Genograms are similar to family trees, but they include detailed information about relationships and health issues within a family. Genograms are often used by therapists and in medical situations to understand common familial and genetic patterns. Many genograms become extremely complex, so giving a written analysis of a genogram will involve focusing in on key aspects of the overall chart, while also representing major trends in health and relationships.
Choose what aspect of the genogram you would like to analyze. For example, genograms may focus on the relationships between all members of the family as well as their health history. Try focusing on just the romantic relationships of the genogram, or analyzing the common genetic traits passed down over the generations.
Write an introductory paragraph that details what you define as the family under analysis. For example, the genogram may focus on the mother's side of the family, or on grandparents, parents and children. Introduce the reader to the general traits you will analyze in the following paragraphs.
Write body paragraphs, with each paragraph focusing on a specific aspect of the genogram. For example, the relationship between fathers and daughters in a family may be one aspect of the genogram you want to discuss. Another example would be the overall health of all the women in the family. Each paragraph should be introduced with a topic sentence that introduces your reader to the topic under discussion. For example: "Women in the Lawrence family tend to have a long lifespan, despite a wide range of differences in lifestyles." Continue the paragraph by detailing specific examples of the women in the family, their lifestyles and their health.
Write a conclusion that reviews all of the main topics you discussed in the body of the analysis. This last paragraph should take a step back and look at the overall trends or developments of the genogram. Note down any major connections concerning the family tree.