Genogram maker / Genogram symbols
Genogram symbols
The complete genogram key, following the McGoldrick–Gerson conventions taught in family therapy, social work and nursing programmes. Every symbol here is available in the genogram maker.
Every person symbol is built from layers
You don’t need to memorise dozens of separate icons. A genogram symbol starts with one shape for sex, then stacks a few marks on top: a second outline for the client, an X for a death, shading for health, brackets for adoption. Try it: switch the layers on and read what each one means.
This is why a well-drawn genogram can be read at a glance. The shape tells you who, the marks tell you what happened.
People
| Symbol | Name | How it is drawn |
|---|---|---|
| Male | Square. | |
| Female | Circle. | |
| Gender unknown | Diamond, used when gender is unknown, undecided or not recorded. | |
| Index person (IP) | Double outline: the client the genogram is about. | |
| Deceased | X through the symbol; add birth–death years and age at death. | |
| Age | Current age written inside the symbol. | |
| Gay, lesbian or bisexual | Small inverted triangle inside the symbol. | |
| Transgender | Outer shape shows gender identity; small inner shape shows sex assigned at birth. | |
| Adopted | Brackets around the symbol. |
Births, pregnancies and children
| Symbol | Name | How it is drawn |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy | Triangle, drawn on the children’s line where the child will be. | |
| Miscarriage | Small filled circle. | |
| Induced abortion | Small X. | |
| Stillbirth | Small square or circle with an X. | |
| Fraternal twins | Two children drawn from a single point on the sibling line. | |
| Identical twins | Twins with a short bar joining their two lines. | |
| Biological child | Solid vertical line from the parents’ line. | |
| Adopted child | Dashed vertical line. | |
| Foster child | Dotted vertical line. |
Health and substance shading (medical genogram symbols)
| Symbol | Name | How it is drawn |
|---|---|---|
| Physical or mental illness | Left half filled. Name the condition in a note. | |
| Alcohol or drug misuse | Bottom half filled. | |
| Suspected substance misuse | Bottom half hatched. | |
| In recovery from substance misuse | Bottom half filled with a light band. | |
| Illness and substance misuse | Three-quarters filled: both conditions together. |
Couple relationships
| Symbol | Name | How it is drawn |
|---|---|---|
| Married | Solid line down and across; male conventionally on the left. Write “m.” and the year. | |
| Living together | Dashed partner line; write “lt.” and the year. | |
| Engaged or dating | Dotted partner line. | |
| Separated | One slash across the partner line; write “s.” and the year. | |
| Divorced | Two slashes; write “d.” and the year. | |
| Affair or secret relationship | Dotted line with a cross mark. |
Emotional relationship symbols
Lines drawn directly between two people describe the quality of their relationship: close, fused, distant, conflictual, cut off, or abusive. They have their own guide with an interactive picker: genogram relationship lines.
Genogram legend tips
- Always include a key. Conventions vary between agencies and textbooks, and a key removes any doubt. GenogramCraft’s export adds one listing only the symbols your chart uses.
- Order siblings by age, oldest on the left, and put the male partner on the left of a couple unless there is a clinical reason not to.
- Write dates, not just shapes. “m. 1998 d. 2010” above a partner line or “1948–2015” under a symbol carries the timeline that makes patterns visible.
- Note what shading means. A half-filled square only says “illness”; the note beside it (“type 2 diabetes”, “depression”) is what a clinician needs.
Frequently asked questions
What do the square and circle mean on a genogram?
A square is a male and a circle is a female. A diamond or question mark is used when the gender is unknown or not recorded. The client being assessed (the index person) gets a double outline.
How do you show a death on a genogram?
Draw an X through the person’s symbol and write the birth and death years (for example 1948–2015) and the age at death beside it. Many clinicians also note the cause of death.
How do you show divorce and separation?
One slash across the partner line means separated; two slashes mean divorced. Write the dates above the line, for example “m. 1998 d. 2010”.
What does a dashed line mean on a genogram?
It depends on where it is. A dashed partner line means a couple living together without being married. A dashed line from parents to a child means adoption. A dashed emotional line between two people means a distant relationship.
Who created the standard genogram symbols?
The conventions most programmes teach come from Monica McGoldrick, Randy Gerson and Sueli Petry’s book Genograms: Assessment and Treatment, developed with a task force of the North American Primary Care Research Group in the 1980s. Agencies sometimes add their own local symbols; if you do, always include a key.
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