A genogram is a visual representation of a family tree that displays detailed information about relationships and patterns across multiple generations. Unlike a traditional family tree, a genogram includes psychological, medical, and social information, making it an invaluable tool for understanding family dynamics, hereditary conditions, and behavioral patterns. Mental health professionals, genetic counselors, social workers, and students regularly use genograms to identify patterns that might influence current family situations and health outcomes.
Genograms use standardized symbols to represent different types of relationships, emotional connections, and medical conditions. This standardization ensures that genograms can be universally understood by professionals across various disciplines including psychology, medicine, social work, and family therapy.
Genosm's free genogram maker transforms the traditionally complex process of creating genograms into an intuitive, accessible experience. Our browser-based tool eliminates the need for expensive software licenses or technical expertise, making professional-quality genogram creation available to students, educators, and professionals alike.
The tool offers real-time visual feedback, automatic layout optimization, and comprehensive symbol libraries that adhere to standard genogram notation. Whether you're a psychology student working on your first family assessment or a seasoned therapist documenting complex multi-generational patterns, Genosm provides the flexibility and power you need without the learning curve of traditional diagramming software.
Begin by clicking the "Add Person" button in the left sidebar. This opens a form where you can enter basic information including name, gender, birth year, death year (if applicable), medical or psychological conditions, and additional notes. The first person you add typically represents the identified patient or primary focus of your genogram.
Continue adding family members by clicking "Add Person" for each individual. You can specify gender (male, female, other, or pet for family pets), birth and death years for age tracking, and select multiple medical or psychological conditions from the comprehensive checklist. Each person can be positioned on the canvas by dragging them to the desired location, allowing you to organize your genogram according to generational hierarchy.
To connect family members, use the "Add Relationship" button. Select two people from the dropdown menus and choose the relationship type. For partner relationships, specify marital status (married, divorced, separated, cohabitating, or engaged) and emotional quality (normal, close, fused, enmeshed, distant, conflictual, hostile, cutoff, triangulated, abusive, or neglectful). For other relationships, select from sibling, grandparent-grandchild, or uncle/aunt-nephew/niece connections.
The "Add Child" function streamlines the process of adding offspring. Select one or both parents, then click "Add Child" to automatically create a new person with parent-child relationships already established. This saves time when mapping large families and ensures proper hierarchical organization in your genogram.
Click any person symbol on the canvas to select them (the symbol will highlight with an orange glow). With a person selected, use "Edit Selected" to modify their information or "Delete Selected" to remove them from the genogram. To edit relationships, use the "Edit Relationship" button, select two people, and the tool will automatically load their existing relationship details if one exists.
Use the zoom controls in the bottom-right corner to adjust your view. The plus and minus buttons zoom in and out, while the circular arrow resets to the default view. You can also pan across the canvas by clicking and dragging in empty spaces. The "Reset View" button in the sidebar returns to the optimal viewing angle for your entire genogram.
Your work is automatically saved to your browser's local storage, so you can close and return without losing progress. For backup or sharing purposes, use "Export JSON" to save your data file, or "Export SVG" to create a high-resolution image perfect for printing or including in reports. The share function generates a shareable link that encodes your entire genogram.
Genosm includes the complete set of standardized genogram symbols. Gender is represented by squares (male), circles (female), and diamonds (other/non-binary), with an additional diamond option for family pets. Deceased individuals are marked with an X through their symbol. Relationship lines vary by type: solid lines for parent-child connections, dashed lines for distant relationships, double lines for close or fused relationships, and zigzag patterns for hostile or conflictual dynamics.
Track hereditary conditions and mental health patterns across generations with our comprehensive condition library. The tool includes common conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, stroke, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's, asthma, and substance abuse. Each condition is represented by a color-coded dot within the person's symbol, making patterns immediately visible. For genogram templates with pre-populated medical histories, visit our genogram templates library.
The intelligent legend automatically updates to show only the symbols and relationship types currently used in your genogram. This keeps your workspace clean and helps viewers understand your specific notation without cluttering the interface with unused symbols. The legend intelligently switches between single and two-column layouts based on the number of active symbols.
As you build your genogram, the Insights Engine generates real-time narrative summaries of family relationships and patterns. These automated insights help identify key family dynamics, relationship patterns, and potential areas of concern. While these insights are helpful starting points, they should always be verified and interpreted by qualified professionals in clinical settings.
Every action you take is tracked in a comprehensive history system. The undo button (↶) allows you to step backward through your changes, while redo (↷) moves forward again. This safety net encourages experimentation and makes it easy to recover from mistakes without losing your work.
New users can click "Show Demo" to load a sample three-generation family genogram with various relationship types and medical conditions. This demonstrates the tool's capabilities and provides a reference for symbol usage. For practice exercises and learning materials, check out our interactive genogram quiz to test your knowledge of genogram notation and interpretation.
While our free version provides robust functionality for students and basic clinical use, Genosm Pro unlocks advanced features designed for professional practice and research:
Begin your genogram by adding the identified patient or primary focus person first. This establishes a clear reference point and makes it easier to organize subsequent generations above and below. Convention places the index person slightly off-center to allow room for extended family relationships.
