Anyone working with families in any capacity will find the necessary foundations presented here in a compact and practical manner. The book illustrates what families are really like today and discusses their developments, challenges, and unique characteristics. For further education or professional practice, it provides insights into the following central topics: couple interactions, falling in love and partner selection, desire for children, parenthood and parent-child relationships, crises of love and affairs, separations, divorces and their consequences, single parenting, blended families, sibling relationships, illness and death in the family, migration and its effects. The book is aimed at all professionals working with children, adolescents, and families, such as those in municipal, church, or private/non-profit organizations, educational and family counseling services, as well as young practitioners and participants in training and continuing education.