Open the genogram editor

A genogram is an extended family tree. It shows not only who is related to whom, but also what the relationships between these people look like – close, distant, conflicted or broken off – and which events, patterns and themes repeat across the generations. There is an established symbolic language for this: squares and circles for people, different lines for the nature and quality of a connection.

What the genogram editor can do

Placing people: choose a symbol on the left and click on the drawing area. On the right you enter name, dates and further details.
Quick add: partners, children, parents and siblings are attached to a selected person – the connecting lines are drawn automatically in the correct form. This is the fastest route to three generations.
Relationships by hand: choose a line type – marriage, close relationship, conflict – and click two people one after the other.
Assigning children: click the child first, then the parents' partner line. Twins are set on the person concerned via “twin of”.
Mouse and keyboard: drag elements, select several with Shift, zoom with the mouse wheel, fine-tune with the arrow keys. Undo and redo with Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y.
Saving: as a *.genogramm.json file you can reopen and keep working on later. In Chrome and Edge it is saved straight back into the same file.
Export: to PDF, PowerPoint and Visio. This produces individual, editable shapes rather than a flat image, so you can adjust the genogram further inside a presentation.

Use in coaching

A genogram helps wherever a question has more to do with family background than is apparent at first:

Recognising patterns: recurring themes – career choices, separations, illnesses, conflicts – become visible across generations.
Self-reflection: which values, beliefs and behaviours come from the family of origin?
Clarifying relationships: the dynamic with parents, siblings or partners becomes tangible and therefore discussable.
Decision work: with questions about career and life, it often turns out: “Whom am I actually following here? Which pattern do I want to continue, and which one to end?”
Career and business coaching: themes shaped by family – entrepreneurship, pressure to succeed, attitudes to money – can be identified in the same way.

In short: a genogram makes the invisible family system visible and provides a basis for self-reflection and change.

An important qualification

In coaching, the genogram serves as a model for reflection and conversation, not as a diagnostic instrument. It establishes no findings and replaces no professional advice. Coaching is not psychotherapy (§ 1 (3) of the German Psychotherapy Act); where distress is severe, therapeutic or medical help is the right path.

Your data stays with you

The editor is a single HTML file that runs entirely in your browser. It loads nothing from the internet and sends nothing – which matters particularly for genograms, because they contain highly personal information about third parties. Your work lives in your own files on your own computer; in addition, the browser keeps an interim state so that nothing is lost if it crashes. The tool is free of charge and is free software under the GNU General Public License (GPL-3.0-or-later).

Related tools

If the subject is less about kinship and more about someone's whole personal network – people, animals, places, activities – the social atom editor is the better fit. To set up relationships spatially and move them around, there is the systemic board and the 3D systemic board. You will find an overview of all tools under Resources.

If you would like to make progress with a personal or professional question, I am glad to accompany you in personal coaching or business coaching – get in touch for a free initial consultation.

Genogram editor