Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the interactions between family members. While family therapists often seek to have all family members (affected by the problem) in the room, that is only sometimes possible or necessary. What distinguishes family therapy from individual counseling is its perspective or framework, not how many people are present at the therapy session. This type of counseling views problems as patterns or systems that need adjusting instead of viewing problems as residing in the person, which is why family therapy is often referred to as a “strengths-based treatment.”