La chaise vide en psychothérapie : origines et développements

Abstract

Working with the empty chair or the two-chair dialogue techniques is used in experiential techniques. The latter are practiced in various psychotherapy forms. The present article demonstrates the origins of these techniques in the Gestalt and Person-centered models of psychotherapy, as well as presents their current developments in experiential psychotherapy approaches. The techniques presented are classified according to their objectives, namely: clarification and meaning construction, and modification of internal determinants of the presenting problem. The following techniques are briefly presented, illustrated with clinical examples and discussed: treatment of internal conflict split; treatment of self-interruptive process; unfinished business dialogue; self-soothing dialogue; cognitive elements in the one-person role-play; affective elements in the one-person role-play. We discuss the empirical evidence of these techniques, by referring to efficacy and effectiveness studies, as well as process studies, and conclude with a reflection on the differential indication of the techniques, in the context of novel clinical and research perspectives.