ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to give some shape to Indra's Net: the complex number of processes that need to be analyzed within a family therapy assessment. An assessment is a description of the current position of a family and should encompass all family members: their strengths and challenges. In a family assessment, the therapist may come across the 'legitimate' jewel, which provides an explanation and a way of intervening that is significant. During the history of family therapy, there have been a number of empirical methods that help therapists assess family life. A formulation is a way of explaining the information gained during a psychological assessment which is based upon theory. The most common tool that helps the therapist and family orientate to each other in the early assessment session is the genogram or family tree. There is software available to help therapists draw up family trees, for example, Smart Draw, I-family tree and Genogram Analytics.
