Social work genogram rubric
While patients might not be ready to talk about their experiences, social workers can already get a picture of what happened, thanks to the detailed information a genogram provides. Patients who have a hard time speaking about their experience will find it more comfortable to tell their story indirectly through writing or drawing. One of the uses of a genogram in social work is how it paves a path towards open dialogue. Child abuse rate by race/ethnicity of the victim Situations like this make it even harder for a social worker, who is a total stranger, to encourage clients to talk about their problems. In rare instances, victims may find it easier to talk to a close friend about their experience. Relatives usually don’t know about the existence of such a situation. People who experience abusive relationships struggle to speak about their hardships. Most professionals delving in social work belong to this category.Īssist struggling individuals connect with their families, helping abandoned and abused children find a new home or adoptive parent, and finding resources for parents to provide better care to their children are some of the functions of a social worker under this group.
This sketchnote version of a genogram symbol key is now available via the links below.Social workers who help families, children, and elderlies resolve their problems belong to this category. In art or play-based genogram interventions, symbols can be replaced with colors, toys, stickers, or figures. Ask your client how they would like to be represented, and work collaboratively. The standard symbols (included in the key) and expanded symbols (included in the flashcards) still don’t come close to capturing this fully. This feels especially poignant around gender and sexual identity symbols. Once you’ve learned the language, improvise and adapt to your client or patient’s needs. It gives you vocabulary that weaves together into a meaningful language. Learning/memorizing symbols is important. Centering client experience and self-identification helps this tool empower and spark growth rather than label and pathologize. In the opinion of this author, the ethical use of genograms integrates an individual’s own self-representations and symbolic identifications as the basis. Learning/memorizing genogram symbols is important. If you are interested in learning more about genograms, check out Genograms: Assessment and Interventions (by Monica McGoldrick, Randy Gerson Ph.D., and Sueli Petry Ph.D.) The visual language of Genograms concisely represents the complexity of relationships and intergenerationally transmitted issues. Genograms can serve as a bridge between the seen and unseen, accessible to artists and non-artists alike.
While art therapy offers a more visual approach, art therapy can be off-putting to individuals who don’t identify as artists. Seeing something tangible that has only been discussed in the intangible can bring clarity for many individuals. For visual thinkers, however, visual aids help make important connections. I think talk-therapy has incredible value. Recently Added Updates to this Genogram Key: Once aware, we can become empowered to make more informed decisions about our own behaviors. (The field of intergenerational trauma seeks to understand these links in psychology and genealogy.) The genogram is a helpful tool to help us notice patterns. In America, we are especially individualistic and often forget how influenced we are both explicitly and implicitly by our ancestors. It can even be used to track seemingly random events through generations, like religious devotion, teenage pregnancy, miscarriages, sexual abuse, or just about any other human experience.
Genograms can be developed for an individual specifically to track addictions, cancers, emotional fusions, estrangements, psychiatric disorders, and more.
While there are some standard symbols – many illustrated in this chart – genograms can be adapted in countless ways. One thing I love about genograms is that a genogram can be very flexible.