These days, thanks to many professionals and nonprofessionals, family education seems to have prevailed to some extent in Japan, and family education is now changing to family empowerment. On the other hand, I wonder if families come within the psychiatrists' field of vision adequately. Generally, most doctors do not regard families as educable people or possible good collaborators. Why have we come to this circumstance? I will try to suggest a better direction for collaboration between families and professionals, especially doctors.