Empty Chair or Letter Writing

When there is conflict or unresolved issues with another person or situation, there is often tension, stress, or avoidance of the person or the situation. Rather than just talking about it, you are invited to participate in a process where the person or thing is imagined to be present in a chair in the therapy room. You then proceed to talk to this difficulty.

This process gets you in touch with the feelings and deeper things that are going on in your mind and body outside your awareness. This results in more understanding, clarity and resolve with the conflict and where new solutions and ways to move forward emerge.

Sometimes the feelings in relation to your issue are very intense or the idea of talking to an empty chair is too intimidating. In this case a less intense version of this modality is to write a letter to the person or thing in difficulty. This may be done privately without sharing with the therapist, however still very effective in unblocking stuck emotions. The letter does not need to be sent to the person in question, it is for your own therapeutic purposes.

Empty Chair or Letter Writing may be helpful with relationship difficulties or loss and grief.