Greenberg, Rice and Elliott (1993) elaborate in detail different applications of the two-chair method within an experiential therapy framework. In the present paper we present an adapted two-chair method for use in cognitive therapy. The principal aims of the adapted method are to elaborate a positive self-schema that has an emotional (“lived”) quality, and to use this experience to create a new model of self as emotionally and cognitively varied and changing. Procedurally, the first two steps are to (1) summarize the negative self-schema (Chair 1) and (2) draw out a positive self-schema (Chair 2). In Steps 3 and 4 the client remains in Chair 2 and is encouraged to accept the two self-schemata, and to integrate them both within a broader, more diverse metacognitive model of self. We present key themes from analysis of two clients' reflections on the method, which highlight issues of generalization and the process of change, and conclude with clinical and research implications.
