Expectations play a fundamental role in the family relationship, since they allow simplifying and predicting which the easiest way to reach future goals is. Yet if exaggerate expectations produce a too intense pressure, in a family system signs of suffering or disturbances may arise. In particular, depressive disturbances are frequently connected with totalizing expectations that for their same nature are almost impossible to be fulfilled. In these cases the expectation’s breakdown is the most common consequence and it produces the defeated attitude, hopelessness and loss of initiatives that are typical of depressive individuals and families. How to resize the excessive expectations, and other forms of intervention are described in this paper.
Keywords: Family, system, depression, expectations, family therapy