
Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.Please pay attention to the information below and and follow the sample essayĦ4 year old Caucasian male living in the long term facility. A family approach to psychiatric disorders (pp. Hof (Eds.), Integrating sex and marital therapy: A clinical guide (pp. The sexual genogram – assessing family-of-origin factors in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Belief systems can be discussed and negative thought processes can be challenged.īerman, E. As a married adult, she was seeking therapy because of her sexual inhibitions with her husband.īy shedding light on cultural and familial sexual views and influences, the client’s fears and apprehensions can be openly discussed. She associated sexuality with embarrassment, punishment, and rejection. An example of emotional incest that Berman and Hof provide is that of a teenage girl who was required to give a “blow-by-blow” account her dates to her mother. Incest may include sexual acts and sexual intrusiveness, such as bathing an older child, giving frequent enemas, or demanding gynecological examinations in order to determine if the child has had intercourse.

How would you change this genogram (including who and what) to meet what you wish would have occurred regarding messages and experience of sexuality/intimacy?.

How does your partner perceive your family tree/genogram regarding the aforementioned issues? How do you perceive his/hers?.What do the other “players on the stage” have to say regarding the above questions? How did these issues, events, and experiences impact them? Within a generation? Between generations? With whom have you talked to about this? How could you do it?.What were the “secrets” in your family regarding sexuality/intimacy?.What questions have had regarding sexuality/intimacy in your “family tree” that you have been reluctant to ask? Who might have the answers.


When creating a sexual genogram, the follow questions may be considered (Berman & Hof, 1987): It may be created either with the therapist or the client may construct it on his or her own or with a partner. The genogram should be constructed using three generations and include cultural aspects as well. The sexual genogram helps the client to examine the cultural and familial influences that may be acting upon them and contributing to their dysfunction. One tool valuable to for assessing the role of family and cultural influences is the sexual genogram. These influences help us determine rules, boundaries and norms (Perlmutter, 1996). According to Berman and Hof, (1987) intergenerational influences manifest themselves in the present generation. The old saying that there are “six in the marital bed” has a great deal of truth to it when it comes to sexual dysfunction. What does the family-of-origin have to do with sexual dysfunction? If the dysfunction is not medical or substance related, familial and cultural influences could be primary contributors.
