Once you understand the power of a family tree, it’s time to make a genogram and this is where genogram maker software comes in. How you connect all the family members and family relationships is critical. Otherwise, you won’t have a professional family genogram. While there may be some free genogram options, they may not have the core genogram symbols. Genogram symbols help to expand a family tree beyond just a hierarchical chart.
A hierarchical charting tool will not do your family tree justice and will be missing critical family history information. Instead, you want to be able to work with software that has genogram templates. This will ultimately help you build that visual paradigm you’re looking to represent your family members.
Why is a professional genogram better than a normal family tree?
When you start to place all your family information into one location, you can begin to notice a pattern. When you create a genogram, you’re going to include family relationships and medical history. It’s also a living document that grows with the family. As information changes on your family genogram, it will help with any type of family therapy or social work.
You can see here an excellent example of why genograms are needed to support healthy family relationships. There are also options to start with your free genogram and use pre-built genogram templates.
Only then can you start to explore deeper regarding your troubles today and how your family model affects you. Dr. Murray wanted to help those understand better through this visual paradigm. Technology simply helps us build out some amazing genogram tools to make it easier to create a genogram.
How technology supports us with a genogram maker
The first thing you’ll have an issue with building a genogram from scratch is not knowing all the genogram symbols. A genogram from scratch manually means constantly searching or remembering those genogram symbols.
You’ll also need to gather information and store it somewhere. It may get lost during a move, forgotten about, or simply fade away since it will be paper-based. Digitizing to build out your family tree online and creating a genogram this way is really the best option.
Key features with a genogram maker using a digital diagramming tool
First, you’ll notice how user-friendly it is with all those genogram templates. Having genogram templates helps with your mind map ideas and helps to build out this digital visual paradigm. Many confuse organigrams (used to represent the structure of a business/company) with family trees (these diagrams show only the connections between family members) with genograms (diagrams showing family relationships and medical history details).
Avoid organizational chart examples when you want to find inspiration for a genogram, as they will restrict your options in design. These are great diagrams, but for different purposes. You start with the oldest generation possible as you gather information about your family members.
When you start with the most senior generation, you’re starting from the top, and many genogram templates follow that. There will be placeholders for medical history and diagramming tools to showcase that as well. It’s meant to be a visual paradigm; you can show diseases as well as strong or broken bonds between families. It’s a kaleidoscope of family members and the intricacies of family relationships
Then you’ll be able to use excellent genogram symbols which depict family relationships. This can happen in real-time and is meant to show marriage, divorce, engagement, and other family relationships. Yet to create a genogram and not a family tree, you need to add so much more.
You can add images with people or add visuals as you see fit. Many genogram templates will have these ready to be filled in with a minimalist interface. The minimalist interface does not take away from the genogram tools showing the overall family picture.
True collaboration
Another great way is the ability to also collaborate in real time. You don’t need to be next to other family members and can share all of this online. Just agree on one of many genogram templates, and you should be set to place all the information. Sharing your genogram using an online collaboration tool is the first step in building the best genogram to help you and your family.
You don’t have to worry about one person having a scrapbook-style physical item. As new information comes in from family members, it’s a simple drag-and-drop function to be able to capture the data. Then you can start building out a proper family history with the right free genogram tools that are available.
Again it’s best to work with tools that are specifically built for diagramming. Using a tool where that isn’t the primary focus will mean a lack of functionality and the possibility of higher costs. You can avoid that and work on what’s most important, mapping your family history and repairing your family relationships.
How Mindomo helps
We strive to be your number one diagramming tool possible out there. We also offer ways to be able to make your very own free genogram. We’re constantly building up our template offering and have genogram templates ready to go.
You can start creating a genogram from scratch or by simply using one of the two basic family tree templates available in Mindomo’s template library:
Here you can do all the features mentioned above, from tracking family medical history as well to family relationship history. We also offer easy ways to share your genogram online so that it can be a family endeavor. Keep your family history healthy when there are ways that you can preserve all of it.
Having a strong family history in a visual paradigm through your family genogram will help you and future generations. As we shift away from a paper society, we don’t want to lose who we are today. So often, family genograms are not done, and thus there’s no way to find out what could be underlying issues.
It could be a physical disposition to certain types of diseases. It could also help map out the family relationship issues that have caused an erosion within the family. Is there a pattern, or is it a one-off situation? All that can be tracked and recorded when you start using Mindomo as your family genogram maker software.
You can start for free and use it for free forever. Only upgrade when ready to expand how much you want to go and investigate.
Keep it smart, simple, and creative!
The Mindomo Team
