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1.

What Are the Genogram Symbols


Genogram symbols are a method of communicating the meaning of relationships
between family members or generally between two individuals or more. Genogram
symbols are a method of communicating the meaning of relationships between
family members or generally between two individuals or more. They can be used for
the child's birth date, occupation, hobbies, and physical description. The symbols
used in a genogram are commonly drawn using circles and lines. Genogram symbols
are also used on posters representing information such as a child's age.

They can be used to explore family dynamics and relationships, aid family counseling
and therapy, and help people understand their personal history, including the
circumstances that might have led to their present circumstances.

Genogram Symbols:
Genogram symbols are a method of communicating the meaning of relationships
between family members or generally between two individuals or more.

2. The Types of Genogram Symbols


As far as the types of genogram symbols are concerned, they can be subdivided
further into multiple kinds as per use. A genogram is made up of a table organized
into sections. The first section contains the main person or persons in the genogram.
The second section includes the primary relationships. The third section contains
secondary relationships. The fourth section contains tertiary relationships. The last
area is optional and consists of any notes about the genogram. Following are some
basic types of genogram symbols:

 Basic Genogram Symbols


 Family Relationship Symbols
 Emotional Relationship Symbols
 Medical Genogram Symbols

2.1 Basic Genogram Symbols

Basic genogram symbols carry necessary information of a person: gender, birth, and age,
immigration, sexual orientation and pregnancy situation, etc. Genogram symbols usually
display the date of birth (and date of death if applicable) above the box, and the name of the
individual underneath. The inside of the symbol will hold the person's current age or various
codes for genetic disease or user-defined properties: abortions, still-births, SIDS,
cohabitation, etc.
Source: EdrawMax
2.2 Family Relationship Symbols

Is a family relationship a genogram similar to a family tree? The answer is NO. A family
relationship genogram conveys much more information and is way more complicated than a
family tree. Referring to family relationships, you can illustrate whether a couple is married,
engaged, common-law, divorced, or separated with simple color-coded lines and symbols.

Source: EdrawMax

2.3 Emotional Relationship Symbols


Emotional relationship symbols are used to describe the emotional bond between any two
individuals in the genogram. For example, you can tell whether a couple is in love or not by
checking the connecting lines' colors. Usually, green means a couple is in a harmonious
relationship, while red implicates the conflicts between them. Be careful; if you happen to see
the blue lines in the diagram, there are domestic abuses in this family.

Source: EdrawMax
2.4 Medical Genogram Symbols

Medical genogram symbols play the most crucial role in genograms. Medical genograms
provide a quick and scientific context that indicates the possibility of an individual's health
risks. Here I divide medical genogram symbols into two parts according to their appearance -
colored or monochrome.

Monochrome Medical Genogram Symbols

By structuring the diseases and conditions in a family, a medical genogram can help
you take precautions to avoid genetic diseases and illnesses if you are going to have
a baby.
Source: EdrawMax

Use Genogram Symbols Now

Colored Medical Genogram Symbols

The colored medical genogram symbols consist of all common genetic diseases, such
as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, down syndrome, depression, and asthma, etc.

Source: EdrawMax

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3. Where to Find Genogram Symbols


It would help if you had proper genogram symbols to create a genogram with
details and a clear representation of each component. You can easily find genogram
symbols in the symbol library of EdrawMax.

You can easily find genogram symbols in the symbol library of EdrawMax.
EdrawMax gives you more than 26000 symbols that you can use to create a
genogram or any other diagram. You can go and search for the symbols you want in
EdrawMax and click on the genogram. Go to the genogram category and use a
simple drag and drop to add any symbol you want.

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