What does the Empty Chair technique involve in Gestalt therapy?

• A. The client addresses an empty chair as if another person were present.
• B. The client addresses an empty chair as if another person or aspect of themselves were present; role-playing.
• C. The client uses the chair to measure breathing.
• D. The client writes a letter to an imagined person.

Answer: (B)

In Gestalt therapy, the Empty Chair technique is an experiential exercise that invites you to have a conversation by speaking to an empty chair as if another person or a part of yourself is sitting there. You may switch chairs to take the other perspective, doing role-playing to externalize inner voices, conflicts, or unmet needs. This process brings feelings and thoughts into immediate awareness and helps with integration by allowing you to enact the dialogue and experience reactions in the here and now. It’s not about measuring breathing or writing a letter; it centers on an in-the-moment, interpersonal or intrapersonal dialogue that reveals and addresses aspects of self and others.