Nuclear Family Symbols Guide
A comprehensive teaching genogram demonstrating all standard genogram person symbols and connection types. Includes living male (square), living female...
Interactive Nuclear Family Symbols Guide
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About This Genogram
A comprehensive teaching genogram demonstrating all standard genogram person symbols and connection types. Includes living male (square), living female (circle), deceased (X), pregnancy (triangle), miscarriage (small filled symbol), stillbirth (X through small symbol), marriage, divorce, separation, cohabitation, engagement, and all child connection types: biological, adopted, foster, and step. Designed as a visual reference guide for students learning genogram notation.
Key Patterns in This Genogram
Symbol Reference
Standard genogram symbols and notation demonstrated in context.
Template Structure
Proper genogram layout and organization for academic assignments.
Learning Framework
A teaching tool for understanding family systems theory in practice.
Pattern Analysis
This 3-generation genogram maps 12 family members with birth years spanning from 1948 to 2026, comprising 6 males and 6 females (1 deceased). The genogram tracks 1 medical/psychological condition category. The index patient is Sarah Palmer (b. 1985), veterinarian.
The family system encompasses 3 generations with distinct patterns at each level. The oldest generation includes George, Helen, Carol and 1 other, with 1 presenting documented conditions. The middle generation includes Michael, Laura, Sarah and 2 others. The youngest generation includes Baby, Miscarriage, Stillbirth.
Medical and psychological conditions are documented in 1 of 12 family members (8%). Cancer diagnoses appears in 1 member (Frank).
As a teaching resource, this genogram demonstrates standard McGoldrick–Gerson notation in a realistic family context. Students can practice identifying key patterns: multigenerational transmission, family life cycle stages, and the interplay between structural relationships and emotional processes. This example serves as a foundation for understanding how genograms organize complex family information into a clinically useful visual format.
Genogram Symbols Used in This Example
The following standard genogram symbols appear in the Nuclear Family Symbols Guide. Each symbol follows McGoldrick and Gerson clinical notation conventions.
Person Symbols
- Male (Square)
- A square represents a male family member in standard genogram notation.
- Female (Circle)
- A circle represents a female family member in standard genogram notation.
Status Markers
- Deceased (X)
- An X drawn through the symbol indicates the person is deceased.
- Index Patient (Arrow)
- An arrow pointing to a person identifies them as the index patient — the individual who is the focus of the clinical assessment.
Structural Relationships
- Marriage
- A solid horizontal line connecting two individuals represents a marriage or committed partnership.
- Divorce
- A marriage line with two diagonal slashes indicates divorce or legal separation.
- Separation
- A marriage line with one diagonal slash indicates an informal separation.
- Parent-Child
- A vertical line descending from a couple line to a child symbol represents a parent-child relationship.
Child Connection Types
- Biological Child
- A solid vertical line from parent to child indicates a biological relationship.
- Adopted Child
- A dashed vertical line with brackets indicates an adopted child.
- Foster Child
- A dotted vertical line indicates a foster child placement.
- Stepchild
- A dashed vertical line indicates a step-parent/step-child relationship.
Medical Conditions
- Cancer
- Shading indicates any cancer diagnosis, with specifics noted in the individual's record.
Related Resources
- Use this example as a reference for genogram assignments in family therapy courses.
- Our guide for genograms for psychology students explains the notation used in this example.
- Start with simple genogram examples if you are new to genogram notation.
- The deceased symbol (X through the shape) marks family members who have passed away.
- The marriage symbol connects partnered individuals in this genogram.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Create Your Own Genogram
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Educational disclaimer: This genogram example is an educational illustration of genogram notation and family systems concepts. Examples based on public figures use publicly available information. They are not clinical documents. All examples are intended for learning genogram symbols and patterns.