The HKUFI is the first leading centre in the region dedicated to promoting family health through family-oriented clinical practice and educational effort. With expertise from five HKU departments including Psychology, Psychiatry, Medicine, Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, and Social Work and Social Administration, the Institute takes great pride in its multi-disciplinary approach to research, training and clinical practice.

The Master of Social Sciences in Marriage and Family Therapy programme, offered by the Institute, is the first of its kind not only in Hong Kong, but also in the Asian region. Its Family Clinic is renowned for providing hands-on training and consultation to hard to serve cases in the community. Different clinical projects have been developed including trans-generational work, couple relationship and sexuality, children's response to parental conflicts, and a range of psychosomatic problems and depression. With training projects covering the greater China arena, the expertise of the Institute in Asian family has gained international recognitions, as evidenced by the many invitations for keynote speech and workshops at major conferences both locally and abroad. The Institute is also instrumental in setting up the Consortium of Institutes of Families in Asia (CIFA), of which the inauguration symposium in January 2008 has attracted over three hundred professionals from the region. It also opens up new possibilities for cross-regional collaboration on research and clinical training.