Complete Genogram Guide
Master the art of creating professional genograms with our comprehensive guide to symbols, relationships, and clinical standards based on McGoldrick & Gerson's methodology.
What is a Genogram?
A genogram is a graphic representation of a family tree that displays detailed data on relationships among individuals. It goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to visualize hereditary patterns, psychological factors, and relationship dynamics within a family.
Developed by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson in 1985, genograms are widely used across multiple professional fields:
Gender Symbols
Genograms use standardized shapes to represent individuals based on gender identity.
Male
Square
A square represents a male individual
Female
Circle
A circle represents a female individual
Transgender Male
Square + Circle
Square with inner circle
Transgender Female
Circle + Square
Circle with inner square
Nonbinary
Rounded Square
A square with rounded corners represents nonbinary gender identity
Intersex
Circle + Line
A circle with vertical dividing line represents intersex individuals
Unknown
Diamond
A rotated square when gender is unknown
Other
Diamond
A diamond for other gender identities
Status Indicators
Visual modifications to shapes indicate an individual's life status.
Alive
Normal shape
Standard shape without modifications
Deceased
X through shape
Diagonal line through the symbol, optional death dates
Pregnancy
Small triangle
Indicates current pregnancy
Miscarriage
Small X symbol
Indicates pregnancy loss
Stillbirth
Filled shape with X
Indicates stillborn child
Abortion
Small shape with cross
Indicates terminated pregnancy
Structural Relationships
Different line styles indicate various types of legal and family relationships.
Marriage
Solid double line
Cohabitation
Dashed line
Engagement
Dotted line
Dating
Light dotted line
Life Partner
Solid single line
Divorce
Double line + two slashes
Separation (Legal)
Double line + L slash
Separation (Physical)
Double line + P slash
Annulment
Double line + A
Widowed
Double line + X
Affair
Wavy line
One-night Stand
Dotted wavy line
Rape
Red arrow line
Parent-Child
Orthogonal vertical line
Association
Generic link line
Unknown
Dotted line
Child Connection Types
Different line styles on parent-child connections indicate the nature of the parent-child relationship.
Biological
Solid line
Biological child
Adopted
Dashed line
Legally adopted child
Foster
Dotted line
Foster child placement
Step
Stepped line
Stepchild relationship
Surrogate
S-marked line
Born via surrogate
Sperm Donor
SD-marked line
Sperm donor conception
Egg Donor
ED-marked line
Egg donor conception
Emotional Relationships
Emotional relationship lines visualize the quality and dynamics of relationships between family members. These are overlaid on top of structural relationships.
Harmony
Single green line
Balanced, peaceful relationship
Close
Two parallel blue lines
Warm, supportive bond with healthy boundaries
Friendship
Two parallel green lines
Non-familial supportive bond
Love
Green line with circle
Deep affection and caring
In Love
Green line with two circles
Mutual romantic attachment
Attachment
Green line with circles
Secure ongoing emotional tie
Limerence
Slate line, two circles, arrowhead
One-sided infatuation
Fused / Enmeshed
Three parallel red lines
Over-involved; boundaries blurred
Fused / Conflict
Three red lines + zigzag
Enmeshed and actively conflictual
Fused / Hostile
Three red lines + zigzag
Enmeshed with open antagonism
Fused / Violence
Three red lines + tight zigzag
Enmeshed with physical violence
Distant
Dashed red line
Emotional disconnection
Indifferent
Thin grey line
No emotional investment
Estranged / Cutoff
Solid red line + two bars
Contact deliberately broken
Cutoff Repaired
Blue line, two bars, circle
A break since reconciled
Never Met
Grey dashed line with X
No relationship ever formed
Distant / Hostile
Grey dashed + red zigzag
Disengaged and antagonistic
Distant / Violence
Grey dashed + tight zigzag
Disengaged with violence
Conflict
Two dashed red lines
Active tension and arguments
Hostile
Red zigzag
Open antagonism
Violence
Tight dark-red zigzag
Physical violence or threat
Hate
Three dashed red lines
Deep-seated animosity
Distrust
Black line with paired bars
Suspicion, withheld confidence
Jealous
Red arrow with diamond
Possessiveness and envy
Close / Hostile
Two blue lines + red zigzag
Close yet openly antagonistic
Close / Violence
Two blue lines + tight zigzag
Close with physical violence
Abuse
Black zigzag + blue arrow
Generic abuse pattern
Abuse — Physical
Red zigzag + filled arrow
Bodily harm, harm-doer to harmed
Abuse — Emotional
Red zigzag + outlined arrow
Coercion, degradation, control
Abuse — Sexual
Red double line + zigzag + arrow
Sexual violation
Neglect — Physical
Blue dashed line + arrow
Care, food or shelter withheld
Neglect — Emotional
Blue sparse-dashed + arrow
Emotional care withheld
Control
Red line + crossed box + arrow
Coercive control
Manipulative
Red dashed + X + arrow
Covert influence
Focused On
Red line + arrow
Attention directed at one person
Focused On — Negative
Red zigzag + arrow
Critical or blaming focus
Caretaker
Red line + double chevron
Caregiving directed at another
Fan / Admirer
Slate line, two circles, arrow
Admiration directed at another
Twin Types
Twins are represented with special connecting lines between siblings.
