Two principles that resonated the most with me, and I feel would be the easiest for me to recall as I move forward in family work with clients would be the following:

1. Principle One: First attend to safety
2. Principle Two: Make use of a roadmap: the trauma-focused genogram

“Attending to safety” is a crucial element in building a trusting healing relationship with family members, especially those who have experienced trauma. One of the important ways that I could help my clients separate their past from their present is to give them the continued and expected experience of feeling safe. It is important for me to be aware that in the past nothing has felt safe to the client. In the present, I want them to develop a voice and have more control over the amount to which events and relationships feel safe for them. I can further the progress of trust and a feeling of safety by providing an authentic engagement with the family members. Being clear …show more content…
They provide a visual aide enabling me to view a larger depiction of the problems the family members are facing in both their current and past situations. Procuring an understanding of the family and their backgrounds can help to make sense of the struggles they are currently experiencing. Through the use of genograms, I can begin to establish a therapeutic partnership, and assess which significant healing interventions the family member is to develop. I also must be mindful of the family members’ feelings. I want them to understand that I am showing interest in the family history as a way of getting to know them better rather than just collecting information on their family’s problems. Moreover, “The genogram should depict three generations: children, parents and the parents’ siblings, and the grandparents” (James & MacKinnon, 2012, p.