Search for a genogram example and you'll mostly find pictures: a family tree with squares, circles and patterned lines, and a key underneath. A picture shows what a finished genogram looks like. It doesn't show how you build one with a client, what you do with the patterns you find, or what goes in the record afterward. This article does. You'll find two complete genogram examples from invented clients, an adult whose drinking rose after his father died and a couple stuck in the same argument, each written out generation by generation so you can read it without drawing software. You'll also get the notation basics, a step-by-step way to build a genogram in session, a genogram template you can copy into any document, and how to note the work in your progress notes and case conceptualization.
Every client and family in this article is invented. Any resemblance to a real person is a coincidence.
What is a genogram?
A genogram is a diagram of a family across at least three generations. Like a family tree, it shows who is related to whom. Unlike a family tree, it also shows how people get along and what happened to them: births, deaths and their causes, serious illness, drinking and drug use, moves, marriages and divorces, who is close, who fights and who stopped speaking.
The genogram grew out of family systems therapy, especially Murray Bowen's theory, which describes how patterns of relating are passed down through relationships from one generation to the next. The format most therapists learn comes from Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson's 1985 book Genograms in Family Assessment. Its current edition, Genograms: Assessment and Treatment by McGoldrick, Gerson and Sueli Petry (fourth edition, 2020), is still the standard reference for the symbols and for what the authors call the genogram interview.
A genogram is a map for asking better questions, not a test. It can't diagnose anyone, and a pattern on paper is a hypothesis to explore with the client, not a conclusion about them or their relatives.
When therapists use a genogram
A genogram earns its place when the family's history is part of the problem or part of the answer:
- Family systems work.Several of the eight concepts in Bowen theory show up directly on a genogram: triangles (two people managing tension by pulling in a third), emotional cutoff, sibling position and the multigenerational transmission process.
- Couples therapy.Two families of origin side by side show what each partner learned about conflict, closeness, money, roles and loss, and why the same argument means something different to each of them.
- Trauma.Losses, violence, war, migration and displacement often sit a generation back, along with family rules about not talking. A genogram can hold the outline of an event without asking for the story.
- Substance use.Where drinking or drug use appears, how others responded, who looked after whom, and who recovered. Recovery belongs on the genogram as much as use does.
- Medical history.Illnesses, causes of death and ages at death, especially conditions that run in families, and how the family coped with illness. The CDC suggests collecting information about parents, siblings, half-siblings, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, including major medical conditions, causes of death, age at diagnosis, age at death and ethnic background (CDC). A therapy genogram is not a genetic risk assessment. If a pattern worries you or the client, suggest they take it to their doctor.
- Grief, life transitions and identity.A death, a move, a new baby, a divorce or a remarriage. A cultural genogram adds migration, language, faith and what "family" means to the client.
When to wait: in a crisis session, when the client is acutely distressed about their family, or before they've agreed to it. Many therapists sketch a basic outline at intake and add depth later. Some clients know little about their families, for example people who were adopted, donor-conceived or are estranged. Mark what's unknown and include chosen family, godparents and anyone else who raised them.
Genogram symbols: the basics
Keys differ between books and programs, so whichever you use, put the key on the genogram. These are the basics as most therapists learn them from McGoldrick, Gerson and Petry.
People
- Square: male. Circle: female. Many current keys add symbols for transgender and nonbinary family members. If yours doesn't, write the person's gender beside the symbol, in the words the client uses.
- Double outline: the index person, usually your client.
- An X through the symbol: the person has died.
- Current age, or age at death, inside or beside the symbol. Birth and death years above it.
- A question mark: anything unknown, including a person whose details the client doesn't know.
Partners and children
- A horizontal line joins partners: solid for married, dashed for living together. Write "m." and the year on the line.
- One slash across the line: separated. Two slashes: divorced. Add the year.
- Children hang from the partners' line in birth order, oldest on the left.
- Twins come down from one point. Adopted and foster children are joined with dashed or dotted lines; check your key.
- Pregnancies and pregnancy losses have small symbols of their own.
Household and health
- A line drawn around a group shows who lives together.
- Many keys shade part of a symbol for substance misuse or a serious physical or mental illness. Write the condition in words too, so nobody has to decode the shading.
Relationship lines, drawn between two people:
- Close: two parallel lines.
- Very close or fused: three parallel lines.
- Distant: a dotted line.
- Conflict: a zigzag line.
