What is a genogram?
A genogram is a visual map of a family across at least three generations. It uses standardized symbols to show not just who is related, but how: emotional bonds, medical history, and the patterns that repeat over time. Think of it as a family tree that also records relationships and health.
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What a genogram looks like
A genogram reads top to bottom, oldest generation first. Here is a simple three-generation family with the key parts labeled.
Genogram vs. family tree
A family tree shows who is related. A genogram shows the same people, then adds the layers a tree leaves out.
Names, dates, and lineage. It answers "who descended from whom" and stops there.
The same family, plus emotional bonds, a deceased relative, and health markers. It answers "how does this family work."
What a genogram shows
Four layers of information, all in one diagram.
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Relationships
Who is connected to whom: marriages, partnerships, divorces, and children across each generation.
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Emotional bonds
How people relate: close, distant, fused, conflicted, or estranged, drawn as a second layer of lines.
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Health & medical history
Illnesses, mental-health conditions, and substance use, so hereditary and family patterns are visible.
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Patterns across generations
Repeating dynamics and life events that a plain list of names and dates would never reveal.
Who uses genograms?
Anywhere understanding a whole family matters more than a list of names.
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Therapists & counselors
To understand family systems and the patterns shaping a client.
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Social workers
To document complex family structures and strengthen assessments.
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Nurses & doctors
To capture hereditary health risk across a family at a glance.
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Genealogists & families
To record not just lineage, but the story and bonds behind it.
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Students
To complete social work, nursing, and counseling coursework correctly.
How do you make a genogram?
Three steps, whether you draw it yourself or let AI build the first draft.
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Add your family
Type or paste the details, upload a file, or record a voice note. AI reads names, dates, and relationships.
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Connect & annotate
Relationship lines, emotional bonds, and health markers are placed with the correct standard symbols.
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Refine & export
Tweak the layout, then export to PDF, PNG, or Word to submit or save.
Genogram questions, answered
What is a genogram in simple terms?
A genogram is a family map that goes beyond names and dates. It uses standard symbols to show who is in a family, how they are connected, and the emotional bonds, health history, and patterns that run across generations.
What is the difference between a genogram and a family tree?
A family tree shows lineage: who descended from whom. A genogram shows the same people but adds layers a tree leaves out, like emotional relationships (close, distant, conflicted), medical and mental-health history, and behavioral patterns, so you can see how a family actually functions.
What does a genogram show?
At minimum, each person's sex and how they are related. Most genograms also record marriages, divorces, and children, plus emotional bonds, significant illnesses, and life events. The result is a single picture of structure, relationships, and health across at least three generations.
Who uses genograms?
Therapists and counselors use them to understand family systems, social workers for case assessments, nurses and doctors for hereditary health risk, and genealogists and families to record their story. Students across these fields build them for coursework.
How many generations should a genogram include?
Three generations is the standard. That is usually enough to reveal repeating patterns, such as health conditions or relationship dynamics, while keeping the diagram readable.
How do I make a genogram?
Add each family member, connect them with relationship lines, then layer in emotional bonds and any medical notes. With Genogenie you can also describe your family in plain English, or upload a file or voice note, and let AI build the first draft for free.
Keep exploring
- Genogram symbols The complete key: every shape, line, and marker explained.
- Genogram examples Real, filled-in genograms you can read and open in the tool.
- How to make a genogram A step-by-step guide from blank canvas to finished export.
- Famous family trees See genograms of well-known families, from presidents to pop stars.