ABSTRACT
Family therapy, a relatively young psychotherapeutic modality, wears like Joseph, a coat of many colors. The general title “Psychotherapy and the Family” reflects the change that occurred in the mid-1950s when the family became a potential unit of treatment in psychotherapy rather than only an individual patient/client. The place of children in the history of family therapy is worth noting. There are several versions of the overall historical development of family therapy in the family therapy literature. However, as a general statement, in the beginning there were two main “branches,” “East Coast” and “West Coast,” and some other isolated individuals pioneering the early discoveries and practice of family therapy. One of the earliest books in family therapy was Nathan Ackerman’s The Psychodynamics of Family Life. When children are included in family sessions their natural language, play, becomes an important part of the family session.