- Cutoff: a line with a break in it.
A full key runs to dozens of symbols, including abuse, caregiving and triangles. For most clinical work, the basics above and a clear key are enough.
How to make a genogram with a client, step by step
A genogram is built in conversation: you draw while the client talks, and the questions matter more than the drawing. Work from the client outward and back in time.
- Agree on the purpose. Tell the client why you'd like to do it ("to see how your family's history connects with what brings you here"), that they can skip any question, and that the genogram becomes part of their record. In couples and family work, settle first who the client is and how information will be shared.
- Start with the household now. Draw the client with a double outline, then everyone they live with. "Who lives with you right now?"
- Add partners and children. Current and past partners, and the children of each relationship. "Have you had other long relationships, or children with anyone else?"
- Add the family of origin. Parents and their partnerships, then siblings in birth order, including half-siblings and stepsiblings. "Who raised you? Who else lived in the house when you were growing up?"
- Go back a generation. Grandparents on both sides, and aunts and uncles if they matter. Three generations is the usual minimum. "What do you know about your grandparents? Who told you?"
- Add the facts that serve the purpose. Ages, deaths and causes, serious illness, drinking and drug use, mental health, work, moves and migration. Ask about each topic across the whole family at once: "Has anyone in your family had problems with drinking or drugs? Heart disease, cancer, diabetes? Depression or anxiety? Has anyone died by suicide?"
- Draw the relationships. "Who were you closest to growing up? Who fights? Is there anyone who doesn't speak to someone else? When there was trouble, who did people go to?"
- Mark events and dates. Births, deaths, moves, divorces, diagnoses. Keep a short timeline beside the diagram. When events cluster in one year, ask about it: "What else was happening in the family then?"
- Look for patterns together. Repeated losses, illnesses, roles (the caretaker, the black sheep), cutoffs, triangles, anniversaries, and the ages at which big things happened. Ask before you tell: "Looking at this, what stands out to you?" Write the answer in the client's words.
- Mark what's missing. Write "unknown" rather than guessing, and note where information came from ("per client", "per client's aunt").
- Name the strengths. Long marriages, recovery, the people who showed up, survival. A genogram that shows only problems is half a map.
- Date it and keep it open. The first version is a draft. Add to it as new information or events come up, and date each version.
A basic three-generation outline often takes most of one session. Detail usually arrives over the next few sessions, as clients remember more or ask their relatives.
Going at the client's pace with trauma and loss:
- Map the outline, not the story. You can mark a death, a removal from home or an assault without hearing what happened: "We can put this here and come back to it only if and when you want to."
- Watch for distress and slow down. Leave time at the end to settle; a short exercise such as 5-4-3-2-1 grounding can help.
- Don't ask about family secrets (adoption, paternity, abuse) in front of other family members. Ask privately first.
- A family history can bring up a first-time disclosure. If something you hear may trigger a reporting duty, follow your state's law and your setting's policy.
Genogram example 1: an adult client, drinking and heart disease
Invented client: a 41-year-old high school teacher we'll call Ray, in individual therapy by video. He came in after his wife told him he "sounds like your dad used to." Since his father died of a heart attack six months ago, Ray has been drinking three or four beers most nights, up from weekends only, sleeping badly and snapping at his 10-year-old son. An AUDIT-C at intake screened positive. The therapist built the genogram with him over sessions 2 and 3.
Read it the way you'd draw it: oldest generation at the top, father's side on the left, mother's side on the right.
Generation 1: grandparents
- Walter, paternal grandfather. Square with an X. Died 1990 at 58, heart attack. Drank heavily, per family stories.
- Irene, paternal grandmother. Circle with an X. Died 2015 at 80, stroke.
- Luis, maternal grandfather. Square with an X. Died 2008 at 74, lung cancer. Smoked most of his life.
- Carmen, maternal grandmother. Circle, 88. Lives with her daughter Rosa.
Generation 2: parents, uncle and aunt
- Frank, father. Square with an X. Died in April 2026 at 66, heart attack. Drank heavily until 50, then stopped and stayed sober for 16 years.
- Elena, mother. Circle, 64. Retired bookkeeper. Type 2 diabetes.
- Pete, Frank's younger brother. Square, 63. Drinks heavily, per Ray.
- Rosa, Elena's younger sister. Circle, 61. Lives with Carmen.
