Genogram Coaching

Some things don't get passed down in documents. They travel through families in patterns — in the way we love, fear, and relate to one another. A genogram helps you see them, name them, and decide what happens next.

Best for: Anyone who senses that something has been passed down through their family — and wants to understand it, name it, and decide what to do with it.

What Is a Genogram?

A genogram is a visual map of your family's history that goes far beyond a traditional family tree. While a family tree records names, dates, and relationships, a genogram captures the emotional and relational patterns that have moved through your family across generations — the dynamics, the roles, the silences, the strengths, and the struggles that shaped the people who shaped you.

Developed in the 1980s by family therapist Monica McGoldrick and researcher Randy Gerson, genograms are used by therapists, counselors, social workers, and medical professionals to understand how family systems influence individual behavior, health, and relationships. They use a standardized set of symbols to map not just who people are but how they related to one another — conflict, closeness, estrangement, loss, addiction, mental health patterns, and more.

As a genealogy professional and generational pattern researcher I offer genogram facilitation as a coaching service — helping you create and interpret your own family genogram from a place of awareness and intention rather than clinical treatment.

What Are Generational Patterns?

Generational patterns — sometimes called transgenerational patterns or family inheritance — are the emotional, behavioral, and relational dynamics that repeat across generations in a family system. They are passed down not just through genetics but through the stories we tell, the roles we assign, the things we never talk about, and the survival strategies our ancestors developed that we unconsciously inherited.

You may recognize generational patterns in your family as:

The same relationship dynamic repeating across generations. The same fears or anxieties showing up in people who never knew each other. Family roles that get passed down — the caretaker, the peacekeeper, the black sheep, the achiever. Silences around certain topics that nobody questions. A grief or heaviness that seems bigger than your own personal history. Gifts and strengths that seem to come from somewhere deeper than your own experience.

Research in epigenetics, attachment theory, and family systems therapy has shown that these patterns are real, measurable, and — most importantly — changeable. Awareness is the first step. A genogram is one of the most powerful tools available for building that awareness.

What Genogram Coaching Is and Is Not

Genogram coaching at Teach Me My Tree is an educational and awareness-based service. We work together to build your family genogram, identify patterns across generations, and explore what those patterns mean for your life today.

This is coaching work, not therapy. I do not diagnose, treat, or provide clinical mental health services. I help you gain awareness, build new perspectives, and make conscious choices about what you want to carry forward and what you want to leave behind. For clients who feel called to deeper therapeutic work, I am glad to provide referrals to qualified professionals.

What Happens During Genogram Coaching

The process begins before we ever meet. I send you a detailed intake questionnaire asking about your family history, relationships, significant events, patterns you've noticed, and questions you're hoping to explore. You take your time with it — there are no wrong answers.

In our first session lasting up to two hours we talk through your family history together. I ask questions, listen carefully, and begin building your genogram in real time. We look at three or more generations where possible — grandparents, parents, siblings, and your own generation. We note relationship dynamics, significant losses, health patterns, occupational patterns, and the stories that have been passed down.

After our session I professionally prepare your completed genogram using standard genogram notation. Every symbol means something. Every line tells a story. The finished genogram is a document you can return to again and again as your understanding deepens.

In our follow-up session lasting one hour we walk through the completed genogram together. I point out patterns I observed, ask questions that open new perspectives, and help you begin to make meaning of what you see. We talk about what you want to do with what you've discovered.

Who Genogram Coaching Is For

Genogram coaching is for anyone who senses that something has been passed down through their family and wants to understand it, name it, and decide what to do with it.

It is especially valuable for people who are doing personal growth work and want to understand the family context behind their patterns. People who are parents and want to be intentional about what they pass on to their children. People who have done therapy and want a complementary perspective. People who are curious about family history but want to go deeper than names and dates. People who feel stuck in patterns they can't seem to change no matter how hard they try.

The Research and Genogram Package

For clients who want both the documented history and the deeper story within it, the Research and Genogram package combines professional genealogical research with genogram facilitation. I research your family first, then build your genogram directly from the findings. The result is a uniquely powerful experience — your ancestors come alive not just as names on a page but as real people whose lives shaped the patterns you carry today.

The Back Story  —  $350

✦     Detailed intake questionnaire sent before we meet

✦     Up to 2-hour initial session to explore your family history and patterns

✦     A professionally prepared genogram built from our conversation

✦     1-hour follow-up session to walk through the findings together

The Whole Story  —  $1,050

✦     8 hours of dedicated professional genealogy research on your family

✦     Genogram built directly from the research findings

✦     Up to 2-hour initial session and 1-hour findings session included

✦     Full written research report plus your completed genogram

Ideal for those who want both the documented history and the deeper story within it.

Not sure which option is right for you? Reach out — every family is different and I'm happy to help you find the right starting point.