How to Construct a Genogram
Step One: Draw the Primary Subject
Draw the primary subject(s) of your genogram—in many cases this will be a child or children.
• For a female, make a circle and put the person’s name in the circle.
• For a male, make a square and put the person’s name in the square.
• The oldest child goes on the left.
• The youngest child goes on the right.
Step Two: Drawn the Parents of the Primary Subject
Draw the parents of the primary subjects.
• A female parent always goes on the right.
• A male parent always goes on the left.
For Steps One and Two: You may also use The Genogram Diagram Form (in your Resources) to begin your genogram.
Step Three: Connect the Family
Connect the family together with lines. See the Genogram Key to determine what type of line to use to connect family members, e.g., a broken line indicates a distant relationship and a dotted line indicates a foster child.
Add information about individual family members as it becomes available. Information such a dates of birth/death, ethnicity, etc., can be written in or next to the square or circle representing that individual.
Step Four: Add Additional Generations
Just as you have a square and a circle representing the parents of the primary subject(s), you can use a square and a circle to represent the parents’ parents. The same symbols used to connect family members can be used to connect the parents’ parents to the family.
Step Five: Include Additional Information
Additional information can be included as you receive it. Refer to the Genogram Key to determine appropriate symbols.