Family therapy, also referred to as family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of interaction between family members. It emphasizes family relationships as an important factor in psychological health. Family systems can break down for any number of reasons including encountering unexpected life challenges, divorce, job loss, or addiction. When a family is willing to address these tensions and challenges together, a family counselor can assist them in finding ways to create more understanding, compassion, and balance at home.

A family therapist usually meets several members of the family at the same time. This has the advantage of making the ways family members perceive mutual relations as well as interaction patterns in the session apparent both for the therapist and the family. These patterns frequently mirror interaction patterns at home.