The Empty Chair technique is one of the most striking and, in some ways, spectacular tools of Gestalt therapy: people who sit in front of an empty chair and address it as if a being relevant to them were sitting there; a being that, in some way, has been involved in an event that changed their lives.
Of course, in reality there is no one sitting there (there’s a reason it’s called the technique of Empty chair) imagination and suggestion are the elements that are intertwined in this therapeutic approach, not esotericism. But… What does it really consist of?
“Ania lost her father when she was nine years old due to a car accident. That night her father was leaving work at high speed because her little girl was sick when a drunk driver hit the vehicle. Now sixteen years old, Ella Ania still remembers the night of the accident as if it were yesterday. She feels a certain guilt because if it had not been for her, her father would not have run so far to get home, and she also notes an intense feeling of anger against the man who caused the accident.
Stories like this happen relatively frequently in real life.. Many of those who suffer a loss of this type suffer from major situations of emotional blockage or extreme emotional lability, sudden aggressive reactions or feelings of guilt that last for many years unless treatment is sought. The appearance of pathologies such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is even possible.
The Empty Chair technique is one of the possible techniques that are often used to help overcome these types of experiences based on past experiences.
What is the Empty Chair technique?
The Empty Chair technique is one of the best-known techniques of Gestalt Therapy. It was created by the psychologist Fritz Perls with the purpose of developing a method that would allow unresolved phenomena or issues to be reintegrated into the lives of patients. The technique in question tries to reproduce an encounter with a situation or person in order to dialogue with it and emotionally contact the event, being able to accept the situation and give it a conclusion.
The name of the Empty Chair technique comes from the use of a real chair, in which the patient will imaginary “sit” the person, situation or facet that causes the emotional block to later establish the aforementioned dialogue.
Using the Empty Chair
Its use is very common in cases similar to the one shown in the example, as a way of coping with traumatic losses, or in the process of grieving. However, its application is not limited only to this area, but also It is also used as an element to allow the acceptance of facets of one’s own personality. or thoughts that are not considered acceptable by the patient, as well as to work on the perception of limitations and disabilities (loss of faculties, amputations, etc.).
Likewise, it is a valid technique for facing traumatic situations, which may or may not lead to PTSD and/or dissociative disorders, such as rape, divorce or survivor’s syndrome. The characteristics of this technique also allow it to be applied in the world of education or even at the level of organizations, in phenomena such as burnout or bullying.
In all cases, we act under the belief that “the patient only needs an experience, not an explanation” to finish the unfinished process and accept their situation.
At the therapy level, in addition to as an element for the client to explore their own vision and contact their emotions, It is an element that provides a lot of information both to the individual himself as well as the professional about the way in which the patient processes the situation and how it has affected their quality of life, favoring the application of other actions that improve the treatment of the problems analyzed.
Operation of the technique
Let’s see below how the use of the Empty Chair works. First of all, in a preparatory phase, the patient is physically confronted with the empty chair. That is, the empty chair is positioned in front of the individual (although sometimes it is placed diagonally oriented so that no opposition to the imagined person or situation is seen).
The patient is then instructed to imaginatively project onto the chair the person, situation or feeling or part of the personality with which the dialogue is going to occur.
In a third phase, the patient is invited to describe the projection made, in order to strengthen the imaginary image that has been represented. Both the positive and negative must be mentioned, both about the person and the situation or its effects.
In the event of a death or separation, It is useful to remember the relationship that existed before the event and what happened beforewhile in unacceptable feelings, traumas or facets of one’s self it is useful to look for the moment in which it appeared or when it became a problem. It is likely that in this context the revelation of what was left pending or the sensations produced by the situations in question will arise, making blocked elements conscious.
Starting the dialogue
Later, in the verbal expression phase, the patient begins the dialogue out loud with the projection, trying to be sincere and revealing those details that the patient does not dare or has not been able to reveal in his daily life or in front of the person in question, how the patient has experienced the situation and why it has been this way. The therapist must monitor the dialogue and redirect it so that no deviations occur that worsen the situation, without restricting the individual’s flow of thought.
Although it is not applied in some variants of the technique, it is useful to have the patient exchange their chair with the one in the projection, putting themselves in the other’s place in a way that facilitates emotional expression. This exchange will occur as many times as is considered necessary as long as the transition is necessary and consistent with the problem to be addressed.
Finally, The patient is pointed out and helped to reflect on the sensations that he or she is showing.so that the subject is able to identify and realize their emotional reactions, how the event has affected them and how that affects their life.
To finish the technique, the therapist instructs the patient to close his eyes and imagine the projection entering him again, and then gradually eliminate all the images created while returning to pay attention only to the real context in the consultation.
Difficulties in using the Empty Chair
Although this technique has shown its usefulness for emotional unblocking, self-acceptance and resolution of grieving processes, Its application can be hindered by a series of resistances.
To begin with, this type of technique requires the ability to imagine and project the image of a person, whether a being is not present or a part of the person themselves. That is, someone who does not have the ability to accurately imagine the person or personality facet in question will not be able to obtain the intended level of benefit from the technique. The patient can be guided in the technique through questions to facilitate the projection.
A second difficulty is that the patient himself refuses to use it because he considers it ridiculous, or due to fear or difficulty in expressing his own thoughts out loud.
A third and final problem may come from the ability to detect the blocked element, so that the patient is not able to find another perspective of the situation experienced, which must be worked on. Sometimes, the element that causes discomfort is difficult to identify.
Final considerations
It is important to keep in mind that This technique should be used only under the supervision of a therapist who can direct the situation..
Likewise, although it has many possible uses, the Empty Chair is used intermittently, only when relevant to facilitate emotional contact with a part of the self of the patient or to explore the problem situation.
Bibliographic references:
Greenberg, L.S. et al. (1996). Facilitating emotional change. The therapeutic process point by point. Barcelona: Paidós.
