Using the Genogram to Facilitate Career Decisions

The Use of Genograms in Career Counseling With Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

“…One tool that can be used at all of these levels is the career genogram (Heppner, O'Brien, Hinkelman, & Humphrey, 1994;Moon, Coleman, McCollum, Nelson, & Jensen-Scott, 1993;Okiishi, 1987;Okocha, 1998).…”

“…Because parental expectations and role models influence career aspirations and educational decisions, examining family dynamics, roles, and values with students in elementary, middle, and high school settings can be beneficial in helping students master the competencies in the comprehensive developmental guidance programs in order to reach their goals. One tool that can be used at all of these levels is the career genogram (Heppner, O'Brien, Hinkelman, & Humphrey, 1994; Moon, Coleman, McCollum, Nelson, & Jensen-Scott, 1993;Okiishi, 1987;Okocha, 1998).…”

Career Assessment

“…Advantages of the genogram technique include: acknowledgement of a multigenerational context (McMillen & Groze, 1994), collaborative process (McGoldrick et al, 2005), versatility (Moon, Coleman, McCollum, Nelson, & Jensen-Scott, 1993), expandability (Vernon, 1983), and ease of eliciting family narratives (Asen et al, 2004). As a visual tool, it makes visible (intergenerational) patterns that are otherwise undetected or denied (Daughhetee, 2001;McMillen & Groze, 1994); "provides a quick gestalt of complex family patterns" (McGoldrick et al, 2008, p. 2); and permits the client and the counsellor to collaboratively construct and view "structural, relational, and functional information about the family" within and across generations (McGoldrick et al, 2008, p. 5).…”

“…can be examined in a nonthreatening and interesting manner (Moon et al, 1993). A career genogram facilitates the counsellor and client in identifying the family members who have substantially influenced the client's views of self and the world-of-work; gender role stereotypes and other restrictive conditions/interactional patterns coming in the way of career decision-making can also be located .…”

Using Genograms to Facilitate Undergraduate Students' Career Development: A Group Model

“…Several authors (e.g., Brown & Brooks, 1991;Fohs, 1991;Gysbers & Moore, 1987;Moon, Coleman, McCollum, Nelson, & Jensen-Scott, 1993;Okiishi, 1987;Penick, 2000) have recommended genograms as tools to address career issues and have offered suggestions for implementation. For example, Okiishi suggested a three-step approach during which clients (a) diagram their family members, (b) identify occupations ofvarious family members, and (c) examine role models and family patterns.…”