Assignment Guidelines

Family Genogram and Ecomap Reflection Paper

Due 9/26/2017

The Family Genogram and Reflection Paper is an opportunity to explore yourself and your family of
origin within a multigenerational, cultural, socio-political, and religious context. One goal of this
assignment is for you to learn, practice, and understand the value of the genogram as a useful
therapeutic and pastoral counseling assessment and intervention tool. Another goal is to provide you
with an opportunity to personally explore the influence of your family origin as a pastoral counselor in
relationship with those who will seek your care.

This is a three-part assignment:

Part 1: Develop a three-generation genogram (add a fourth generation if you have children) of your own
family: you, your parents, and your grandparents. Identify problematic patterns, qualities, and strengths
in your family. For the most accurate depiction of your family, you may need to consult with family
members. I encourage you to contact parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, and aunts for
corroborating information. Make sure to include the names, dates of marriage, births, deaths,
separations, divorces (month & year), cultural, ethnic, religious affiliations, immigration, occupation,
education, illnesses, substance abuse, and mental health for all significant family members. Add
descriptive information that clarifies relationships as needed (e.g., drug use, in jail, etc.) Include a legend
if additional explanation is warranted. Show the relational patterns (e.g., communication styles,
closeness, distance, conflicts). Use different colors for relational lines to enhance the presentation of the
information.

Part 2: Complete an ecomap of your relationship to the immediate environment. Describe your
relationship to any systems (family, organizations, school, church) that have contributed to your
development at this stage of your life.

Part 3: Reflect on your genogram and ecomap by writing a 5-7-page double-spaced reflection paper
interpreting the findings of your genogram and ecomap. What transactional and generational patterns,
behaviors, beliefs and norms did you became aware of when analyzing your genogram? How has your
family influenced and enriched your adult life? How have

Dynamics/relationships/events expressed in the genogram, especially explaining

the rationale for choosing the relationship quality depicted in the genogram
Insights, patterns, or family reactions you discovered as you explored interactional patterns
and systems
Processing personal feelings or responses you experienced in composing your genogram and
ecomap
Thoughts on how you might or might not use the genogram and ecomap in your
practice as counselor or pastor and its value for marriage and family therapy and
pastoral care and counseling

Use a large piece of cardboard paper for enough room to capture the generational aspects of your
genogram. You may also you a software program like Genopro. Draw your ecomap on a 8 x 11 inch
sheet of paper. Please note that you are the keeper of your story. If you do not feel comfortable
revealing sensitive information, then you do not have to. Your personal ability to identify patterns and
interactions will be a learning experience whether or not all information is disclosed. Resources for
completing this assignment will be posted on the class Moodle page. Submit a picture or if you are using
Genopro, a print out of your genogram and reflection to Moodle Late assignments are penalized 1
points for each class it is late. This assignment is worth 100 points. Se rubric on pages 2-3.

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 Grading Rubric for Genogram Ecomap and Reflection Paper

Points Awarded
Elements
10 8 6 4 2 0
Minor errors in use Frequent errors in Significant errors in Incoherent or non-
Major errors in use of
Uses symbols of symbols / use of symbols / use of symbols / standard use of
symbols / structure
Use of Symbols and structure structure in the structure in the structure in the symbols in the
in the Genogram and
Structure without flaw Genogram and Genogram and Genogram and Genogram and
ecomap
ecomap ecomap ecomap ecomap
Clearly indicates Inadequate Little or no
No details of
relationship Indicates relationship Indicates relationship indication of description of
relationship quality
quality among quality among most quality among some relationship quality relationship quality
Relationship Quality among family
each family family members family members among family among family
members
member members members
Clearly indicates Inadequate Little or no No indication of
Clearly indicates how Clearly indicates
how each family indication of how indication of how how family
most family how most family
member is most family family members are members are
Patterns of Relationship members are related members are related
related to each members are related related to each related to each
to each other to each other
other to each other other other
Illustrates family Significant errors in Major errors in Incoherent or non-
Minor errors in Frequent errors in
Mental Health & instances of MH illustrating family illustrating family standard indication
illustrating family illustrating family
Substance Abuse & SA instances of MH & instances of MH & of family instances of
instances of MH & SA instances of MH & SA
without flaw SA SA MH & SA
Illustrates family Incoherent or non-
Minor errors in Frequent errors in Significant errors in Major errors in
Emotional, Physical, & instances of standard indication
illustrating family illustrating family illustrating family illustrating family
Sexual Abuse abuse without of family
instances of abuse instances of abuse instances of abuse instances of abuse
flaw instances of abuse

2
 Incoherent or
Thoroughly family
Does generally well in Adequately explains Inadequate explanation Weak explanation of undeveloped
Explanation of Family relationships expressed
explaining relationships relationships of family relationships family relationships explanation
Dynamics in genogram
of family relationships
Describes personal
Clearly processes Describes some Inadequate description Little or no description
feelings / reactions No details of personal
Reflection on Personal personal feelings about personal feelings about of personal feelings / of personal feelings /
about Genogram and feelings / reactions
Thoughts and Feelings Genogram and Ecomap Genogram and Ecomap reactions reactions
Ecomap

Thoroughly summarizes Clearly summarizes Summarizes some Inadequate expression

Little or no insight No insight derived from
Insights on Family family patterns some insights derived insights derived from of insight derived from
derived from genogram genogram
Patterns expressed in genogram from genogram genogram genogram

Does generally well in Incoherent or

Thoroughly examines Adequately explains the Inadequate explanation
explaining the value of Weak explanation of undeveloped
Genogram and Ecomap the usefulness of the value of genogram and of the genogram and
the genogram and genogram and ecomap explanation of
as Therapeutic Tools genogram and ecomap ecomap as ecomap as counseling
ecomap as as counseling tools genogram and ecomap
as tools with clients counseling tools tools
counseling tools as counseling tools

Grammar, Spelling & May display some

Generally free from Pattern or Serious and persistent
Sentence Structure Free from any errors errors, but not Serious errors
errors accumulation of errors writing errors
consistent