Add family members systematically by generation rather than jumping around. Start with the index person's generation, then move to parents and their siblings, followed by grandparents, and finally children. This methodical approach reduces errors and creates a more organized visual layout.
Keep similar generational members at roughly the same vertical level on the canvas. This visual consistency makes the genogram more readable and helps viewers quickly identify generational relationships. Use the drag functionality to adjust positioning after adding all members.
Use the notes field to record relevant clinical, social, or historical information, but keep entries concise and focused on information relevant to your assessment goals. Avoid including unnecessary details that might compromise privacy or clutter the genogram's analytical value.
Although Genosm automatically saves to your browser, it's good practice to periodically export your genogram as JSON. This protects against browser data clearing, accidental deletion, or device changes. Store exported files in your regular backup system alongside other client documentation.
Double-check birth years, death years, and medical conditions before finalizing your genogram. Inaccurate information can lead to faulty pattern analysis and potentially harmful clinical decisions. When information is uncertain, note this in the person's notes field rather than guessing.
Use the demo function to familiarize yourself with standard genogram notation before creating your first assignment. Practice creating genograms for fictional families or public figures to develop your skills without privacy concerns. Take advantage of the export SVG feature to include genograms in papers and presentations. Test your understanding with our genogram interpretation quiz that covers common notation and family dynamics scenarios.
Create genograms during intake sessions by sharing your screen with clients, allowing collaborative family mapping. Use the emotional relationship options to document client perceptions of family dynamics. Remember that client perspectives on relationships may differ from objective observations—the genogram captures their subjective experience.
Focus on the medical conditions tracking features to identify hereditary disease patterns and risk factors. The color-coded condition dots make patterns immediately visible during patient consultations. Export SVG files for inclusion in electronic health records or patient education materials.
Utilize the multi-generational capabilities to track inheritance patterns across three or more generations. Document birth and death years meticulously to calculate age-of-onset patterns for genetic conditions. The systematic notation helps identify carriers and at-risk individuals during family consultations.
The JSON export format provides structured data suitable for further analysis. You can import, modify, and re-export genograms programmatically for large-scale family studies. The standardized notation ensures consistency across research participants and facilitates data comparison. Explore our template library for common research scenarios and family structures.
Yes. All genogram data is stored locally in your browser using IndexedDB technology. No data is transmitted to external servers unless you explicitly use the share function. For maximum privacy, use the export function to save files locally and clear your browser data after each session.
Absolutely. Genosm is fully responsive and works on tablets and smartphones. The touch interface supports dragging, tapping to select, and pinch-to-zoom gestures. However, for creating complex multi-generational genograms, a larger screen provides a better experience.
Genosm works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. We recommend keeping your browser updated to the latest version for optimal performance and security. Internet Explorer is not supported.
There's no hard limit on the number of individuals you can include. However, for practical readability, we recommend keeping genograms to 30-50 people maximum. For larger family systems, consider creating separate genograms for different family branches or focusing on the most relevant generations.
Yes. Use the "Export SVG" function to create a high-resolution vector image that prints beautifully at any size. SVG files can be opened in most image viewers and web browsers. For best results, use landscape orientation when printing complex genograms.
Simply click the undo button (↶) in the bottom-right corner to reverse your last action. Genosm maintains a complete history of changes, allowing you to undo multiple actions sequentially. If you've closed the browser, exported JSON backups provide an additional safety net.
The free version supports sharing via JSON export and import. One person can export the file, share it via email or cloud storage, and another person can import it to continue editing. Real-time collaborative editing is planned for Genosm Pro.
The insights engine provides automated narrative summaries based on the relationships and patterns you've documented. These are meant as analytical aids and should not be considered diagnostic tools. Always apply professional clinical judgment and follow appropriate assessment protocols.
Your privacy is our top priority. All genogram data you create stays 100% private on your device. We never see, store, or transmit any personal information, names, medical conditions, relationships, or content you enter.
To improve this free tool and understand which features are most helpful, we collect completely anonymous usage statistics such as which buttons are clicked, how long sessions last, and whether exports succeed. This data is fully anonymized and cannot be traced back to you or your genograms.
✓ What we collect (anonymous only): Button clicks, session duration, device type, error events, genogram complexity counts (not content)
✗ What we NEVER collect: Names, ages, medical conditions, relationships, notes, family structure, or any personal data
This approach lets us make data-driven improvements while preserving your complete privacy. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
The Clinical Insights Engine feature provides automated narrative summaries and pattern observations based on the genogram data you input. These insights are generated algorithmically and are intended solely as analytical aids to support professional assessment and documentation.
Important: The insights generated by this tool do not constitute clinical diagnoses, medical advice, psychological assessments, or therapeutic recommendations. They should not be used as a substitute for professional clinical judgment, comprehensive assessment procedures, or evidence-based practice guidelines.
Users who are licensed mental health professionals, medical practitioners, genetic counselors, or other qualified professionals must apply their own clinical expertise, theoretical framework, and ethical standards when interpreting genogram data. The accuracy and clinical relevance of automated insights depend entirely on the accuracy and completeness of the information you provide.
Genosm and its developers assume no liability for clinical decisions, diagnoses, or treatment plans based on the use of this tool or its insights feature. Always follow applicable professional standards, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements in your jurisdiction when using genograms in clinical practice.