Reflection Of Family Genogram

Creating my personal genogram was a valuable experience for me. By mapping out my family’s structure, and considering the dynamics of the relationships therein, I am able to see how each member of my immediate family took on specific roles and that addictions are present on both sides of my family. My paternal grandmother, Ginny, was an alcoholic and passed this trait to my father. My mother demonstrated signs of substance abuse through smoking and drinking, and both parents passed these to my sister and me: Whitney struggled with various addictions, the most severe of which was methamphetamine and I have had an ongoing struggle with smoking and past experiences with anorexia. While the genogram helped me to understand the family’s dynamics, I found that I needed more information than what it provided to fully understand. Through family stories, I learned of Ginny’s, alcoholism and subsequent suicide attempts. My paternal grandfather, Jack, was not

I believe this project created a greater capacity for compassion and empathy that will allow me to connect with both family and addict alike. By looking at a family’s genogram and seeing the whole picture, I believe I can support the family in understanding their own dysfunctions and painful dynamics without anyone needing to place blame. I believe I will be able to practice more patience, fostering client’s ability to encourage and support loved ones. Generally, looking at my personal genogram created awareness in me of the judgment I am capable of when I do not understand another person, or they behave in a way I disagree with. This awareness will be vital as I work with clients, as many if not all of them, are likely to be different from me in attitudes, behaviors, choices, culture and upbringing. The awareness will remind me to see first the person before me and second the symptoms and pathology that they want help to