Generation 3: Ray, his siblings and his wife
- Ray, the client. Square with a double outline, 41. High school teacher. Drinking more since his father's death.
- Lisa, sister. Circle, 38. "The one who keeps everyone in touch."
- Mike, brother. Square, 35. Used opioids in his twenties after a back injury; in recovery for three years.
- Dana, Ray's wife. Circle, 39. Nurse.
Generation 4: children
- Jake, son. Square, 10.
- Mia, daughter. Circle, 7.
Lines between people
- Walter and Irene: married 1955.
- Luis and Carmen: married 1959.
- Frank and Elena: married 1984.
- Ray and Dana: married 2014.
- Ray and Frank: close and conflictual. They fought through Ray's teens while Frank was drinking, and grew closer after Frank stopped.
- Frank and Pete: cutoff since Irene's funeral in 2015. Pete didn't come to Frank's funeral.
- Lisa and Frank: distant.
- Ray and Mike: close.
- Elena and Carmen: very close.
- Ray and Jake: conflict, new in the past six months.
Household: Ray, Dana, Jake and Mia, inside one boundary line.
Key events
- 1990: Walter dies at 58. Frank is 30.
- 2010: Frank stops drinking at 50.
- 2015: Irene dies. Frank and Pete stop speaking.
- 2023: Mike begins his recovery.
- April 2026: Frank dies at 66. Within weeks, Ray is drinking most nights.
The patterns Ray and his therapist found
- Early heart disease in the men on his father's side. Walter died at 58 and Frank at 66. Ray hasn't seen a doctor in four years. In his words: "Nobody in my family goes to the doctor until it's too late."
- Drinking in three generations of men, Walter, Frank and Pete, and now Ray, alongside Mike's opioid use. The family rule Ray named: "You don't talk about it. You handle it yourself."
- Recovery runs in the family too. Frank stayed sober for 16 years and Mike for three. Ray hadn't put those two facts together until he saw them on paper.
- Losses followed by cutoffs. Frank and Pete stopped speaking after their mother died. Ray wonders whether to call Pete, and isn't ready to.
- A repeat at the dinner table. "I'm turning into him," Ray said about snapping at Jake. He was about Jake's age when his father's drinking got worse.
What the genogram changed in treatment
- Ray booked a checkup with his primary care doctor, his first in four years. With his signed release, the therapist will share the concerns about sleep and drinking.
- Drinking became an explicit treatment goal, approached with motivational interviewing rather than a rule handed to him. Ray keeps a nightly drink log, reviewed each session.
- Ray agreed to tell Mike what has been happening: the first time he has broken the "handle it yourself" rule on purpose.
- Grief for his father became a goal of its own. Calling Pete stays on the list for later, as Ray's decision.
- The patterns went into his case conceptualization: a family history of heavy drinking and early heart disease under predisposing factors, the "handle it yourself" rule under perpetuating factors, and Frank's and Mike's recovery and his marriage under protective factors.
How it went into Ray's progress note
An excerpt from the DAP note for session 3:
Data: Completed three-generation genogram with client (begun in session 2). Client identified heavy drinking in his paternal grandfather, father and uncle, his brother's opioid use and recovery, and deaths from heart disease at 58 (paternal grandfather) and 66 (father). Client said, "Nobody in my family goes to the doctor until it's too late" and "You don't talk about it. You handle it yourself." Reported drinking 3 to 4 beers on 5 of the past 7 nights. Tearful when describing his father's sobriety. Denied thoughts of harming himself or others when asked.
Assessment: Increased drinking since his father's death appears linked to grief and to a family rule against asking for help, alongside a family history of heavy drinking. His father's and brother's recovery are strong resources and increased his stated readiness to change. Early cardiac deaths in two generations warrant medical follow-up. Continued weekly therapy is needed.
Plan: Client will book a primary care visit this week and keep a nightly drink log. Client will talk to his brother about his drinking before the next session. Therapist will continue motivational interviewing on drinking and begin grief work. Release for primary care physician signed today. Genogram version 1, dated 10/21, filed in the record. Next session in one week by video.
Genogram example 2: a couple, two families and one argument
Invented clients: a couple we'll call Alicia (34, a pharmacist) and Ben (36, an engineer), together six years and married for three, in couples therapy in the office. They have a 2-year-old son, Noah. Ben's 11-year-old daughter, Ella, from his first marriage, lives with them every other week. They came in because the same fight keeps happening: Alicia pushes to talk it out, Ben goes quiet, Alicia pushes harder, and Ben leaves the room. In session 2, each partner built their own side of the genogram while the other listened.
