One in five adults can identify with growing up with an alcoholic relative, and twenty-eight million Americans have a parent who is abusive or dependent on the alcoholic (Walker and Lee, 1998). The devastating and ubiquitous effects of alcoholism range from psychological, social or biological problems for families. All consultants who deal with this issue agree that relationships within a family, especially between a parent and a child, are among the most influential within a system, but what are the effects on the family when a parent is he an alcoholic? Contemporary research has found that there is a greater prevalence of family problems when alcohol is the organizing principle. Furthermore, there is numerous research on the roles of individuals within the family which are defined in specific categories and evidently the roles can be reversed between parent and child. This theme of functional roles in alcoholic families will be analyzed and explored. Family therapy has had substantial results in treating an alcoholic parent. These findings will be discussed in more depth by reviewing the literature regarding existing research related to specific interventions and treatments in family therapy with an alcoholic parent. Before treatment research illuminates specific therapies, it is critical for counselors facilitating family therapy to understand the literature on commonly occurring problems associated with alcoholic parents and the effects this population has on their families. Additionally, the adverse outcomes that an alcoholic parent has on their children and spouses have been studied and analyzed. Adverse Outcomes of Children of Alcoholics (COA) Parental alcoholism has... half of the paper... Temporary family therapy: a solution International Journal, 24(2), 371. Copello, A., Velleman, R., & Templeton, L. (2005). Family interventions in the treatment of alcohol and drug problems. Drug and Alcohol Review, 24(4), 369-385. doi:10.1080/09595230500302356Steinglass, P. (2008). Family systems and motivational interviewing: A systemic-motivational model for the treatment of alcohol and other drug problems. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 9-29. doi:10.1300/J020v26n01_02Liepman, M. R., Flachier, R., & Tareen, R. (2008). Family Behavioral Cycle Mapping: A technique to analyze the hold that addictive disorders have on families and to help them recover. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 59-80. doi:10.1300/J020v26n01_04Chan, J. G. (2003). An examination of family-involved approaches to the treatment of alcoholism. Family diary, 11(2), 129-138. doi:10.1177/1066480702250149