Transactional Analysis-Empty Chair is used to represent the different ego states for the client to enact

• A. It represents the various ego states for the client to enact.
• B. It is used to shift the therapist's role.
• C. It is a relaxation technique.
• D. It is used only in group therapy.

Answer: (A)

In Transactional Analysis, the Empty Chair technique is used to externalize and explore the client’s internal ego states—Parent, Adult, and Child. By assigning an empty chair to each ego state and having the client speak from one state to another, the client enacts internal dialogues as if the parts of themselves were separate people. This enactment makes implicit messages from each state visible, helps the client notice patterns of conflict or support, and facilitates shifting toward an Adult stance that can mediate between the other states. It’s a way to illuminate how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors flow between ego states and to experiment with new, more integrated responses.

This method is not primarily about shifting the therapist’s role, nor is it a relaxation technique, and it’s not limited to group therapy—it's commonly used in individual therapy as well.