It can reveal how a person’s experiences today make sense in the larger context of their family-of-origin and past experiences.Ī genogram is the Family Tree 3.0: not only does it reveal who’s who in the family, but it also is rich in information about: So Why the Genogram?Ī genogram is an important tool for self-awareness, personal development, and relationship development.

Nevertheless, to consider one’s own experiences apart from significant environmental factors would be like trying to complete a puzzle with less than half the pieces.

This is NOT to say that our childhood experiences absolutely determine who we become when we grow up. Having been so accustomed to being alone, they might have their survival mode set to “ Numb”, which may have significant implications in future relationships and mental, emotional, and physical health. The person’s significant relationships and the environment they grew up in (family, neighborhood, culture, religion, etc.) have likely majorly influenced how the person experiences, understands, and expresses anxiety and depression and how others have responded to the individual.Ī person who grew up as a latchkey, only child whose parents were rarely home because of work, addictions, or any other situation might not have had the emotional attunement and coaching needed to understand their own feelings and know what to do with them. A genogram can help make sense of all that.Ĭhances are that what the person is dealing with is ALSO a systemic issue. If someone has anxiety and depression, society often sees them to be an individual issue that therefore needs an individual solution (such as medications or “Just get over it’s”). Despite the value of individualism that Western societies so pride themselves in, no one was born in a vacuum.

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