International Family Systems Therapy: Global Perspectives on the Healing Power of FamiliesBy MaurizioAndolfi, PeterFraenkel and AntonelloD'Eli (eds.), Routledge, 2025, 420 pp., ISBN: 978‐1‐03‐287008‐3

International Family Systems Therapy is a compilation of key presentations from the 2023 International Family Therapy Conference in Italy. As a conference attendee, I was delighted to revisit amazing experiences whilst reviewing this book. Set in the historic town of Assisi, the convention served as a reconnection of therapists around the world who had been isolated by COVID-19. It also spawned the ‘Assisi Manifesto’—a powerful declaration of the importance of family- and community-oriented care while serving as a critique of the global trend towards individualistic, diagnostic-centred treatments. Published 2 years later, this book further demonstrates how practitioners can move towards relational, holistic practice across a range of therapeutic settings. This book emphasises not just the inclusion of families in treatment, but also a belief in their power to heal. The chapters detail a multigenerational approach, often engaging family members across generations to address difficulties. This method is a hallmark of pioneering family therapist and psychiatrist, Professor Maurizio Andolfi (pp. 9, 110, 202). Examples show this approach in diverse practice environments, such as the use of a three-generation genogram for couples undergoing assisted reproduction (p. 218). Another chapter, focused on a serious illness in a family member, emphasises the need to explore chronic conditions in the family of origin (p. 253). These applications support the book's central message: the future of family therapy is rooted in multigenerational, system-informed practice. Readers are taken on a global journey through contemporary practices by 37 different authors. One can only imagine the task of collating such a compendium of chapters along with the work of translating non-English articles. As a first-generation Australian of Malaysian origin, I found Chinapan and Ding's article particularly insightful (p. 321). The authors craft a narrative of cultural influences that shape modern Malaysia, describing how they manifest in the therapy room. They highlight work with a family to explore the roots of their patriarchal traditions, supporting the mother in expressing her resentment about how these traditions have affected her. This and other chapters serve as timely reminders for therapists to ‘know the terrain’ and underscore the role of sociocultural context in shaping therapeutic dialogue. The (trauma) story was mostly untold in the family, but its deep, intimate, destructive waves seem to have since overwhelmed the intergenerational family dynamic, resulting in blocked individual and family processes and wounded intimate family relations (p. 368) I still remember Dr Qossoqsi's presentation in Assisi. The audience was silent, moved by his resilience and courage. Since then, the events in Israel and Palestine have made his words and ongoing work in the region even more important. From closer afield, ANZJFT readers will be pleased to know the range of cases from Australian settings. There are contributions from Australian supervisees of Professor Andolfi, including Senediak and Feijo (p. 90) and Pace (p. 165). Both chapters appear in the section on adolescents. With many young people in Australia and other Western societies facing increasing levels of stress and anxiety, effective modalities that support adolescents are vital. The articles offer valuable insights on how to engage not just with the young person but also with the whole family. Other Australian contributions include working with families with children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (Bufacchi, 38), family and couples therapy through the lens of intimate partner violence (Agostinelli and Sullivan, 242), treatment of preverbal childhood trauma (Struik and Salvo, 309) and the use of cultural diversity as a resource (Cavalieri, 342). This book offers both a deep dive and a synopsis for practitioners committed to the care of families. Those already with experience in specific fields will benefit from the theory-to-practice examples. Those looking to explore models from diverse contexts will also be warmly supported through accessible language and background context at the start of each chapter. International Family Systems Therapy reveals a multigenerational, systemic style that is unassuming, innovative and profound. Professor Maurizio Andolfi (Perth, WA) is acknowledged for his guidance on the development of this book review. The author has nothing to report.