genogram

A genogram is a visual map of a family across multiple generations, used in therapy to track relationships, patterns, and emotional dynamics. Unlike a basic family tree that only shows bloodlines, a genogram includes information about mental health, addictions, abuse, significant losses, estrangements, alliances, and conflicts—giving both therapist and client a bird's-eye view of the family system.

Genograms are especially useful in trauma, attachment, and family-of-origin work. They help clients see how patterns like emotional unavailability, enmeshment, or substance abuse repeat across generations, and they create compassion by revealing the larger context a person was born into. Constructing a genogram often sparks powerful insights about roles, loyalties, and where one might consciously choose to change the family story.