Case Study: Multigenerational Trauma in Family Therapy

Presenting Problem

Maria (32) sought therapy for anxiety and relationship difficulties. She reported feeling "unable to trust" partners and experiencing panic attacks in intimate situations. Initial sessions focused on her current relationships, but progress was limited until we began exploring family patterns.

The Initial Genogram

During the third session, I introduced GenogramAI to map Maria's family structure. The initial genogram revealed basic family composition: Maria's parents divorced when she was 8, her mother remarried, and her father remained single. She had one half-brother from her mother's second marriage.

Uncovering Patterns

As we added detail across three generations, a striking pattern emerged:

Using Emotional Overlays

The emotional overlay feature proved crucial. By mapping relationship qualities, we visualized:

• Conflict relationships between Maria and her father
• Enmeshed dynamics with her mother
• Cut-off from paternal grandparents after the divorce
• Distant relationships with her half-brother

The Breakthrough Moment

When Maria saw the complete genogram with emotional overlays, she made a spontaneous connection: "It's not just my father—it's been happening forever." This external representation allowed her to see her personal struggles as part of a larger family pattern rather than personal failure.

Therapeutic Interventions

Session-by-Session Genogram Updates

Over 16 sessions, we continuously updated the genogram in GenogramAI:

• Sessions 3-6: Structure and emotional mapping
• Sessions 7-10: Added medical history (anxiety patterns)
• Sessions 11-14: Tracked changes in current relationships
• Sessions 15-16: Documented improved connections

Outcomes

After 16 sessions, Maria reported significant improvements:

GenogramAI Features That Helped

Clinical Reflections

This case illustrates several important points about genogram work:

1. Visual representation matters. Maria understood intellectually that trauma could be passed down, but seeing the pattern visualized created emotional impact that verbal discussion couldn't achieve.
2. Genograms are living documents. The ability to update the genogram across sessions allowed us to track progress and reinforce change.
3. Technology supports but doesn't replace clinical skill.GenogramAI made documentation easier, but the therapeutic relationship and clinical judgment remained central to treatment.
4. Pattern recognition enables intervention. Identifying the multigenerational pattern suggested specific interventions that generic anxiety treatment might have missed.

Conclusion

Multigenerational trauma often hides in plain sight—present in family stories, repeated patterns, and unexplained symptoms. Digital genogram tools like GenogramAI help clinicians and clients see these patterns clearly, enabling more targeted and effective interventions. Maria's case demonstrates how the combination of traditional family systems thinking and modern technology can facilitate healing across generations.