ABSTRACT
Compassion focused therapy (CFT; Gilbert, 2009) is an integrative therapy which aims to develop compassion for the self and others in order to prevent and alleviate suffering. CFT therapists utilise a range of multimodal interventions to help clients generate compassion. This chapter describes some of the ways CFT utilises chairwork. This includes exercises for cultivating compassion for others (empty-chair exercises), compassion for the self (two-chair exercises), compassion for self-criticism (three-chair exercises), and compassion for distressing emotional experiences (‘multiple selves’ dialogues). Advanced techniques for overcoming fears, blocks, and resistances to compassion are also discussed.
