Genograms

by McGoldrick, Monica; Gerson, Randy; Shellenberger, Sylvia

• ISBN13: 9780393702941
• ISBN10: 0393702944
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc

Summary

Using famous families as case studies, this book explains how to draw, interpret, and apply the genogram, a graphic way of organizing the information gathered during a family assessment. Widely used in training of health and mental health professionals, Genograms is an engaging introduction to the principles of family systems theory. The new edition highlights new developments in genogram use. Monica McGoldrick lives in Highland Park, New Jersey. Sylvia Shellenberger, widow of Randy Gerson, lives in Macon, Georgia.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
Genograms: Mapping Family Systems	1	(12)
A Family Systems Perspective	6	(5)
A Caveat	11	(2)
Developing a Genogram to Track Family Patterns	13	(49)
Mapping the Family Structure	14	(6)
Constructing the Genogram	20	(3)
Tracking Family Patterns on the Genogram	23	(30)
Demographic Information: Getting the ``Facts''	23	(3)
Patterns of Functioning	26	(3)
Family Relationships and Roles	29	(4)
Critical Life Events	33	(1)
Family Chronologies	33	(2)
Coincidences of Life Events	35	(3)
Critical Life Changes, Transitions, and Traumas	38	(3)
Anniversary Reactions	41	(2)
Locating the Family in Historical Time: Social, Economic, and Political Events	43	(2)
Complex Genograms	45	(3)
Multiple Marriages and Intermarriages: Richly Cross-Joined Families	48	(1)
Children Raised in Multiple Households	48	(1)
Missing Infomation	49	(3)
Discrepancies	52	(1)
The Genogram Interview	53	(9)
The Family Information Net	53	(1)
The Presenting Problem and the Immediate Household	53	(1)
The Current Situation	54	(1)
The Wider Family Context	54	(1)
Dealing with a Family's Resistance to Doing a Genogram	54	(1)
Ethnic and Cultural History	55	(1)
The Informal Kinship Network	56	(1)
Tracking Family Process	57	(1)
Difficult Questions about Individual Functioning	57	(3)
Setting Priorities for Organizing Genogram Information	60	(2)
Interpreting Family Structure from Genograms	62	(39)
Household Composition	62	(4)
Traditional Nuclear Family Household	63	(1)
Single-Parent Families	63	(1)
Remarried Families	64	(1)
Extended Family Networks	65	(1)
Sibling Constellation	66	(23)
Birth Order	68	(1)
Twins	68	(1)
Different Roles for Brothers and Sisters	69	(3)
Oldest Sons and Daughters	72	(2)
The Youngest Child	74	(2)
Middle Children	76	(3)
Only Children	79	(1)
Sibling Position and Marriage	80	(4)
Sibling Position and Parenting	84	(1)
Sibling Relationships in Adult Life	85	(1)
Other Factors Influencing Sibling Constellation	85	(4)
Unusual Family Configurations	89	(4)
Children Growing Up in Multiple Families: Foster Care, Adoption and Orphanage Experiences	93	(6)
Clinical Illustration	99	(2)
Family Relational Patterns and Triangles	101	(14)
Triangles	102	(11)
Parent-child Triangles	103	(1)
Common Couple Triangles	104	(7)
Triangles in Families with Foster or Adopted Children	111	(1)
Multigenerational Triangles	112	(1)
Relationships Outside the Family	113	(2)
Assessing Family Roles, Functioning, Balance, Resilience, and Resources	115	(10)
The Family Structure	115	(1)
Roles	116	(1)
Level and Style of Functioning	117	(3)
Tracking Resilience	120	(3)
Family Resources	123	(2)
Using Genograms to Track Families through the Life Cycle	125	(24)
The Life Cycle of Freud's Family	126	(23)
Courtship and Marriage of Freud's Parents: The Joining of Families	126	(3)
The Transition to Parenthood and Family with Young Children	129	(5)
Family with Adolescents	134	(1)
Family at Midlife: Launching Children and Moving On	135	(1)
Marriage, the Next Generation	135	(5)
Parenthood, the Next Generation	140	(5)
Family in Later Life	145	(4)
Clinical Uses of the Genogram	149	(27)
The Genogram in Family Therapy	149	(20)
Engaging the Family	149	(1)
Dealing with Resistance in the Genogram Interview	150	(7)
Clarifying Family Patterns	157	(1)
Reframing and Detoxifying Family Issues	157	(1)
Using the Genogram to Design Interventions	158	(3)
Using Rituals Developed from the Genogram to Transform Loss	161	(3)
Making Genograms Come Alive in Therapy	164	(5)
Genogram Applications in Family Practice	169	(7)
Systemic Medical Recordkeeping	169	(2)
Rapport-building	171	(1)
Medical Management and Preventive Medicine	171	(5)
Using Genograms for Family Research	176	(15)
Research on the Genogram as a Clinical Tool	176	(8)
Research Complexities	177	(3)
Research on Clinical Usefulness	180	(3)
Reliability Studies	183	(1)
Research on Families and Family Process	184	(2)
Computer-generated Genograms	186	(5)
Appendix	191	(36)
Bibliography
References	199	(6)
Bibliography by Topic	205	(15)
Biographical References	220	(7)
Index	227