Which technique is associated with Perl's Gestalt Therapy?

• A. Systematic desensitization
• B. Empty chair technique
• C. Free association
• D. Cognitive restructuring

Answer: (B)

Gestalt therapy centers on awareness and contact in the here-and-now, using experiential methods to integrate feelings, thoughts, and actions. The empty-chair technique is a classic exercise in this approach: the client imagines someone (or a part of themselves) sitting in an empty chair and speaks as if to that person, then switches chairs to respond. This dialogue externalizes inner conflicts, makes hidden emotions accessible, and brings unfinished business into conscious awareness in the present moment. By giving voice to different parts of the self and observing the interaction, the client gains insight, builds self-acceptance, and moves toward greater integration of experiences. The other methods belong to different orientations—systematic desensitization for gradual exposure, free association from psychoanalysis, and cognitive restructuring from cognitive-behavioral therapy—so the technique linked to Perls' Gestalt therapy is the empty-chair approach.