Relationships · Family Systems
Genogram
Three generations of family on a single page
About this worksheet
A genogram is a structured three-generation family map — Murray Bowen's tool for making intergenerational patterns visible on a single page. It uses standardized symbols (squares for men, circles for women, slashes for deceased, double-borders for the index client) and standardized relational lines (solid for marriage, slashes for divorce, zigzag for conflict, dashed-and-slashed for cutoff, double-line for closeness). What an intake conversation tends to flatten — 'my family is fine' — a genogram surfaces in fifteen minutes: the addiction running down one side, the cutoff after the immigration, the parentified eldest in three consecutive generations, the triangle that pulls the client in whenever two others are tense. This printable includes the full symbol legend, a populated three-generation template you can label with names and ages, and four pattern-surfacing prompts (repeating patterns, significant losses, triangles, family roles). Use it at intake for any client where family-of-origin material is on the table, in couples work, in addiction recovery (the family-systems lens often reframes 'my problem' as 'a family pattern I inherited'), and in any case where the client keeps repeating a relational pattern they can't see from inside.
When to use it
- Intake, when the presenting issue has family-of-origin roots (most of them do).
- Couples therapy, to surface what each partner brings forward from their family of origin.
- Addiction and recovery work, where intergenerational patterns are often the elephant in the room.
- Complex trauma, especially when the trauma is relational and the family of origin is the system.
- Skip during acute crisis — stabilize first; genograms tend to surface more than the client can hold in a dysregulated state.
How to use it
- 1Start with the index client
Place them in the middle of the bottom row with a double-bordered symbol. Add age, one or two descriptors.
- 2Build outward — parents, then grandparents
Squares left, circles right by convention. Marriage = solid horizontal line; children drop down from it.
- 3Add names, ages, and key descriptors
Occupation, illness, addiction, cause of death if relevant. One or two words each — not a biography.
- 4Layer the relational lines on top
Closeness (double-line), conflict (zigzag), cutoff (broken-and-slashed). This is where the patterns become visible.
- 5Step back and name what you see
Repeating patterns, triangles, family roles. Often the client sees them for the first time when they're on paper.
- 6End with one pattern to interrupt
Genogram without next-step is just intake. Land it with one specific pattern the client wants to break in their generation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a genogram?+
A genogram is a visual map of a family across three generations using standardized symbols — squares for men, circles for women, lines for relationships — developed by Murray Bowen and McGoldrick. Unlike a family tree, it captures emotional and relational information (closeness, conflict, cutoff, addiction, illness) not just biological lineage.
How is a genogram different from a family tree?+
A family tree captures biology and dates. A genogram captures the relational reality on top of that — who was close, who was cut off, who carried the addiction, who got triangulated when two others were tense. The genogram is the clinical version.
What symbols are used in a genogram?+
Standard McGoldrick symbols: square = male, circle = female, slash through symbol = deceased, double border = index client, solid horizontal line = marriage, two slashes on that line = divorce, double line between people = close relationship, zigzag = conflict, dashed line with two slashes = cutoff.
How many generations should a genogram include?+
Three generations is the standard — the client, their parents, and their grandparents. Some clinicians extend to four when working with intergenerational trauma or where great-grandparent information is clinically relevant.
Is a genogram only used in family therapy?+
No. Genograms are widely used in individual therapy, couples therapy, addiction recovery, and trauma work — anywhere family-of-origin material is on the table. They're also used in medicine (to map hereditary disease) and social work (to assess support systems).
Related worksheets
Worksheet — Genogram — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.