Activity 3: Genogram exercise

In your small group, following on from the chronology exercise, construct a genogram of the family.

You should aim to go back at minimum 2 generations.

Once you have constructed the genogram reflect on it and use the following questions to assist your critical analysis:

• What don’t you know about this family? Where are the gaps?
• What themes are important in the family history?
• Where are the strengths? In what way have the family been successful?
• By contrast are there any themes of war, oppression, trauma, famine, emigration, racism, poverty, disease, criminality, abandonment, mental illness, hospitalisation, early death, miscarriage, divorce, accidents, family secrets?
• Does religious/spiritual belief feature in any part of the family tree?
• What do you need to do as the supervisor to feel confident in supervising this case? (i.e. access to relevant research etc.)