sets of grandparents in the top row (a grandfather who has died drawn with an X), the parents and an uncle in the middle row, and three adult children at the bottom, oldest on the left, with the index person drawn with a double or highlighted outline. Ages sit inside each symbol and a key explains every symbol used.
What is a family genogram?
A family genogram is a detailed visual map of your family across multiple generations that goes far beyond a simple family tree. It uses standardized symbols to show not just who is related to whom, but the quality of relationships (close, distant, hostile, enmeshed), medical conditions, mental health patterns, behavioral issues, and significant life events. It reveals hidden patterns that repeat across generations.
Is there a free family genogram template?
Yes. GenogramAI offers a free blank three-generation genogram template as a printable PDF, an editable PowerPoint file and an SVG, plus a gallery of genogram examples you can open as starting templates in the app.
How is a family genogram different from a family tree?
A family tree shows lineage — names, dates, and who descended from whom. A family genogram adds critical layers: emotional relationship quality between family members, medical and mental health history, behavioral patterns like addiction or abuse, and life events like immigration, divorce, or trauma. A family tree tells you who your family is; a genogram tells you how your family works.
Can I make a family genogram by myself or do I need a therapist?
You can absolutely create a family genogram on your own for personal exploration, family heritage projects, or health history documentation. Tools like GenogramAI guide you through the process with AI assistance. However, interpreting a genogram for clinical purposes — identifying dysfunctional patterns, processing family trauma — is best done with a licensed therapist who understands family systems theory.
How many people should be in a family genogram?
A typical family genogram includes three generations and anywhere from 15 to 40+ individuals depending on family size. At minimum, you want grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles, yourself, siblings, and any children. The more complete the genogram, the more patterns become visible. Even noting deceased members with limited information is valuable.
What are the most common patterns found in family genograms?
The most frequently identified patterns include: repeating divorce or relationship instability across generations, intergenerational transmission of mental health conditions (depression, anxiety), substance abuse patterns, parentification (children taking on adult roles), emotional cutoffs between family branches, and similar career or life choices appearing in multiple generations.