Alicia's side
Generation 1
- Rose, maternal grandmother. Circle with an X. Died 2019 at 84. Came to the US alone at 17 and "never talked about her life before."
- Joseph, maternal grandfather. Square with an X. Died 2010 at 79.
- Paternal grandparents: unknown. "Dad never talked about them." Drawn with question marks.
Generation 2
- Grace, mother. Circle, 63. Did not remarry.
- Victor, father. Square, 66. Remarried in 2004.
- Diane, Victor's second wife. Circle, 61.
Generation 3
- Chris, brother. Square, 38.
- Alicia, client. Circle with a double outline, 34.
Lines between people
- Rose and Joseph: married 1960, together until his death. "Loud fights and loud make-ups."
- Grace and Victor: married 1988, divorced 2001, when Alicia was 9. Conflict.
- Alicia and Grace: very close. "She tells me everything. She always has."
- Alicia and Victor: distant. Alicia remembers him not speaking for weeks before he moved out.
- Chris and Victor: conflict.
- Alicia and Chris: close.
Ben's side
Generation 1
- George, paternal grandfather. Square with an X. Died 1999 at 76. A combat veteran who "never talked about the war" and had "a temper everyone worked around."
- Ruth, paternal grandmother. Circle with an X. Died 2012 at 86.
- Maternal grandparents: both died before Ben was born. Little known.
Generation 2
- Martin, father. Square with an X. Died 2015 at 64, colon cancer.
- Joan, mother. Circle, 65.
Generation 3
- Ben, client. Square with a double outline, 36.
- Daniel, brother. Square with an X. Died 1999 at 6, drowning, when Ben was 9. Ben asked to leave the details for later.
- Amy, sister. Circle, 31.
- Kim, Ben's first wife. Circle, 37.
Lines between people
- Martin and Joan: married 1985, together until his death. "They never once raised their voices."
- Ben and Kim: married 2012, divorced 2018. Conflict.
- Ben and Joan: close.
- Ben and Amy: close.
The couple and their children now
- Alicia and Ben: together since 2020, married 2023. Close and conflictual.
- Noah, their son. Square, 2.
- Ella, Ben and Kim's daughter. Circle, 11.
- Alicia and Ella: close, tense around schedule changes.
- Alicia and Kim: distant.
- Households: Alicia, Ben, Noah, and Ella on alternate weeks, inside one boundary line. Kim, and Ella on the other weeks, inside a second. Ella is drawn in both.
The patterns they found
- Opposite rules about conflict.In Alicia's family, fights were loud and then repaired; the silence came before her father left. In Ben's family, anger was dangerous and silence kept the peace. So when Ben goes quiet, Alicia hears "he's leaving." When Alicia raises her voice, Ben does what kept his family calm: he goes quiet.
- Losses nobody talked about.Ben's family lost Daniel and George in the same year and, by Ben's account, rarely spoke of either again. Rose never spoke of her life before the US. Both partners grew up around something important left unsaid.
- The same age.Both partners were 9 when their family changed: Alicia when her parents divorced, Ben when his brother died. The therapist noted it as a question for later, not a conclusion.
- A confidante's expectations.After the divorce, Alicia became her mother's confidante. Ben's private calls with Kim about Ella feel to her like being shut out.
- Strengths.Long marriages on both sides, Ben's closeness to his mother and sister, and two people who agree that Ella and Noah come first.
What the genogram changed in treatment
- The fight became a cycle they can both name, instead of a question of who is to blame. Alicia's summary: "Your silence isn't you leaving, and my pushing isn't an attack."
- They agreed on a signal for a 20-minute break with a set time to come back, which answers both histories: Ben gets a pause, and Alicia knows when he'll return.
- Ben agreed to give Alicia a short summary after each co-parenting call with Kim.
- Ben said he'd like to talk about Daniel's death "at some point." It stays on the genogram as a dated event and in the plan as Ben's choice of when.
How it went into the couple's record
- The couple is the client, as their consent form states.
- Kim and Ella aren't clients. The record holds only what matters for the couple's work: Ella's age, the custody schedule and the co-parenting conflict. Nothing about Kim's history.
- Daniel's death is recorded with the year and "client prefers to discuss later." No details Ben didn't give.
