Genograms (family trees)

The construction of a genogram (family tree) is a powerful way of contextualizing the symptom, the young person, and the family.



Here it is not the final result (namely an elaborately completed tree) that is important, but the process of constructing it and the questions that guide the family to make new discoveries and connections. Particular attention is paid to signs or symptoms of psychiatric disorders and associated presentations on the family tree and a detailed exploration of how different people and generations coped with those symptoms, the effect these symptoms and behaviours had on others and the coping mechanisms used. This is then connected with the young person's symptomatology and the family's current predicament. With the genogram 'in sight' relationship patterns, such as distance and closeness, coalitions, boundaries, will be examined and the family encouraged to discuss with one another what conclusions could be drawn from that.

There are other visual techniques which encourage patients to make diagrammatic representations of their past, present and/or future life, including The AMBIT Pro-Gram or the Dis-integration grid.

In Group Work or MultiFamilyWork these techniques usually engage clients with one another as they cannot help commenting on the partner's or parent's pictures, thus challenging each others' perceptions and discussing how to do things differently in the future.