Activity 1.1 | Situating Self

A genogram is a visual representation of you, your close relationships, such as your parents and siblings, and your ancestors, similar to a family tree. It represents your family relationships. Like a road map, it shows you where you came from and helps guide you to where you are going. It enables you to get to know yourself better, seek answers about where your ancestors came from, and discover who may be close or distant relatives. 

Often, you will find behaviour patterns in different generations of your family. Your family is like a tree. There are roots, deep or shallow; branches, strong or weak; leaves, brilliant or dull. Every family has points of strength and resilience but also imperfections. Many families choose not to talk about some relatives or events.

To begin, you need a large sheet of paper with pens or pencils. You may have access to other family records, such as photos or letters, and perhaps a person who knows much about your family history. You may also find that you know little about parts of your history, for example, you may not know much about birth parents if you are adopted or estranged. What is important is that you include what you do know and seek out gaps that you may be able to find information. Government records may take a long time to access. You may choose to include persons who have been like family and had strong influences on your development as a person.

Take some time to make your diagram in whatever form works best for you: a tree, a circle with you at the centre, boxes that include related nuclear families, or another way that mirrors your thoughts. A genogram can include symbols or colours to denote person’s professional status and accomplishments, immigration, ethnicity, divorce/remarriage, early death/health histories, mysteries of members who disappeared, as you like. This gathered information will tell your personal story. You may wish to make separate notes of questions that come up.

Keep your diagram for a further exercise later in this course.