Co-Parenting Non-Romantic Family Genogram

A co-parenting family genogram depicting non-romantic parenting arrangements including surrogacy, sperm donation, and intentional co-parenting between friends. This genogram illustrates the increasingly common phenomenon of people who choose to raise children together without being in a romantic relationship. The central family features two best friends — one gay man and one straight woman — who decided to co-parent together, sharing custody 50/50 across two households. The genogram also includes the surrogate who carried their second child and the known sperm donor involved in another family branch. This example is valuable for therapists navigating the legal, emotional, and relational complexities of donor-conceived and intentionally co-parented families.

This 3-generation genogram maps 10 family members with birth years spanning from 1953 to 2022, comprising 5 males and 5 females (1 deceased). The index patient is Sophie Ross (b. 1986), veterinarian.

The family system encompasses 3 generations with distinct patterns at each level. The oldest generation includes Helen, George, Christine and 1 other. The middle generation includes Sophie, Nathan, Ben and 1 other. The youngest generation includes Lily, Oliver.

This genogram illustrates how family structure shapes individual development and relational patterns. Professionals working with families of this structure can use the genogram to normalize diverse family configurations and identify both strengths and areas for growth in the family system.