For therapists & counselors
Ecomap software for therapists
Map a client's ecological context in session on iPad. Hartman-standard notation for family systems therapists, MFTs, and counselors.
Download for iPad — 7-day free trialHow therapists use ecomaps
Collaborative Mapping in Session
Draw the ecomap with the client on an iPad — the process itself is therapeutic, surfacing insights about isolation, depletion, and untapped support.
Family Systems Assessment
Capture the ecological context alongside the genogram. Where the genogram shows the past, the ecomap shows the present — together they tell the full story.
Burnout & Caregiver Work
Visualize how caregiver burden concentrates in one or two connections. Energy-flow direction makes it immediately apparent when a client is giving without receiving.
Clinical Supervision
Use ecomaps in supervision to discuss case complexity. A shared visual vocabulary reduces the time spent explaining and increases the time spent thinking.
Recovery & Addiction Counseling
Map the recovery network — treatment providers, peer support, AA/NA, sober living — and track how it builds or erodes over time.
Transition Clients
Track ecological shifts during major life changes: discharge from a hospital, migration, divorce, incarceration, or leaving foster care.
What the app includes
18 System Categories
- • Family / friends
- • Work / education
- • Health / mental health
- • Substance use services
- • Housing / food
- • Government / legal
- • Religion / faith
- • Community / cultural
- • Transportation / financial
Hartman + Extended Lines
- • Strong, moderate, weak
- • Stressful, conflictual, broken
- • Enmeshed, distant, ambivalent
- • Mandated, abusive, coercive
- • Cutoff, estranged, dependent
- • Emerging / developing
Canvas Tools
- • Auto-arrange on Hartman rings
- • Sticky notes & free text labels
- • Legend overlay
- • Pinch-to-zoom & pan
- • Export PDF / PNG / SVG
- • Local storage, no account
How to create a therapy ecomap
Open the session
Tap 'Start with a person' or choose a clinical template. Add the client's name, age, pronouns, and presenting concern in the center inspector.
Map the ecological systems together
With the client, identify the systems in their life — school, family, work, healthcare, faith, friends, community. Drop each one onto the canvas and size it to show prominence.
Draw the connections
Connect each system to the center. Choose a Hartman line (strong, stressful, conflictual…) and mark the energy flow — which systems give and which take.
Discuss what the map reveals
Review the map with the client. Where is the isolation? Where are the mandated connections? What would shift if one relationship changed?
Export for supervision or the record
Share to PDF, PNG, or SVG for your clinical notes, supervision, or case consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How do therapists use ecomaps in sessions?
Many therapists use ecomaps collaboratively with clients — drawing the map together on an iPad in session creates a shared visual language. The process itself often surfaces insights: clients notice which systems they undervalued, where the stress is concentrated, and where untapped support exists.
What's the relationship between an ecomap and family systems theory?
An ecomap is a direct visual expression of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Hartman's social work assessment model. It places the client in their ecological context, showing not just which systems exist but the quality and direction of each connection — essential information for any systems-oriented practitioner.
Can I use an ecomap alongside a genogram?
Absolutely — ecomaps and genograms are complementary tools. The genogram maps the intergenerational family system; the ecomap maps the client's present ecological context. Together they give the most complete clinical picture. Ecomap Creator links to GenogramAI for cross-referencing.
How many ecomaps can I create?
Standard Annual ($19.99/yr) supports up to 10 ecomaps. Unlimited Annual ($29.99/yr) has no cap. Both plans include a 7-day free trial.
Is this HIPAA-compliant?
Ecomap Creator stores all data locally on your iPad under iOS Data Protection (AES-256). There is no server, no cloud sync by default, no analytics, and no third-party SDKs. Optional iCloud Drive uses your own Apple account. This architecture is consistent with HIPAA's minimum-necessary principle, but HIPAA compliance is ultimately your responsibility as a covered entity or business associate.
The ecomap tool clinicians carry into the room
7-day free trial. Works offline. Exports to PDF for supervision and case notes.
Download for iPad