A step-by-step guide to assessing couples and families, this text offers a clear delineation of the process of family therapy through richly illustrated case material, featuring clients from a diversity of backgrounds Appealing to both experienced and novel therapists, "Assessing Families and Couples" portrays a clear picture of what occurs in a two-session model in conducting a family therapy assessment. In the absence of a videotape to depict the process of therapy, readers can still visualize the details of the therapeutic journey in a step-by-step manner. Students and instructors, alike, will find this book an invaluable tool for the learning and teaching of family therapy assessment. The text begins with a brief historical review of family therapy today and continues with a detailed explanation of the authors' four-step assessment model. The assessment model is illustrated by a series of thoroughly detailed case studies, featuring African-American, European, Latin-American, Spanish, Irish, and Chinese families.