As the middle child in the family, Ingrid felt her older brother always 'got the breaks' from their mother and father. Her younger sister was 'dadd's girl' and could do no wrong as far as he was concerned. In family counseling, Ingrid was asked to sculpt the family. It is likely that she:

As the middle child in the family, Ingrid felt her older brother always 'got the breaks' from their mother and father. Her younger sister was 'dadd's girl' and could do no wrong as far as he was concerned. In family counseling, Ingrid was asked to sculpt the family. It is likely that she:

• A. Had her four family members hold hands in a circle with her inside
• B. Had a line of family members with her brother between the parents, sister by father and she a few paces from the line
• C. Had her four family members hold hands in a circle with her standing outside
• D. Had the three children stand together facing mother and father who stood side-by-side

Answer: (B)

In family sculpture, the way the client arranges people shows how she perceives the family’s connections, closeness, and loyalties. The middle child who feels the older brother consistently gets breaks and the younger sister is favored would depict those divisions spatially. Placing the brother between the parents signals he holds a central, privileged position in the family dynamic. Positioning the sister by the father suggests a closer alliance or favoritism toward her from the father. If Ingrid stands a few paces away from the line, it communicates a sense of being separate or less connected to the family’s core relationships. This setup best reflects her experience of being overlooked and of clear divisions among the siblings and parents. Other arrangements would suggest different meanings—being inside a circle could imply inclusion or central belonging, standing outside might indicate isolation without specifying the same parental loyalties, and having all three children together facing the parents could indicate a shared stance or alliance rather than Ingrid’s feeling of being left out.

In family sculpture, the way the client arranges people shows how she perceives the family’s connections, closeness, and loyalties. The middle child who feels the older brother consistently gets breaks and the younger sister is favored would depict those divisions spatially. Placing the brother between the parents signals he holds a central, privileged position in the family dynamic. Positioning the sister by the father suggests a closer alliance or favoritism toward her from the father. If Ingrid stands a few paces away from the line, it communicates a sense of being separate or less connected to the family’s core relationships. This setup best reflects her experience of being overlooked and of clear divisions among the siblings and parents.

Other arrangements would suggest different meanings—being inside a circle could imply inclusion or central belonging, standing outside might indicate isolation without specifying the same parental loyalties, and having all three children together facing the parents could indicate a shared stance or alliance rather than Ingrid’s feeling of being left out.