Genograms & Family Trees
Suggested Group(s): Middle (trees) & Teens (genograms & trees)
Purpose: To help group members express how their families have changed since the death
Task/need: Develop a new self-identity, living on the grief spiral
Activity Setup Ideas:
- Show a pre-made Genograms illustrating the family of a person both before and after the person’s family member died. Discuss what the different parts of the drawing represent and how the drawing was impacted by the death of a family member.
Materials:
- Construction paper
- Magic markers
Description: Prepare teens by talking about how death causes many changes in families – everything from a change in who is in the family to the nature of the relationships between family members. May have an example of a genogram (a drawing of the family members and ways of representing closeness, conflict, friction, support, etc.) Have them draw their families before the person died and after.
Activity Wrap Up Ideas:
- Allow group members to share their Genograms and the changes from the before and the after drawings.
