Hoffman, Lynn (1924- )

US family/marriage therapist who held a series of jobs before beginning to concentrate on family therapy in 1963, influenced by the ideas of Gregory Bateson. She worked for family therapy organizations in Philadelphia, New York City, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut. She conducted workshops and addressed many conferences around the world, and taught at the Smith College School of Social Work in 1983. Among her publications, Foundations of Family Therapy 1981 is an internationally recognized textbook.

Born in Paris, France, the child of American parents - her mother was Ruth Reeves, a noted textile designer - she grew up in a New York artists' colony. She graduated from Radcliffe in 1946 and obtained a master's degree from the Adelphi School of Social Work in 1971.