Family Genogram

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COLLABORATING ON A FAMILY GENOGRAM

As you found out in Week 5, it is important as a counselor working with couples and families to understand one’s own family dynamics. Exploring your family dynamics helps you understand where you come from, issues that have influenced your family and can help you overcome any issues that may be a challenge. After creating your own genogram, hopefully you now realize all the valuable information contained in a genogram that may not have been recognized or considered before the use of this vital assessment tool.

For this Assignment, you will apply what you have learned about genograms and your own family by collaborating with a friend to create his/her family genogram. As you work with your friend, keep in mind that you must take the ethical and legal considerations of working with this sensitive information very seriously.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To Prepare:

  • Review the article, “Cultural Genogram: A Tool for Teaching and Practice” from the Week 4 Learning Resources.
  • Select a friend to complete a genogram assessment. (Please avoid using a family member since you just completed your own genogram on your family.)
  • Use the theoretical information presented in this module to help you construct your genogram assessment.
  • Review the Optional Learning Resources for this week to become familiar with the symbols and information included in a genogram.

Assignment:

  • Create a genogram assessment of a friend co-worker, or neighbor’s family includingthree generations (i.e., your friend and their siblings, their parents and parent’s siblings, and their grandparents and siblings OR your friend’s children, your friend and their siblings, and your friend’s parents and parent’s siblings.
  • The genogram is drawn by hand, photographed, and submitted as an image in your three-page summary. Include family dynamics, communication styles, mental/physical health, boundaries and family patterns and include a master key to the genogram. Birth dates, or ages, help provide context, so please provide as much detail as you can.
  • Summarize the genogram you created by describing the roles and patterns that emerge in it, using concepts from the systems theories that are discussed in this week’s Learning Resources. The summary should be in APA format and 3 pages maximum.
  • Explain how this genogram assessment may be useful in couples and family counseling of this friend.
  • Briefly explain how your understanding of your friends’ genogram assessment might impact your work as a counselor.
  • Your final document will be in APA 7 standard format for student papers (See Section 2.2 of the APA 7 manual) and will include a title page, your 3–4-page summary and analysis of your friend’s genogram, the genogram itself, and a reference page.

Support your Assignment by citing all resources in APA style, including those in the Learning Resources.

Weekly Reading

  • Oliver, M., Mincey, K. A.& Castillo, Y. (2021).  Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral theories: Approaches and applications. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.). Foundations of couples, marriage, and family counseling(2nd ed., pp. 209–224). Wiley & Sons.
  • Logan, C. R., Jackson, A. H., Wirick, D. M. & Teufel-Prida, L. A.  (2021). Counseling couples using life cycle and narrative therapy lenses. In D. Capuzzi & M. D. Stauffer (Eds.). Foundations of couples, marriage, and family counseling(2nd ed., pp. 273-287). Wiley & Sons.
  • Fischer, D. J., & Fink, B. C. (2014). Critical processes in behavioral couples therapyLinks to an external site.. Psychotherapy, 51(1), 11–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0033823

Weekly video