Two Chair Presentation

Narrator: The client in for a session is a 16-year-old female. The helper introduces herself and sets up for the session with a client who has been in for services before. The helper uses open questions, restatement, and reflection to help the client focus on the conflict. ****process advisement explanation****

Helper: Hello, My name is Kat and I am here to meet with you for the next 30 minutes. So what brought you here for a session?

Client: Well, I feel overwhelmed at home. I feel as if my mother is a stranger to me and we share little time together. She is rarely home and when she is, she spends her time taking care of my younger sister who is sick. I don't feel like it's fair. I have so much to worry about and no one seems to care about me. I sometimes feel that if I were sick my mother would pay more attention to me!

Helper: Okay, so you feel as though you are less important than your sister to your mother?

Narrator: The helper used restatement to make sure the client and the helper were in agreement with the way the client is feeling.

Client: Yes, I definitely feel like she is the favorite. I also can't understand why it's always left up to me to complete the chores. I mean, I'm a teenager and I think I should be out having fun with my friends, not doing dishes and taking care of my sister!

Helper: That must be very difficult for you to handle. What are some emotions that you feel about this situation?

Narrator: The helper uses open questions to help the client to continue to express inner feelings in a direct way.

Client: Stressed and angry... mostly I'm angry that my mom expects me to deal with all of this.

Narrator: Now that the problem has been explored, the helper will suggest the two-chair technique.

Helper: At this point, I would like to suggest looking at the situation in a different way. If you are open to trying this, I would like you to participate in something called the two-chair technique. This technique is often used to show insight about a conflict with another person or within yourself. Are you up for trying this?

Client: Okay, I'll try. (helper will then move empty chair next to client)

Helper: Okay, I would like for you to imagine that in this empty chair is your mother. I would like you to tell her how you are feeling.

Client: So my "mother" is in the empty chair and I am supposed to talk to her?

Helper: Yes, go ahead and tell her your feelings.

Client: Well... "mom"... I'm angry... I feel stupid talking to an empty chair.

Helper: That's ok, good start. Now keep going. Try explaining to her why you are so angry.

Client: (unsure at first but gains confidence in voice as dialogue progresses) Well ok, I'm angry because I feel like you don't let me be a teenager like everyone else. I feel like it's not fair that you rely on me so much at home. I never offered to help out, you just assume I will do it and I always do. I feel like no matter what I do, you