Genograms: Assessment and Intervention

by Monica McGoldrick, Randy Gerson, Sueli Petri, et al.

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393705099
• ISBN13: 9780393705096
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 380 Pages
• Weight: 1.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Fast shipping - perfect condition

Received first of 5 purchases from different vendors. Product was in perfect condition. Would buy from this company again.

Genograms

I received this book in a timely manner and in great condition. I also received a great price for it. I hope to purchase more books in the future from this vendor.

Great tool for a wide range of clients.

This was an assigned book in my graduate program. I thought it was a nice tool but way too time intensive for the majority of work I do. I have found that it is a wonderful tool for working with people who have an organic impairment or concrete thinking paterns. I have drawn the geno-gram on a white board during the first few sessions with the client. It helps me get a clearer history from the client and gives them a visual, which can be helpful in processing information.

Great Book

If you're not familiar with Genograms you will after you read this book. It tells you how to use this book for your family sessions and by using genograms as an therapeutic technique. It I recommend you buy a genogram software so it can help you do what. It doesn't come with a CD. Which is the down side of this book you will have to pay extra money for that.I used this book for my Marriage and Family System Class.

Understanding relationship patterns in your family

This book came not only highly recommended by my counselor but from my graduate school as well so you know this is a good book for someone getting into the field. I also think this book could be helpful because it is written in layman's terms but it depends on what you are looking to gain out of the book. This book looks at repetitive patterns that happen over the multigenerational transmission process. Patterns that seem to repeat themselves over time and are passed on. Why they happen, what to look for and what questions to ask. Genograms can be extremely revealing even if all you have are only facts. Correlations and assumptions can be made and drawn upon. I'd recommend this book to psychology type students and maybe individuals in the therapy process.