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Gestalt Interventions for Trauma Healing: Applying the Empty Chair Technique in Trauma-Focused Therapy

Sunday, March 8th, 2026   1:45 PM EDT -4:45 PM EDT
Dr. Karol Darsa
$59.99 Cost For Member: $0

The empty chair technique—one of the most well-known Gestalt interventions—offers clinicians a direct, experiential way to help clients resolve unfinished business, integrate conflicting parts of the self, and restore internal balance. This workshop will demonstrate how to use chairwork safely and effectively, particularly when working with trauma survivors who struggle with self-fragmentation, shame, and relational wounds.

 

Through live demonstration, guided exercises, and group discussion, participants will explore how to facilitate dialogues between polarized parts of the self (e.g., inner critic vs. wounded child), integrate body awareness, and use grounding to prevent dissociation. The class will combine theory with practice, helping clinicians develop confidence in pacing, language, and emotional containment while using the empty chair technique within a trauma-informed framework.

About the Presenter

Dr. Karol Darsa, is an accomplished trauma psychologist. In her over-25 year career in trauma and mental health disorders, Dr. Darsa published The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect With Yourself, The Trauma Bridge: Reconnecting Body and Mind for clinicians and their clients, founded the Reconnect Trauma Treatment Center, and created the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM).

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the theoretical foundations and clinical principles of the Gestalt empty chair technique.
  2. Apply chairwork interventions to enhance emotional integration and reduce internal conflict in clients with trauma histories.
  3. Implement grounding and body-awareness strategies during chairwork to maintain safety and prevent dissociative activation.

Agenda:
TimeTopic / Activity
TimeTopic / Activity
0:00–0:15 (15 min)Welcome and Overview — Introductions, workshop goals, and participant intentions. Brief review of Gestalt principles: awareness, present-moment focus, and integration.
0:15–0:45 (30 min)Lecture: Foundations of Gestalt Chairwork — Historical background, theory of parts and dialogue, role of therapist presence, and key principles behind the empty chair technique.
0:45–1:15 (30 min)Demonstration: The Empty Chair in Action — Live or recorded demonstration showing dialogue between inner parts (e.g., critical self vs. wounded self). Group reflection to identify interventions, tone, and pacing.
1:15–1:50 (35 min)Experiential Practice: Guided Dyads — Participants practice brief chair dialogues with structured prompts, alternating roles of therapist and client. Focus on grounding and emotional safety.
1:50–2:30 (40 min)Application to Trauma Treatment — How chairwork supports integration after fragmentation; adapting the method for clients with trauma, shame, and dissociation. Discussion of contraindications and pacing strategies.
2:30–2:40 (10 min)Integrating Somatic Awareness — Adding grounding, breathing, and body-tracking techniques to enhance safety during and after chairwork.
2:40–3:00 (20 min)Q&A, Reflection, and Integration — Open discussion on clinical use, common challenges, and how to integrate chairwork within participants’ current therapeutic approaches.


This workshop offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: intermediate
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • NEFESH International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0116.
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Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.