Free genogram template

School Counseling Genogram Template (Free, Editable)

Understand the family context behind a student's academic, social, and emotional challenges.

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

Quick answer

A school counseling genogram template maps a student's households, custody and caregiving arrangements, siblings and step-relatives, plus recent stressors and supports. School counselors use it to understand the home context behind academic or behavioural concerns. GenogramAI offers a free printable PDF with two household enclosures and an editable student example.

Open in GenogramAI (free) Download blank PDF

Download the school counseling 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 school counseling genogram template

Use this template when a student's home situation is part of the referral: falling grades after a separation, attendance that differs between a mother's week and a father's week, a new stepparent or baby, or a recent death. The layout starts from the most common school case, a student with divorced parents and two homes, so the counselor can see at a glance where the student sleeps, who signs forms and who the student is close to.

Keep it to what the school needs. Two generations is usually enough, plus a grandparent who does pickups or has just died. Write custody days and the year of each change on the chart, and note learning needs (an IEP or 504 plan) beside the student. Treat the chart as a counseling record, not part of the educational file.

If there are safeguarding concerns or agency involvement, use the Child Welfare Genogram Template. For a family with several earlier partners and half-siblings, the Blended Family Genogram Template has more room.

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 school counseling genogram template: The student (index person, double outline) with divorced parents, a stepparent married to one parent, sibling slots, two household enclosures (mother's home and father's home), a Student / Grade / Counselor / Date header, a key with divorce, remarriage and household boundary, and notes. — Blank: The student (index person, double outline) with divorced parents, a stepparent married to one parent, sibling slots, two household enclosures (mother's home and father's home), a Student / Grade / Counselor / Date header, a key with divorce, remarriage and household boundary, and notes.

School Counseling Genogram Template filled in: School Counselor Genogram: Student in Two Households drawn in GenogramAI with a genogram key — Filled in: The example is a fictional 8th grader, Aiden Park (14), who has ADHD and dyslexia and lives between his mother's remarried household and his father's apartment, with a step-sister, a half-sister, a conflict line with his stepfather, and the death this year of his grandmother Gloria, who was one of his closest relationships. 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 school counseling genogram template

1
Map the student's households
Draw the student with a double outline, both parents, any stepparents and siblings. Put a dashed enclosure around each household and write the custody schedule beside it.
2
Add the people who matter at school
Add grandparents or other relatives who do pickups, attend meetings or have recently died. Note educational history only where it is relevant.
3
Annotate stressors and supports
Record recent changes (divorce, remarriage, a new baby, a move, a death) with dates, and protective factors such as an involved relative or a stable routine.

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
Double outline	The student the chart is about.
Two slashes on the partner line	The parents' divorce; write the year.
Second partner line	A parent's remarriage or cohabitation with a stepparent.
Step-child line (dash-dot)	In GenogramAI, the stepparent's relationship to the student.
Dashed enclosure	A household: everyone inside lives at that address.
Close / conflict lines	Two blue lines / two dashed red lines between the student and family members.

Common mistakes to avoid

Drawing one household when the student spends real time in two.
Leaving out a recent death or move, which is often the trigger for the referral.
Recording parental conflict details the school does not need to know.
Filing the genogram in the student's educational record instead of counseling notes.

Who uses this template?

School counselors, school social workers, special education coordinators, and school psychology students.

Common uses

Student mental health intake: home and family context
IEP and 504 plan family history documentation
Attendance concerns linked to custody arrangements
Academic decline after a family change
Crisis response: family resilience and risk factors

What the template covers

Student / Grade / Counselor / Date header
Two household enclosures for a student between homes
Divorce and remarriage notation
Sibling and step-sibling slots
Notes for stressors, supports and school plans

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

Do school counselors use genograms?

Yes, as part of student assessments, particularly for academic, behavioural or social-emotional concerns. A genogram shows household composition, recent family transitions and who is available to support the student.

How is a school counseling genogram different from a clinical genogram?

It focuses on family structure, households, custody and changes that affect school engagement, rather than diagnoses or detailed emotional patterns. It is usually simpler, often two generations, and concentrates on concrete factors such as where the student lives on which days.

Can genograms be used with elementary-age children?

Yes, with simpler language and structure. Many counselors draw the genogram with the child as a family-mapping activity, letting the child name family members and say who they feel close to. For young children, focus on the household.

What are the confidentiality rules for school counseling genograms?

In US schools, counseling records are covered by FERPA and should be kept separately from educational records and shared only with staff who need them. Information a parent shares during a genogram interview is confidential in the same way, with the usual exceptions for safeguarding and mandatory reporting.