- The note for session 2 names the intervention ("constructed genograms of both partners' families of origin"), the cycle each partner described in their own words, the therapist's reading and the plan.
A genogram template you can copy
Paste this into a document, copy the person block once for each relative, and fill in only what serves the purpose. The list works on its own too: it can go straight into the record, and anyone can read it without the drawing.
Using the genogram template in a word processor or on paper
- In a word processor, paste the template, then duplicate the person block for each relative. Save it wherever you keep client records, not on a personal desktop.
- To draw it, work from the filled list: generation 1 across the top, father's side on the left and mother's side on the right, then each younger generation below. A sheet of paper turned sideways fits three generations.
- If you draw in a separate program, that program holds client information too. Check its privacy terms, and whether it will sign a Business Associate Agreement, before you use it with clients.
- Add the key to every version.
How to use a genogram in session
- Draw it where the client can see it.In the office, on paper between you. On video, share your screen with a blank drawing page, or have the client draw on paper and hold it up to the camera. If a client makes one at home, ask them to show it on camera rather than text you a photo.
- Treat it as a conversation.Circular questions open it up: "When your father drank, what did your mother do? And what did you do then?"
- Couples: one partner at a time.Each partner tells their side while the other listens. Then ask the listener: "What do you understand about your partner now that you didn't before?"
- Families: expect different versions.Siblings may disagree about facts and about who was close. Write both versions with their source rather than choosing one.
- Ask about culture and meaning.Migration, language, faith, what family means and who counts as family. Chosen family, godparents and close friends can go on the genogram too.
- Come back to it.After a death, a birth or a breakup; at treatment plan reviews; and near the end of therapy, when clients often see their family differently.
- Use it in supervision with care.Use initials, and leave out places and dates that would identify the family. The ACA Code asks that reports in consultation "present only data germane to the purposes of the consultation" (ACA Code of Ethics, B.7.a).
How to note a genogram in the record
- The session's progress note names the intervention, the key findings in the client's words, your reading and the plan, as in Ray's note above. "Constructed three-generation genogram" is the usual wording; our progress notes cheat sheet lists it with other family intervention terms, and our DAP notes examples show where interventions go in that format.
- The genogram itself goes in the record as a dated document: the drawing, the filled template, or both. When you update it, add a new dated version rather than changing the old one.
- The case conceptualization is where the patterns go to work. In the 5 Ps, family history sits under predisposing factors, family rules that keep the problem going under perpetuating factors, and family strengths under protective factors. Our case conceptualization examples show the 5 Ps for two full cases.
- The treatment plan gets any goal the genogram led to, like Ray's checkup or Alicia and Ben's break signal.
- Write facts about relatives as the client's report. "Client reports his father drank heavily until age 50," not "father was an alcoholic." You haven't assessed the relative.
- Mark sources and unknowns in the record the same way you do on the diagram.
Privacy: a genogram is part of the record
A genogram holds health information about people who never agreed to be in your records. Treat it with that in mind.
- It belongs with the clinical record. A genogram you use for assessment and treatment planning is record material, not a private process note. HIPAA's definition of psychotherapy notes leaves out summaries of diagnosis, symptoms, the treatment plan and progress (45 CFR 164.501), which is most of what a genogram feeds. Clients can generally ask for a copy of their record (45 CFR 164.524), so write it knowing the client may read it.
- Minimum necessary. HIPAA asks you to limit protected health information to the minimum necessary when you use, disclose or request it, for example when records go to a payer. The rule doesn't apply to disclosures to another provider for treatment (45 CFR 164.502(b)). The professional codes apply the same thinking to what you write down: the NASW Code asks that documentation include "only information that is directly relevant to the delivery of services" (NASW Code of Ethics, 3.04), and the ACA Code asks for records "necessary for rendering professional services" (B.6.a).
- In practice: first names or initials for relatives, ages rather than full birth dates, conditions only where they matter to this client's care, and no stories about relatives that don't affect the work.
- Couples and families: settle at the start who the client is and how information will be shared. The ACA Code says that, without an agreement to the contrary, the couple or family is the client (B.4.b), and that when a record covers several clients, each one receives only the parts that relate to them (B.6.e). A secrets policy in your consent form settles what happens when one partner tells you something alone; our informed consent example covers how to word one.
- Sharing it outside treatment, with a school, an attorney or a relative, generally needs the client's written authorization. Check your state's rules too; many are stricter for mental health records.
