What Is a Genogram and How to Make One
A genogram looks like a family tree but shows much more — not just who's related to whom, but the nature of those relationships and patterns that run through a family. Here's what a genogram is and how to make one.
A standard family tree records structure: parents, children, marriages. A genogram adds a layer of meaning on top — emotional relationships (close, distant, conflicted), health conditions, and recurring patterns across generations. It's widely used in medicine, counseling, and social work precisely because it reveals things a plain tree can't.
What a genogram can show
- Family structure: the same births, marriages, and generations a tree shows.
- Relationships: whether bonds between people are close, strained, or broken.
- Health history: conditions that recur in the family, useful for medical awareness.
- Patterns: repeating life events, roles, or dynamics across generations.
Build your family tree — free
Kinidhi's tree maker lets you add relatives in a few taps, with the correct Telugu kinship term computed for every relative. No sign-up, nothing leaves your device, and you can download the finished tree as an image.
Open the free tree maker →Common symbols
Genograms use a standard visual language: squares for males, circles for females, with lines connecting them. Horizontal lines show marriages or partnerships, vertical lines connect parents to children, and different line styles indicate the quality of a relationship — a solid line for close, a jagged line for conflict, a cut line for estrangement. Health information is often noted beside each person.
How to make one
- Start with yourself and your immediate family, using squares and circles.
- Add generations upward and outward, drawing the connecting lines.
- Mark relationships with the appropriate line styles where you know them.
- Add notes — health conditions, key dates, important facts — beside each person.
- Keep it updated as you learn more or as the family grows.
Why families find them useful
Beyond clinical settings, a genogram helps families understand themselves — seeing how a grandparent's choices echo generations later, or recognizing a health pattern worth watching. It turns a list of names into a map of how a family actually works, which is often more revealing than any single fact.
Build your family tree — free
Kinidhi's tree maker lets you add relatives in a few taps, with the correct Telugu kinship term computed for every relative. No sign-up, nothing leaves your device, and you can download the finished tree as an image.
Open the free tree maker →Start with the tree
A genogram builds on an accurate family tree, so the first step is getting the structure and relationships right. Once you have the people and how they connect — including the precise kinship relationships — layering on the genogram's extra meaning becomes straightforward.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a genogram and a family tree?
A family tree shows who is related to whom. A genogram adds layers on top — the emotional quality of relationships, health history, and recurring patterns across generations — using a standard set of symbols.
What are the symbols used in a genogram?
Squares represent males and circles represent females, connected by lines: horizontal for marriages, vertical for parent-child. Different line styles show relationship quality — close, distant, conflicted, or estranged — and health notes sit beside each person.