Give two disagreeing states a chair each
Let each of two conflicting states speak from its own seat, so they can hear each other.
Perché funziona
Emmerson presents the empty chair as one of the easiest non-hypnotic ways to reach ego states, and notes that Gestalt therapists use a two-chair version so that two states can communicate. He also notes that non-hypnotic access reaches only the surface states, the ones you can already feel. That limit is what this practice keeps: the chair mechanics are the same as in two-chair-dialogue, and this page adds only the ego-state framing and the rule about which states to use it with.
Come farlo
- Choose an everyday conflict between two states you can already feel (wanting to speak up and wanting to keep the peace).
- Set up two chairs and use the method in two-chair-dialogue: speak as the first state, then move and answer as the second.
- If the state that comes forward feels much younger or distressed, or you feel flooded, stop there and work with a trained therapist.
- Stand up, step away from both chairs, and write down what each state needs from the other.
Prove scientifiche
The empty chair is one of the non-hypnotic access methods in Emmerson's handbook, which says such methods reach only surface states. The chair mechanism is studied in another therapy: a small pilot of emotion-focused two-chair dialogue with self-critical clients found reduced self-criticism that held at follow-up. (anecdotal)
The two-chair pilot tests emotion-focused therapy, not ego state therapy, so it supports the mechanism by analogy only. For the full method see two-chair-dialogue. Keep this to conflicts you can already feel; if a state that surfaces feels much younger and distressed, or you feel flooded, stop and work with a trained therapist.
Fonti
- Emmerson, G. (2007). Ego State Therapy (first published 2003). Crown House Publishing.
- Shahar, B., Carlin, E. R., Engle, D. E., Hegde, J., Szepsenwol, O., & Arkowitz, H. (2012). A pilot investigation of emotion-focused two-chair dialogue intervention for self-criticism. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 19(6), 496-507.
Errore comune
Staying in one chair and arguing the other state down. The aim in this method is communication between states, so each needs a full turn.
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Altre pratiche per Ego State Therapy: The Different Selves You Shift Between
- Map the states you shift between in an ordinary week
List the distinct versions of yourself that show up in different settings, and what each is good at.
- Hear "part of me" as two states that disagree
When you catch yourself saying "part of me wants to", name both states and what each one wants.
- Notice what cues a younger, older-feeling state
Track the situations that bring forward a state whose reaction feels much older than the moment, without trying to dig into it alone.
- Write letters between two of your states
Let one state write to another, then let the other write back.
- Negotiate a role for each state instead of silencing one
Look for an arrangement in which each conflicting state has a place, at the right time.
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- Transactional Analysis: The Parent, Adult and Child in Every Conversation
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