A chair-work task for internal conflict, often between a critical voice and an experiencing self. The client moves between chairs so both positions can be voiced and transformed.
Step-by-step guide
- Place the two positions in separate chairs.
- Let each voice speak in first person.
- Slow down when emotion intensifies.
- Support the vulnerable or adaptive voice.
- Integrate the new relationship between parts.
When to use
- When the client can stay within the tolerance window
- When an experiential intervention fits the live process marker
- When verbal insight alone is not producing change
Key phrases
Let us stay with this and see what two-chair dialogue makes possible right now.
Follow-up questions
What do you notice in your body as this unfolds?
What changed when you spoke or acted from this place?
Alternative phrasings
There is no need to perform this correctly; we are looking for what becomes alive.
Let us slow it down and listen for the emotion or role underneath.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not intensify emotion faster than the client can integrate
- ⚠️ Avoid turning experiential work into performance or technique display
- ⚠️ Ground and integrate before closing the task
Source: Johnson, S. Greenberg, L. Elliott, R. Watson, J. Emotionally Focused and Emotion-Focused Therapy literature
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.