[Psychosomatics of the family today]

The concept "family psychosomatics" was introduced some 30 years ago. It denoted at that time a programme rather than a domain of practice and research. Today this domain increasingly reflects a systemic approach focussing on the so-called "problem defined system" which is not necessarily identical with the family system. Also, we notice that systems with serious psychosomatic disorders tend to embed themselves in a "hard reality". Therefore, therapeutic interventions should aim at softening this hard reality. In this, they could make use of a "systemic questioning" which can trigger changes, and at the same time, can anticipate potentially frightening consequences of such changes.