National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) Practice Exam

Which technique in gestalt therapy involves a client interacting with an empty chair?

1. Dream work

2. Role play

3. Empty chair technique

4. Exaggeration exercise

The correct answer is: Empty chair technique

The empty chair technique is a hallmark of Gestalt therapy, allowing clients to explore feelings, thoughts, and conflicts by imagining a conversation with someone or something represented by an empty chair. This technique facilitates self-awareness and personal insight. A client can project their thoughts and emotions into the empty chair, effectively acting out conversations or expressing unresolved feelings. This experiential exercise helps bring internal conflicts to the forefront of consciousness, leading to greater understanding and integration of various aspects of the self. This technique differs from others listed. Dream work focuses on analyzing dreams for insight into the client’s subconscious, role play involves acting out scenarios without the specific focus on an empty chair, and exaggeration exercises generally emphasize amplification of gestures or feelings rather than direct interaction with a personified element. The empty chair technique is distinctive in its capability to create a direct dialogue with an imagined presence, making it a powerful transformative tool in therapy.