GENOGRAMS
FOR ASSESSMENT & INTERVENTION WITH ADULT ADOPTEES
TRANSFORMING HURT INTO HEALING
Family Trees Revisited
You may remember making a family tree in childhood. This early childhood project is frequently mentioned by adoptees as they begin to process their adoption experience in adulthood. Many recall feelings ranging from mildly confusing to incredibly painful. Sadly, very few remember doing one that accurately reflected their adopted status.
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In an effort to facilitate meaning making & offer a corrective emotional experience for my clients, I considered how I might help them make a new family tree; one that reflected their whole story & could evolve with them as they gathered new information about their roots. With an iPad & a TV, a new way of connecting with my clients was born. Here's how:
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"I told the teacher I was adopted. She said I should just draw the tree with the family I'm in now. So I had to either lie or not do it and get a zero. I remember feeling really ashamed about my story"
ROGER, age 61
Creating GENOGRAMS with Adult Adoptees
Genograms are a hallmark of family therapy assessment & intervention. These multi-generational family maps enable clinicians & clients to learn a lot about family relationships, dynamics, & history.
Using genograms with adult adoptees can be uniquely helpful in the therapeutic process. Here's how:
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Creating a contextual & meaningful narrative
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Assessing intergenerational connections & patterns
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Tracking information for search and/or reunion
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Obtaining medical history
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Facilitating family conversations
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SOME RESOURCES FOR USING GENOGRAMS:
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AN EXAMPLE OF AN ADULT ADOPTEE GENOGRAM
This genogram illustrates both the adoptee's biological & adoptive roots. This adoptee is fortunate enough to have information regarding their first parents but many adoptees do not. Note that you can still complete a genogram for adoptees who have not searched or do not have access to their information. This visual recognition of their genetic prequel & unknown information can still be a powerful intervention in meaning-making for adoptees.
These are two of the most useful symbols to know when creating a genogram with an adoptee.
For a downloadable list of symbols to assist in making & interpreting genograms,
click here.