Running head: GENOGRAM ANALYSIS
Genogram Analysis Paper: The Brothwell Family
Sarah Brothwell
State University of New York
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Genogram Analysis Paper: The Brothwell Family
The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of family therapy theory and
application, through examining themes, issues and patterns within my own family of origin that
may influence my role as a counselor. I will begin providing a brief overview of a few concepts
that are central to family therapy, before I proceed on to examining my own family within
context of family counseling theory. A genogram is a family tree that details the intricate,
interpersonal relationships found between individuals, families and generations, through the use
of geometric figures, lines and words. It is a widely held belief that individuals and families can
only be understood by examining the complex systems in which they live. Genograms can lend
precious insight into the dynamics that take place within a family (Gladding, 2015, p. 243).
A basic premise of family counseling is that families can be viewed as a system of
individual parts that are mutually dependent on, and influenced by one another. In other words,
changes in one individual, either healthy or unhealthy, will inevitably lead to changes in the
other members within the system (Gladding, 2015, p.31). Causality is thought to be circular
rather than linear when examining family dynamics, which means that a cause does not simply
lead to an effect, but rather each event influences the other. For example, my father who is being
distant from my mother may say that he is distant because she is often angry. At the same time,
my mother may assert that she is only angry with him because he is so distant (Gladding, 2015,
p. 32). Imbalance is inevitable during periods of family transition, or hardship. However,
families with healthy dynamics are able to renegotiate their roles and return to state of
homeostasis more quickly (Gladding, 2015, p. 34-35).
Now I will delve into the dynamics of my family of origin. I was raised in an intact
middle class nuclear family, consisting of my older brother, my mother, my father and myself.
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The family life cycle is used to describe predictable developmental trends within a family over
time and for the middle class, nuclear family, it includes: (1) single young adults leaving home;
(2) the new couple; (3) families with young children; (4) families with adolescents, (5) families
launching children and moving on, and (6) families in later life (Gladding, 2015, p. 39). I would
categorize my family of origin as a family launching children and moving on. This stage has
been substantially lengthened due to my pursuit of a higher education and the financial
restrictions that arise as a result. Haley (1973), points out that pathology is likely to arise within a
family when the process of separation that naturally occurs throughout the family life cycle is
inhibited or delayed (Gladding, 2015, p. 46). The elongation of this cycle has placed extra
financial and emotional demands upon my relationship with my parents. However, there has
been a healthy amount of emotional and physical distancing that these demands are greatly
mitigated.
According to Family Systems Theory, the relationship or dynamics between individuals
influences the functioning of a family. Effective families have boundaries that are both structured
and flexible, while dysfunctional families have boundaries that are ridged (e.g. emotionally
detached, separated, cutoff) or diffused (dependence, over reliance or involvement) (Gladding,
2015, p. 302). I would describe my family’s level of differentiation as fairly normal and healthy.
However, on a continuum, my relationship with my mother would gravitate towards fusion,
while my relationship with my father would be more inclined towards rigidity.
Building on this theory, triangles are considered to be the basic building block of any
emotional system, which may be functional or dysfunctional. In a healthy family system, the
primary relationship (usually between two partners) is characterized as being united and stable,
while the child is on the outside. Unhealthy triangles occur when two people align against a
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single individual, as a means of reducing the anxiety that is taking place within the primary
relationship. This allows individuals within the system to avoid addressing the underlying
problem(s) that keeps the family from coming together (Gladding, 2015, p. 241). I believe that
my diffused relationship with my mother and my ridged relationship with father is indicative of
the existence of an unhealthy triangle dynamic. Over time, the interpersonal struggle between my
mother and my father has lead to the alignment of my mother and I, while my father has been
placed on the outside of this triangle and is often scapegoated as the “problem” in the family.
Bowen Family Therapy would make sense of this sort of patterned behavior by examining the
genogram and history of the family. Recurrent patterns are likely to be passed down through
generations, unless individuals examine and correct these patterns of functioning (Gladding,
2015, p. 243). During the transmission process, “coping strategies and patterns of coping with
stress are passed on from generation to generation” (Gladding, 2015, p. 241). In other words, we
learn how to cope through our experience with our nuclear family’s emotional process.
Typically, when families exhibit unhealthy emotional patterns, relationships can be emotionally
reactive, cutoff, or fused (Gladding, 2015, p. 240). It is possible that my mother learned through
her nuclear family’s emotional process how to create alignments with some individuals in the
family while disconnecting from others to avoid anxiety. From the genogram, it appears that she
was more connected to her mother and sister than to her father. It is also possible that my father’s
familial emotional process involved cutting off and emotionally disconnecting from others to
displace anxiety.
It’s interesting to note the pattern of divorce on the maternal side of the family. My great
grandmother divorced her first husband and later remarried. One generation later, my
grandmother also separated from her first husband before giving birth to my mother and her
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sister with my grandfather, George, who she later separated from. Both my mother and her sister
have been divorced or separated. I’ve been afraid of marriage for most of my life, even before
my parents decided to separate when I was eighteen. After discovering this pattern in my
genogram, it became clear to me why I had been terrified of divorce all these years. I began to
panic. I created a narrative that foretold my future marriage will inevitably fail, because I had
divorce running in my genes, and it was my destiny to experience the same pain as the women
who came before me.
According to Narrative Therapy, the stories that we tell others or ourselves may have a
greater impact than the actual experiences we have. Many times we create stories that are
saturated in problems, akin to the story that I relayed above (Gladding, 2015, p. 347). Narrative
family therapists help their clients to separate themselves from the problem-laden stories, in
order to construct a new story in which the client feels empowered. This process is called
restructuring (Gladding, 2015, p. 352). For example, I may reconstruct my story by
acknowledging that this is a pattern in my family, but also, that I am not predestined to live out
these old familial patterns. I have different life experiences, and I am a different person from my
mother or my grandmother. Maybe I’ll even choose a husband with a long history of happily
married couples.
How may all of these factors impact my role as a counselor? Am I likely to recreate
triangles with my clients? Will I find issues of divorce difficult to discuss? I certainly hope that
none of these things come to fruition, but it’s important to remember that we are all human
beings and thus have been shaped by our numerous experiences, which means that no one is
completely unbiased. The best we can do is to be aware of our reactions and actions towards
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others and if it seems as if countertransference may be occurring, then it is appropriate to seek
consultation from a supervisor or another trusted professional.
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References
Gladding, S.T. (2015). Family therapy: History, theory, and practice (6th ed.). Cranbury, NJ:
Pearson.