Genograms: Assessment and Intervention

Now updated and expanded in its third edition, and featuring revised genograms for easier reading, reflecting the growing and widespread use of genograms for clinical intervention, this best-selling text provides a standard method for constructing a genogram, doing a genogram interview, and interpreting the results. Genograms of famous families--Sigmund Freud, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, the Kennedys, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana, the Roosevelts, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few--bring the text to life, and help to elucidate the principles of family systems theory and systemic interviewing, which form the basis of genogram work. Once these principles have been explained, the authors go on to present the important clinical applications of genograms in both family therapy and family medicine. These applications include the effective assessment of patients' risk for emotional problems such as anxiety or depression; structural patterns among families such as divorce and remarriage; relationship patterns such as enmeshment, conflicts, and cut-offs; recent and chronic life stressors such as pregnancy, acute illness, poverty, and racism; and family life cycle transitions and developmental crises, among other uses. By providing a fascinating view into the richness of family dynamics, McGoldrick and her coauthors provide an invaluable guide to clinicians for accurately charting a family's structure, making it easier to scan for potential problems and take proactive steps to utilize resources when necessary.

Widely used by both family therapists and health care professionals, the genogram is a graphic way of organizing the mass of information gathered during a family assessment and finding patterns in the family system for more targeted treatment. McGoldrick (director, Multicultural Family Institute) explains how to construct a genogram, do a genogram interview, and interpret the results. Genograms of famous families such as the Kennedys, the Fondas, the Freuds, and the Jungs, bring the text to life and help elucidate the principles of family systems theory and systemic interviewing, which form the basis of genogram work. This third edition is updated and expanded. It includes a new color insert and new material on the clinical applications of genograms. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

[H]ighly recommend this book for all who would like to supplement their practice with this valuable therapeutic tool.[G]odmother of genograms has triumphed again'.[P]ractical applications of community genograms....[and] mapping relationships with work colleagues have broad appeal.[A] seminal work'.new edition has been expanded to incorporate slightly modified symbols to enhance the usefulness...in clinical and research settings.[A]n almost overwhelming array of riches'.I recommend it highly.[S]eminal….While aimed at psychologists, family therapists, and social workers, this book is not overly scientific and certainly not too technical for the lay reader….Genealogists may find this book valuable on several levels.

Widely used by both family therapists and all health care professionals, the genogram is a graphic way of organizing the mass of information gathered during a family assessment and finding patterns in the family system for more targeted treatment.

Now updated andexpanded in its third edition, and featuringrevised genograms for easier reading, reflecting the growing and widespread use of genograms forclinical intervention, this best-selling textprovides a standard method for constructing agenogram, doing a genogram interview, andinterpreting the results. Genograms of famousfamilies-Sigmund Freud, Woody Allen and MiaFarrow, the Kennedys, Jane Fonda and Ted Turner, Bill Clinton, Princess Diana, the Roosevelts, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few-bring the text to life, and help to elucidate the principles offamily systems theory and systemic interviewing, which form the basis of genogram work. Once these principles have been explained, the authors go on to present the important clinical applications of genograms in both family therapy and familymedicine. These applications include theeffective assessment of patients' risk foremotional problems such as anxiety ordepression; structural patterns among familiessuch as divorce and remarriage; relationshippatterns such as enmeshment, conflicts, andcut-offs; recent and chronic life stressors such as pregnancy, acute illness, poverty, and racism; and family life cycle transitions anddevelopmental crises, among other uses. Byproviding a fascinating view into the richnessof family dynamics, McGoldrick and her coauthors provide an invaluable guide to clinicians foraccurately charting a family's structure, making it easier to scan for potential problems and take proactive steps to utilize resources whennecessary.

Monica McGoldrick, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D., is co-founder and director of the Multicultural Family Institute in Highland Park, New Jersey, and adjunct faculty at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Her books include Ethnicity and Family Therapy, Third Edition, Genograms: Assessment and Intervention, Second Edition, The Expanded Family Life Cycle, Third Edition and The Genogram Journey.Randy Gerson, Ph.D., was Director of Atlanta College for Systemic Thinking until his death in 1995.Sueli Petry, Ph.D., is an Associate Faculty Member of the Multicultural Family Institute and is in private practice.