Discovering “Family” Creatively

Abstract

Creativity is a powerful force within the family therapy field, central not only to the therapeutic process but also to counselor education. Time-honored tools, such as the genogram along with its many adaptations, remain useful in learning about family. However, as our rapidly changing culture continually redefines and stretches the concept of family, we must learn new methods to discover who “family” is from the “expert” living within that family, i.e., the client or counselor-trainee. This article introduces and describes a creative, self-initiated model, the self-created genogram, developed to amplify discovery of each person's own unique perspective and experience of family. Case examples will be provided to illustrate the model's use in both training and clinical settings.

Key Words:

• Family
• genogram
• creativity