Conclusion Family sculpting is one of the many assessment and therapy tools the social worker has at their disposal. Relatively little research has been performed about family sculpting and much of the information available, including the information in this article, is antidotal treatment of practice knowledge. There are many advantages to using family sculpting. The method is eclectic lending itself to nearly any theory of intervention or psychotherapy practice the practitioner may subscribe to. Families and groups inevitably enjoy the hands-on nature and insight that family sculpting offers.
Disadvantages are few.
Another disadvantage is that this method traditionally requires the presence and cooperation of others. A final caution. The worker needs to follow proper professional guidelines, protocols and ethics just as they would with any other intervention. In addition, the worker needs to be prepared to handle potentially inflammatory topics and issues that might become exposed in a family sculpting session. An excellent place to experiment and learn about the method is in a social work class with a knowledgeable instructor.