ABSTRACT
The practice of family therapy in the field of health has developed as has knowledge that members of the patient's family and broader social network are affected by the illness or disability and that they, in turn, influence the nature and course of the medical condition. Family therapy is not an entity; practitioners differ concerning the underlying theory, the unit of service, criteria for assessment, definition of goals, and the structure and focus of treatment. The purpose of family therapy in health care settings is to help the patient and family unit to cope with and adapt to changes brought about by the illness, disability, or hospitalization. The health care organization is a complex network of people in interlocking social systems, includes boards of directors, administrators, clerical and paraprofessional personnel, and professional practitioners from medicine and the allied health professions. Social workers have contacts with patients for offering a service, making an assessment, or providing help with the patient's concerns.
