One of the most pressing issues that high school counselors encounter is the use of alcohol and other substance abuse among adolescents. This paper explores five major reasons that adolescents give for using alcohol and other drugs. It includes discussions on how peer interactions and the adolescent's search for identity influence the decision to use alcohol or drugs. It considers parents' attitudes toward an adolescent's alcohol or drug use and describes how family therapy can help the functioning of the family. Three steps are detailed which are involved in treating the family unit. Step one is to engage the family's willingness to participate in the counseling process. Step two is to lead the family towards change and to provide each participant with the realities of facing change. Step three is to support the family as they deepen their interpersonal relationships and work at maintaining these changes. It explores the role of the counselor in the counseling process and concludes that in all family therapy treatment, the goal of the therapist is to assist members of the family to communicate with each other and to learn skills that will help them effectively solve problems. (Contains 12 references.) (JDM)