In the course of their daily practice, counsellors in a wide variety of caring agencies often need to assist families in dealing with the problems they face. Eddy Street defines successful family counselling as a combination of a number of elements. He argues that it should: be in keeping with a family's strengths and style, offer empathic listening to each family member, maintain a perspective of the changing nature of family life, focus on clear and open communication, and deal in a problem-solving manner with the task in hand.

He takes the reader step-by-step through these elements, outlining the necessary skills, and provides a clear understanding of the processes families have to go through in order to deal with the tasks that are set for them.