Nonverbal Signals Observation Log

What Is This Log For?

Genogram work does not take place only at the level of spoken facts. A hesitation before a name, an omission, a correction by another person present, a body signal, how someone handles the sheet or the screen — all of this carries its own information. The problem arises only when these observations end up mixed in with the facts gathered, undifferentiated: on a second reading, they are then no longer recognizable for what they were — impressions, not findings. This log separates the two levels into two column groups from the start.

What’s Specifically Inside

Five observation fields, each with a fact that anchors the observation, and the observation itself:

• Hesitation before a name — notable is the contrast in pace against the rest of the narration
• The omission of a person who should belong to the system
• Corrections by other people present — shows who holds interpretive authority in the room, not what is fact
• Body signals around certain topics, especially when they appear and disappear at one particular point in the conversation
• How the person handles the sheet or screen — who draws along, who pulls their chair back

The one-page observation form gives each of the five fields two separate column groups: facts gathered (name, birth year, relationship) and observation/impression (what was observed, with which topic or name, reaction to being invited). Header fields for client/family, date, and session number, plus an eight-part adaptation checklist for the first time it is used in practice, complete the template.

What It Doesn’t Do

All five fields provide occasions to ask further questions, not results. Nonverbal observation is a source of hypotheses, not proof — crossed arms do not mean “rejection,” a pause before a name does not mean “trauma.” Professional practice means naming, not interpreting — for example: “I notice you went quiet for a moment at that name — would you like to say something about that?” The widespread claim that communication “consists 93% of nonverbal signals” is a myth, not a solid figure. Eye-contact behavior, distance, and posture are, moreover, culturally shaped — the same gesture can mean the opposite in different contexts, and one’s own reading of it must not be set as the norm.

Where the Content Comes From

The log is based on the GenoEasy Academy, Module 2 “Applying,” Lesson 31 — the source of the five observation fields, the 93% myth, and the principle of “naming, not interpreting.” Three other lessons in the same module are related to it: “Addressing Sensitive Topics,” the circular-questioning technique, and Lesson 14, “Gathering Information with Cultural Sensitivity,” on the cultural shaping of eye-contact behavior and distance.