In Gestalt grief therapy, which technique has the client speak to the deceased in the present tense?

• A. Dream interpretation
• B. Empty chair
• C. Role-play
• D. Homework

Answer: (D)

The technique centers on creating in-the-moment contact with the deceased through an empty-chair exercise. In this approach, the client speaks to the person who died as if they are present now, using present-tense language to convey thoughts, feelings, and unresolved issues. This immediacy helps the client enact and process emotions that linger after the loss, fostering a sense of ongoing relationship and integration of the grief. Dream interpretation focuses on symbolic dream content rather than a direct, present-tense dialogue with the deceased; role-play is a broader method for practicing interactions but isn’t specifically about conversing with the deceased in the here and now; homework refers to tasks outside sessions, not a in-session technique for contacting the deceased.