Genogram Examples
Seeing real examples is the fastest way to understand how genograms work. Below are common genogram patterns you will encounter in clinical practice, each explained with the standard symbols.
Nuclear Family
The simplest genogram shows a couple and their children. Two parents are connected by a horizontal marriage line. Children hang below the couple via vertical connector lines, ordered from oldest (left) to youngest (right). This is the building block of every genogram - most clinical genograms are multiple nuclear families connected across generations.
Structure: Father (square) - marriage line - Mother (circle), with two children (square, circle) below.
Blended Family with Divorce
When a couple divorces and one or both partners remarry, the genogram shows both relationships. The original marriage line gets two diagonal slashes (indicating divorce), and a new marriage line connects to the new partner. Children from each relationship connect to their respective parent pair. This pattern is extremely common in practice - social workers frequently encounter families with multiple marriage and divorce cycles.
Structure: First wife (circle) - divorce line - Husband (square) - marriage line - Second wife (circle). Children from each relationship connect to the appropriate couple.
Three-Generation Genogram
A standard clinical genogram includes at least three generations. Grandparents sit at the top, their children (the parent generation) in the middle, and grandchildren at the bottom. This layout reveals intergenerational patterns - when you see that depression, substance use, or relationship conflict appears in every generation, it becomes a focal point for clinical work.
Structure: Two grandparent couples at the top, their children married to each other in the middle, and the client generation at the bottom.
Genogram with Deceased Members
Deceased family members are marked with an X through their symbol. Recording who has died, when, and from what cause helps identify hereditary health risks and unresolved grief in the family system. A genogram that shows a grandfather, father, and uncle all dying from heart disease before age 60 tells a story that might otherwise be spread across separate medical records.
Structure: Standard three-generation genogram with X overlays on deceased members and death years noted.
Single-Parent Family
A single-parent genogram shows one parent connected to children without a visible partner, or with a partner shown as separated or divorced. The absent parent can still be included in the genogram with a separation line, which is clinically useful - even absent parents shape family dynamics. Notes can indicate the reason for absence (incarceration, abandonment, unknown paternity).
Structure: Single parent (square or circle) with children connected directly, or with a separated/unknown partner shown to the side.
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