“Suddenly you are King Solomon”: Multiplicity, transformation and integration in compassion focused therapy chairwork.

Abstract

Chairwork is a psychotherapeutic method that frequently focuses on self-multiplicity and internal relationships. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) uses chairwork to generate and apply compassion towards threat-based aspects of the self. This study explores self-multiplicity in a CFT chairwork intervention for self-criticism. Twelve participants with depression were interviewed following the intervention and the resultant data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three super-ordinate themes were identified: differentiating selves; mental imagery of selves; and integrating and transforming selves with compassion. The results highlight how the intervention enabled clients to differentiate internal aspects of themselves in a way that was accessible and helpful, increasing self-complexity and introducing the potential to observe and change patterns of self-to-self relating. The process of bringing compassion to self-criticism was shown to integrate both aspects of the critical dialogue, transforming the 'critic' by understanding its fears and function. The use of mental imagery was also shown to facilitate clients' experience of self-multiplicity and to symbolize the kind of changes generated by the exercise. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Multiple emotions, multiple selves: compassion focused therapy chairwork

“…In terms of embodiment (asking the client to change seat and become the part) participants reported intense bodily experiences of each emotional self, which were elaborated and amplified in the adoption of associated body-postures, voice-tones and gestures. As in prior chairwork studies (Bell et al, 2020a;Bell et al, 2020b), embodiment and enactment provided tangible expressions and experiences of each self, making them 'real' and memorable whilst also offering 'actioninsights' into their corresponding mindsets and motivations (Kellerman, 1992). Participants could literally 'hear' the character of the emotional self in how their voice sounded, or 'feel' the protective function of the angry self in its urge to 'smash' and attack.…”

“…The exercise also benefited from personification of emotions, and the spontaneous imagery generated when looking back to an empty chair. As identified in prior chairwork research (Bell et al, 2020b), such imagery augmented the experience of a dialogical encounter, creating a 'face to face' focus for the relational exchange. In depicting heightened social signals of distress, the personified imagery of emotional selves was particularly conducive to compassion, allowing for the application of social-relational skills and responses that participants usually reserved for 'others' (such as their friends or family members).…”

“…CFT chairwork is unique in focusing on the compassionate self/ chair, which is used to tolerate, integrate and transform other aspects of the self. Previous research into CFT's self-critic chairwork (Bell et al, 2020a;Bell et al, 2020b) has highlighted how the unique qualities of chairwork support the application of compassion. This includes personification of internal experience to facilitate self-directed empathy and mentalization; embodiment to identify patterns of the mind and the functions they serve; and separation of self-parts to witness and modify relationships between them.…”

Toward a chairwork psychotherapy: Using the four dialogues for healing and transformation.

“…In the second, the inner critic is thought to develop early in the patient's life as a protective mode to help keep the child safe (Stone & Stone, 1989). Its negativity and agitation are centered in fear-not cruelty (see also Bell et al, 2020). Given this, the first step in the work is to be able to explore the nature of the inner critic experience so that a differential diagnosis can be made.…”

“…Following Perls’s death in 1970, practitioners and theorists from a wide range of integrative psychotherapies embraced and reenvisioned the practice of chairwork. These approaches included redecision therapy (Goulding & Goulding, 1997), voice dialogue (Stone & Stone, 1989), cognitive–behavioral therapy (Burns, 2006, 2020; Goldfried, 2006, 2013; Pugh, 2019a, 2019b), emotion-focused therapy (Greenberg et al, 1993; Watson et al, 2007), schema therapy (Rafaeli et al, 2011, 2015; Young et al, 2003), compassion-focused therapy (Bell et al, 2020; Gilbert, 2010), and transformational chairwork (Kellogg, 2004, 2015).…”