Fraternal Twins
V-shaped connection line
Dizygotic twins - two separate eggs
Identical Twins
V-shaped connection with bar
Monozygotic twins - single egg split
Immigration Markers
Immigration and cultural transition markers are placed on parent-child lines to indicate migration events.
Single (~)
Single tilde on parent-child line
Person lived in 2+ cultures
Double (~~)
Double tilde on parent-child line
Immigration/migration event
Medical History Tracking
Medical conditions are tracked using 4 customizable color-coded quadrants within each person's symbol. You can set your own labels for each quadrant to track any conditions relevant to your family.
4 Customizable Quadrants
Top-left quadrant - customizable label
Top-right quadrant - customizable label
Bottom-left quadrant - customizable label
Bottom-right quadrant - customizable label
Example labels: Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Alzheimer's, Autoimmune, or any condition relevant to your family history.
Cultural Heritage Patterns
Fill patterns within symbols indicate cultural heritage or ethnicity. Combined with text labels, they provide rich context about family backgrounds.
Horizontal
Vertical
Diagonal Right
Diagonal Left
Crosshatch
Dots
Waves
Braid
Checkerboard
Zigzag
Diamonds
None
Pattern Colors
Patterns can be rendered in 14 different colors including Slate, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Teal, Cyan, Blue, Indigo, Purple, Fuchsia, Pink, and Rose. This allows for distinguishing multiple heritage lines within the same genogram.
Religious Indicators
Religious affiliation is displayed using standardized icons near each person's symbol.
Christianity
Cross
Judaism
Star of David
Islam
Crescent Moon
Buddhism
Dharma Wheel
Hinduism
Om
Sikhism
Khanda
Spiritual
Sparkles
None/Atheist
Minus
Other
Ellipsis
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation can be documented using triangle markers below the person's symbol. Non-heterosexual orientations display a small triangle indicator.
Heterosexual
Attraction to opposite gender
Gay
Male same-sex attraction
Lesbian
Female same-sex attraction
Bisexual
Attraction to multiple genders
Asexual
Little to no sexual attraction
Pansexual
Attraction regardless of gender
Queer
Non-heteronormative orientation
Unknown
Orientation not specified
Location Tracking
Geographic information helps track migration patterns and current locations. GenogramAI supports 47 countries with flag icons and structured location data.
Location Data Structure
- Country (with ISO 2-letter code)
- State/Province
- City
- Country flag badge display
Best Practices
Start with the Index Person
Begin your genogram with the person of primary focus (the index person or main subject) and work outward from there. This creates a clear organizational center.
Include at Least Three Generations
For a comprehensive view, include grandparents, parents, and children. More generations provide richer context for identifying patterns.
Maintain Consistent Spacing
Keep siblings evenly spaced and generations aligned horizontally for clarity and readability. GenogramAI's layout engine handles this automatically.
Add Dates and Ages
Include birth years, death years, and ages at significant events to create a timeline of family history and identify age-related patterns.
Document All Relationship Types
Don't just show marriages—include divorces, separations, and emotional relationships to give a complete picture of family dynamics.
Update Regularly
Genograms are living documents. Update them as new information becomes available or circumstances change within the family.
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Socioeconomic Class
Social class indicators provide context about family economic circumstances across generations.
Upper
Upper-Middle
Middle
Working
Poverty