Genograms in research: participants’ reflections of the genogram process

Abstract

The genogram is a visual, symbolic representation of multiple generations of a family, structured in much the same way as a family tree. Genograms emerged within systemic family therapy as an assessment and intervention tool but, in their ability to generate rich data, they are gaining traction as a research tool. While the benefits of genograms in therapeutic practice have been well documented, the literature exploring them as a research method is limited. This paper aims to contribute to this knowledge, by considering participants' experiential reflections of constructing their genograms, a process they engaged in as part of a broader study which explored the intergenerational transmission of family violence. We illustrate that while genograms generated powerful qualitative data, they also had unintended therapeutic and transformative effects on participants which transcended the interview room. We consider the ethical complexities of using genograms as a qualitative method, and make recommendations for future research.

Qualitative genogram analysis: A methodology for theorizing family dynamics

“…Importantly, the traditional use of genograms has a clinical focus, and clinicians and family therapists have been utilizing genograms for more than 80 years to visually depict relevant relationship patterns simultaneously within the family (McGoldrick et al, 2020). Research using genograms, on the other hand, is limited; studies have either examined the genogram as a clinical training instrument (Frame, 2000; Hardy & Laszloffy, 1995), as a way to gather more information in interviews (Alexander et al, 2022; Rempel et al, 2007; Watts & Shrader, 1998), or as one piece of data within a larger body of information collected as part of a case study (Barthwell, 1995). We believe that adapting this well‐established clinical tool to advance research examining family systems is much needed and long overdue.…”

A Biopsychosocial Instrument to Study and Intervene in the Complexity of Changes and Stability of Family and Community System Health: The Genogram

“…Finally, it is important to emphasize that the genogram is also an intervention or treatment tool (27,55,56) as well as a biomedical, health economics and public health research tool and method (9,57,58). In addition, the genogram is useful for identifying pathways of transmission in epidemiological studies (59,60).…”