Quick Guide to Genograms
This free online self-paced learning is designed for practitioners working in mental health, alcohol & other drugs, and related services, and takes only one hour to complete
Use of genograms is considered best practice in mental health and other settings and supports family-inclusive practice. Drawing a genogram will help identify potential supports and points of relationship stress, and dependent family members such as children or elderly parents. Including this information diagrammatically in a client’s file will enable fellow practitioners to quickly understand your client’s important relationships.
In this short course you will learn genogram conventions, formats and symbols, and how to incorporate the drawing of a genogram as part of an existing process with your client, such as an intake assessment.
Format | Self-paced online, available 24/7 |
Duration | 1 hour |
Cost | FREE |
Presenter | Hanna Jewell |
Start the Quick Guide to Genograms
Course Resources
Please select the below resources to download them.
Client-centred approach – the client’s views and choices are explored, valued, acknowledged and respected in identifying who is family and their family’s level of involvement in treatment, care planning and decision making
Family – family, significant others and social networks
Family-inclusive practice – supports a productive three-way relationship between clinicians, clients and family members and carers
FaPMI – Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness
Lived and living experience – people with experience of mental health and or substance use and addiction, and their families, carers and supporters
Non-binary – someone whose gender is not exclusively female or male Platonic – intimate relationship that is not romantic or sexual
Polygamy – romantic or sexual relationships involving more than two people
Transgender female – someone who was assigned male at birth and identifies as female
Transgender male – someone who was assigned female at birth and identifies as male
Trauma-informed practice – considers the impacts of trauma on individuals, families and communities by being curious and asking, ‘what has happened to you?’ rather than ‘what is wrong with you?’
Barrett, C., Mansfield, K., Bradshaw, K., Paynter, T. Conning, S. (2019). Ripplegrams.
A Resource To Support Older Trans and Gender Diverse People and Their Families. https://alicesgarage.net/wpcontent/uploads/RippleGramResourceHere.pdf
Barsky, A. E., (2022) Sexuality- and Gender-Inclusive Genograms: Avoiding Heteronormativity and Cisnormativity, Journal of Social Work Education, 58:2, 379-389, DOI: 10.1080/10437797.2020.1852637
Department of Health and Human Services (2018). Working Together With Families and Carers - Chief Psychiatrist’s Guideline. Victorian Government.
McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., Petry, S., (2020). Genograms: Assessment and Treatment (4th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Multicultural Family Institute https://multiculturalfamily.org/ (Resources for purchase include low-cost downloadable pdfs)
The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University (2013). Guidelines for Trauma-informed Family Sensitive Practice in Adult Health Services. Guidelines for-trauma-informed-family-sensitive-practice-in-adult-health-services
Victorian Government, LGBTIQ Inclusive Language Guide.
Bouverie Centre. (2016). From Individual To Families: A Client-Centred Framework Involving Families, Developed For Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug Services.
Creately: https://creately.com/usage/genogram-template-example/
GenoPro: https://genopro.com/
Lucidchart: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/example/genogram-maker
Wondershare EdrawMax: https://www.edrawmax.com/genogram/genogram- maker/
Certificate of completion
Certificate of completion will be available after responding to a short post-learning survey. Your responses are anonymous and help us with development of further workforce training.
Further training
To advance your skills with working with families, we recommend the following online courses to further your development.
Browse our range of professional development workshops and courses via our Professional Development webpage.