Differential effects of Gestalt two-chair dialogue and empathic reflection at a split in therapy

This study examined the differential effects of Gestalt two-chair dialogue and empathic reflection at a split in therapy. Sixteen clients, involved in counselling, were used as subjects in a repeated measure design. Ten counsellors were used, six of whom formed a low-experience therapist group and four of whom formed a high-experience therapist group. The Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (Barrett-Lennard, 1962) was used to measure client perceived empathy after the third session of therapy. Subjects qualified when described on the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (Cattell, et al., 1970) as not overly conscientious, experimenting and not overly controlled. The process measure, Depth of Experiencing (Klein, et al., 1969) was used as a dependent variable to compare the effects of Gestalt two-chair dialogue and empathic reflection at a split. Five outcome measures were also used as dependent variables: the Target Complaints Box Scale (Battle, et al., 1966), two awareness questions, the Conflict Resolution Box Scale, the Behaviour Change Scale and two progress and change questions. Each client received both treatments before the experimental session, in order to reduce novelty effect. None of the experimental sessions occurred before the fifth therapy session in order to allow for the formation of a working alliance. Half of the clients received empathic reflection in the first experimental session and half received Gestalt two-chair dialogue, to reduce order of presentation effect. The following session was not used for the purposes of this study, in order to increase the independence of the two experimental sessions. Treatments were reversed for the second experimental session. A 2 x 2 (therapist experience by treatment) fully crossed factorial design was used for analysis of the data. Three of the dependent variables were measured more than once, yielding a third repeated measure factor on these variables. The level of statistical significance used was .05. Results showed Gestalt two-chair dialogue to be more effective than empathic reflection at producing peak experiencing levels of five or above, as well as greater shifts of awareness, conflict reduction, behaviour change and reports of change and progress. The two treatment groups did not differ on distress reduction, nor were there any interaction effects between therapist experience level and treatment level.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat