One in five adults can identify with growing up with an alcoholic parent and twenty-eight million Americans have a parent who is abusive or dependent on an alcoholic (Walker and Lee , 1998). Alcoholism has devastating and pervasive effects, which range from psychological, social or biological problems for families. Counselors dealing with this issue all agree that the relationships within a family, especially between a parent and child, are among the most influential in a system, but what are the effects on the family when a parent is alcoholic? Contemporary research has shown that family problems are more common when alcohol is the organizing principle. Additionally, much research has been done on defining the roles of individuals within the family into specific categories and, clearly, roles can reverse between parent and child. This theme of functional roles in alcoholic families will be analyzed and deepened. Family therapy has shown substantial results in the treatment of an alcoholic parent. These findings will be discussed in more detail, along with the literature reviewing existing research related to specific family therapy interventions and treatments with an alcoholic parent. Before treatment research is informed about distinct therapies, it is crucial that counselors facilitating family therapy understand the literature on the problems commonly associated with alcoholic parents and the effects of this population on their families. Additionally, the negative consequences that an alcoholic parent has on their children and spouse have been studied and examined. Negative outcomes of children of alcoholics (COA) Parental alcoholism has...... middle of article...... Temporary family therapy: an International Journal, 24(2), 371. Copello, A ., Velleman, R. and Templeton, L. (2005). Family interventions in the treatment of alcohol and drug problems. Drug and Alcohol Review, 24(4), 369-385. doi:10.1080/09595230500302356 Steinglass, P. (2008). Family systems and motivational interviewing: A systems-motivational model for the treatment of alcohol and other drug problems. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 9-29. doi:10.1300/J020v26n01_02Liepman, MR, Flachier, R., & Tareen, R. (2008). Mapping family behavior loops: a technique to analyze the influence of addiction disorders on families and to help them recover. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 59-80. doi:10.1300/J020v26n01_04Chan, J.G. (2003). A review of family approaches to the treatment of alcoholism. Family Journal, 11(2), 129-138. do I:10.1177/1066480702250149