Boszormenyi-Nagy addressed a transgenerational theme by describing how family relationships between generations and between adults in a marriage were organised around a ledger of entitlements and obligation. The system-oriented approaches assume that the family is a system observed by the therapist. The psychoeducational approach and family crisis intervention have evolved in the context of the burden that schizophrenia places on the family and the potential for members to influence its course. A typology of family psychopathology allowing the diagnostician to differentiate patterns of dysfunction and appropriate interventions is elusive. An inherent challenge is determining which aspects of family functioning are core in creating a family typology. Family assessment, an extension of conventional individual assessment, adds a broader context to the final formulation. Its four phases are as follows: history from the patient, a provisional formulation concerning the relevance of family issues, family interview and a revised formulation.