Genogram tutorial: build a family genogram in minutes
A complete walkthrough, from a blank canvas to an exported three-generation genogram. No design skills needed — you can follow along free in a second tab.
What you'll learn
- What a genogram is, and how it differs from a family tree
- How to create a genogram and set the index person
- Building family structure quickly with Quick Connect
- Adding birth years, occupations, and medical conditions
- Drawing emotional relationship lines: close, conflict, and distant
- Using views, text labels, and the auto-generated genogram key
- Building and editing a genogram with the AI assistant
- Exporting your genogram as PNG, PDF, or SVG
Chapters
- 0:00What is a genogram?
- 0:55The GenogramAI workspace
- 1:13Start a genogram: the index person
- 1:56Build the family with Quick Connect
- 3:05Add details: ages and medical history
- 3:40Emotional relationships (close, conflict, distant)
- 4:32The auto-generated genogram key
- 4:41Views, labels, and layout controls
- 5:19Build with the AI assistant
- 5:57Export your genogram
Who this tutorial is for
The walkthrough is aimed at anyone who needs a genogram to be clinically legible rather than merely decorative: therapists mapping family systems, social work students preparing an assessment, nurses and genetic counselors tracking hereditary health patterns, and people simply exploring their own family history.
Everything drawn in the video follows McGoldrick notation, the standard clinicians are trained on — so a genogram built this way can be read by a supervisor or a colleague without a legend. If you would rather read than watch, the same ground is covered in how to make a genogram, and the symbols themselves are catalogued in the genogram symbols guide.
Frequently asked questions
The full video runs 6 minutes and 34 seconds. It is chaptered, so you can jump straight to the part you need — building family structure, adding medical history, drawing emotional relationships, or exporting.
No. GenogramAI runs in the browser, so you can follow the tutorial in a second tab without installing software. It is free to start and no credit card is required.
Yes. The genogram in the video follows McGoldrick notation — the standard clinicians are trained on — including the close, conflict, and distant relationship lines, and an auto-generated key that labels every symbol used.
Yes, and the tutorial covers it at the 5:19 mark. The built-in AI assistant lets you describe a family in plain English and builds the structure for you, which you can then adjust by hand.
PNG, PDF, and SVG. The export step is covered from 5:57 in the video, including the auto-generated genogram key that accompanies the diagram.
Build your first genogram
Free to start, no credit card required. Runs in the browser, and also builds ecomaps and fully custom family maps.
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