Free genogram template

Couples Therapy Genogram Template (Free, Editable)

Map each partner's family of origin to understand attachment patterns and relationship blueprints.

Updated October 2026 · PDF, PowerPoint, PNG and SVG · no sign-up

Quick answer

A couples therapy genogram template places the couple in the centre and maps each partner's family of origin on either side: parents, siblings and the emotional lines between them, with the couple's own history on the line that joins them. Therapists use it to show how patterns from each family repeat in the relationship. GenogramAI offers a free printable PDF and an editable example.

Open in GenogramAI (free) Download blank PDF

Download the couples therapy genogram template

Free files, no sign-up or email. Print the blank, edit the PowerPoint, or reuse the example image with a credit to genogramai.com.

When to use a couples therapy genogram template

Use this template when the client is a couple: early assessment in couples therapy, premarital counseling, or work after an affair or separation. It gives each partner's family of origin its own half of the page, so neither family is squeezed into the margin and each partner can see the other's family drawn with the same care as their own.

Write the couple's history on the line between them (met, married, separated, reconciled), then look for repeats: a partner whose parents divorced after an affair, a parent who pursued while the other withdrew, a child drawn into the couple's conflict. Many therapists take each partner's family history in an individual session and bring the chart into a joint session afterwards.

When the focus moves from the couple to the whole family, including children's relationships and the grandparent generation, switch to the Family Therapy Genogram Template. When either partner has children from an earlier relationship, the Blended Family Genogram Template shows the households more clearly.

The blank template and a filled-in example

Left: the blank printable. Right: the same template filled in for a fictional family in GenogramAI.

Blank couples therapy genogram template: Two families of origin side by side (each partner's parents with a sibling slot), the couple in the middle joined by a marriage line, a children slot below, a Couple / Clinician / Date header, and a key with partner lines (marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce) and emotional lines (close, fused, conflict, distant, cutoff). — Blank: Two families of origin side by side (each partner's parents with a sibling slot), the couple in the middle joined by a marriage line, a children slot below, a Couple / Clinician / Date header, and a key with partner lines (marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce) and emotional lines (close, fused, conflict, distant, cutoff).

Couples Therapy Genogram Template filled in: Couples Therapy: Affair, Separation and Two Families of Origin drawn in GenogramAI with a genogram key — Filled in: The example is the fictional Ellis couple: Jordan (39) and Natalie (37), who separated for eleven months after Jordan's affair and later reconciled, drawn with both families of origin, a repeated affair pattern from Jordan's father, a high-conflict marriage on Natalie's side and a triangle with their daughter Mia. Read the full example

Open this example in GenogramAI to start from the finished layout: it copies into your account (the Free plan holds 2 genograms) and every person, line and condition stays editable.

How to fill in a couples therapy genogram template

1
Map each partner's family of origin
Fill in each partner's parents and siblings on their own side of the page. Keep the couple in the centre.
2
Add emotional lines
For each family of origin, add close, fused, conflict, distant and cutoff lines. Note which patterns each partner repeats or reacts against.
3
Record the couple's history
Write the couple's turning points on the line between them and add children below. Mark any triangle that includes a child.

Symbols this template uses

Drawn the way GenogramAI draws them. Every other symbol is in the genogram symbols guide and the genogram key.

Symbol	What it means
Couple line	Solid for marriage, dashed for cohabitation; write the years (met, married) on it.
One / two slashes	Separation / divorce; GenogramAI also shows a reconciled couple and an affair line.
Fused: three parallel lines	An over-close parent-child bond in a family of origin.
Conflict: two dashed red lines	A recurring fight, in either generation.
Distant: dashed line	Withdrawal, for example the pursuer-distancer pattern.
Cutoff: line broken by two bars	A partner who no longer speaks to a parent or sibling.

Common mistakes to avoid

Drawing one partner's family in detail and the other's as an afterthought.
Leaving the couple line blank instead of recording the relationship's turning points with years.
Interpreting a family-of-origin pattern for the couple instead of asking each partner what they see.
Omitting previous partners and children from earlier relationships.

Who uses this template?

Marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), couples therapists, Gottman- and EFT-trained therapists, and MFT students.

Common uses

Family of origin exploration in early couples sessions
Identifying each partner's relationship blueprint
Family influence mapping alongside structured couples assessments
EFT: tracing attachment injuries back to the family of origin
Premarital counseling

What the template covers

Two family-of-origin sections, one per partner
Couple line with space for relationship history
Partner-line key (marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce)
Emotional-line key (close, fused, conflict, distant, cutoff)
Children slot and notes

What is free?

Free and paid, plainly

All five files on this page (blank PDF, PowerPoint, SVG, example PDF and PNG) are free to download and use, with no sign-up. In GenogramAI, the Free plan includes 2 genograms, 5 AI credits a month, all 64 relationship types, medical shading and PNG export, with no card. PDF, SVG and GEDCOM export, file import and photo import are on paid plans; Professional is $12/month.

Frequently asked questions

Why do couples therapists use genograms?

To help each partner see how their family of origin shaped their expectations of a relationship, how they handle conflict and how they attach. Seeing both families on one page tends to move the conversation from blame towards curiosity about where each pattern came from.

What does a couples therapy genogram look like?

The couple sits in the middle, joined by a partner line carrying their history. Each partner's parents and siblings are drawn on their own side, at least two generations back, with emotional lines. Children from the relationship, and from any earlier ones, hang below.

When in couples therapy should a genogram be done?

Usually during assessment, in the first few sessions. Many therapists gather each partner's family history in an individual session so each can speak freely, then bring the combined chart into a joint session and return to it as new patterns come up.

How do I show an affair on a couples genogram?

Draw the affair partner as a separate symbol joined to the partner by a dotted or distinct affair line, with the years. GenogramAI has dedicated affair lines, including affair followed by separation or divorce, so the event stays on the couple's timeline.