- Storage: paper in a locked file, digital copies in a system whose vendor signs a Business Associate Agreement with you, and no photos on a personal phone.
How this works in TranqBay
TranqBay is practice software for therapists in private practice: a practice website, online booking, video sessions and session notes in one place. It doesn't draw genograms. Here is where the work around one fits.
- Family information before the first session.The form library has ready-made templates you send a client for a session, including general, couples, child and family therapy intake forms and a medical history form. The family therapy intake asks each family member, on their own copy, who they feel closest to and who they find hardest to get on with, which gives you the first relationship lines to check in session. Clients fill in forms online, and the answers wait with the session.
- Couples and family sessions by video.You can invite others to a session, so both partners or several family members join the same call. Video sessions are HIPAA-ready, and TranqBay signs a Business Associate Agreement with you.
- The genogram in your notes.Paste the filled template into a blank note, or put the summary in the Data section of a BIRP, DAP, SOAP or GIRP note. Structured formats are part of the advanced note templates, which some plans include.
- A release before you share.The form library includes a release of information form, for sharing with another professional involved in the client's care, which your client fills in online.
On practice.tranqbay.health you can see a website design made for a child and family therapist, and the booking page a family would use to book their first session.
Frequently asked questions about genograms
What does a genogram example look like?
A drawing of three or more generations with the oldest at the top: squares for males, circles for females, horizontal lines joining partners, children hanging below in birth order, and patterned lines between people for closeness, distance, conflict and cutoffs. The two examples above give the same information as lists, generation by generation.
How many generations should a genogram include?
At least three: the client's generation, their parents' and their grandparents'. Add a fourth when the client has children, or when a pattern seems to start further back.
What is the difference between a genogram and a family tree?
A family tree records lineage: who was born to whom, and when. A genogram adds how people relate and what happened to them: closeness, conflict, cutoffs, illness, drinking and drug use, losses and moves.
What is the difference between a genogram and an ecomap?
A genogram maps relationships inside a family across generations. An ecomap maps a client's or household's ties to the world outside: school, work, faith community, health care, agencies and friends. Many therapists and social workers use both.
What are the basic genogram symbols?
A square for a male, a circle for a female, a double outline for the client, an X for a death, a horizontal line between partners, slashes for separation and divorce, children below in birth order, and lines for close, distant, conflict and cutoff relationships. Keys differ, so always include one.
Is there a genogram template for a word processor?
Yes. The template above is plain text with one field per line, so it pastes into any word processor or note. Copy the person block once for each relative.
How long does it take to make a genogram?
A basic three-generation outline often takes most of one session. Most genograms grow over several sessions as the client remembers more or asks relatives.
Should every client get a genogram?
No. It earns its place when family patterns matter to the problem: family and couples work, grief, substance use, trauma and family medical history. In a short, focused treatment it may not be worth the session time.
Can a genogram diagnose a condition or predict risk?
No. It shows patterns to explore. A family history of illness is something to raise with the client's doctor, and a family history of depression or drinking is one factor among many, never a conclusion about the client.
Is a genogram part of the client's record?
Yes, when you use it for assessment or treatment planning. Date it, keep it with the record, and write it knowing the client may read it.
Before your next session
Copy the template, pick one client whose family keeps coming up in your sessions, and build the first three generations with them. Ask what they notice before you say what you see.
If you also want booking, video sessions and session notes in one place, see how TranqBay works for private practice: you can look at a website design made for a family therapist and the booking page your clients would use. If you're deciding whether to join, this page explains how joining TranqBay works.
For every symbol and line drawn out in words, see genogram symbols and meanings.
Sources
Books 1thebowencenter.org 1Federal 1Regulations 3Associations 2988 Lifeline 1
Books and publishers1
thebowencenter.org1
Other federal agencies1
Laws and regulations3
- 445 CFR 164.501: definition of psychotherapy notes (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.501
- 545 CFR 164.502(b): the minimum necessary standard (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.502
- 645 CFR 164.524: right of access to protected health information (eCFR)ecfr.govhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.524
Professional associations2
- 7American Counseling Association, 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, standards B.4.b, B.6.a, B.6.e and B.7.acounseling.orghttps://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
- 8National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics, standard 3.04 Client Recordssocialworkers.orghttps://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English/Social-Workers-Ethical-Responsibilities-in-Practice-Settings