An eco-map is a graphical representation that shows all of the systems at play in an individuals life. It is a visual tool that provides useful information about an individual and their connections to the external world. Eco-maps are used in individual and family counseling within the social work and nursing profession. They are often used to portray Systems Theory in a simplistic way that both the social worker and the client can look at during the session. Eco-maps are a way of locating the family in their current social context and provide a visual map of the family's connections to the external world. They help workers to assess whether the boundaries between family and their environment are open or closed and whether the level and type of support the family is receiving.
Eco-maps are also used to analyze the context in which a child or young person lives, who they feel aligned to, or if they are isolated in certain areas. Unlike genograms, which are very structured and show the make-up of a young person’s family, ecomaps are a visual means for a young person to show who is in their network (be that family, friends, neighbors, school staff) and what sort of relationships they have with them.
An ecomap is a structural diagram of a client's most important relationships with people, groups, and organizations, and identifies resources available in clients’ community. Social workers use this tool to show the coalition of resources that seem likely to affect a client's efforts to achieve personal goals. When creating an ecomap, a social worker places their client’s name in a circle in the diagram’s center. In the surrounding area, they add circles representing the people and organizations with whom the client has a relationship.
Benefits of using an eco-map in social work include collecting information efficiently, beginning counseling discussions with clients, and visualizing clients' relationships to determine the best services to offer them.
