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Genogram Relationship Symbols: Complete Guide
Relationship symbols are the lines connecting people on a genogram. The line style is what carries the meaning.
Couple and Structural Lines
In EasyGenogram, an extended set exists for more specific situations like casual relationships, long-term relationships, love affairs, and combinations like engagement-and-separation.
Most class assignments and clinical work only need the standard six.
Children Connections
Emotional Relationship Lines
Positive or close: Harmony, Close, Very Close, Love, In Love, Limerence, Fan/Admirer
Distant or disconnected: Distant/Poor, Indifferent, Cutoff
Conflictual: Conflict, Hostile, Hate, Distrust, Distant-Hostile, Close-Hostile, Fused-Hostile
Abusive or controlling: Abuse, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Neglect, Violence, Controlling, Manipulative
Directional and enmeshed: Focused On, Fused
Custom Connections
When a relationship doesn't fit any standard line, EasyGenogram lets you build one: name it, choose the number of lines, pick a pattern (solid, dashed, dotted), add a middle symbol or decoration, set a direction, and pick a color; with a live preview before saving.
Useful for a clinical or academic context that uses its own notation.
The Four You'll Use Most
Close, Distant/Poor, Conflict, and Cutoff cover most therapy intakes and class assignments.
The rest of the set exists for cases specific enough to need them.
Example
Example Genogram Showing Relationship Symbols
What the genogram shows
A small genogram showing a couple connected by a divorce line, with 2 biological children, with a close relationship line between the father and daughter, and a conflict line between two siblings; structural and emotional lines side by side.
Choosing the Right Line
Start with the structural line; are they married, cohabiting, divorced?
Then layer an emotional line on top only where relationship quality actually matters to the case. Not every pair on the diagram needs one.
FAQ
How do you represent relationships on a genogram?
Couple relationships use horizontal lines between partners; solid for marriage, dashed for cohabitation, with slashes added for separation or divorce. Emotional relationships use separate lines drawn directly between any two people, regardless of the couple line.
What symbols represent relationships in a genogram?
Structural relationships use line style and slashes (marriage, divorce, cohabitation). Emotional relationships use distinct line patterns and colors, e.g., parallel lines for closeness, zigzags for conflict, a break in the line for cutoff.
Can a genogram show emotional relationships?
Yes. Emotional relationship lines are a core part of genogram notation, layered on top of or alongside the structural couple line to show closeness, conflict, distance, or cutoff between any two people in the family.
What are the most common relationship symbols in a genogram?
Close, Distant/Poor, Conflict, and Cutoff appear most often in therapy intakes and class assignments. More specific lines like Fused or Abuse are used when the case calls for that level of detail.
Is there a tool that generates genogram relationship symbols automatically?
EasyGenogram doesn't auto-generate relationship lines, but it gives you the full standard set plus a custom connection builder, so you can add or design the exact line a specific case needs in a few clicks.