Which of the following is NOT typically listed as a Gestalt therapy technique?

• A. Empty chair
• B. Free association
• C. Letter writing
• D. Psychodrama

Answer: (B)

Gestalt therapy centers on present-mocused, experiential work that increases awareness and contact with one’s immediate thoughts, feelings, and actions. Techniques like the empty chair prompt direct, in-the-moment dialogue and exploration of internal processes; letter writing can be used to articulate and bring awareness to inner experience within or between sessions; and psychodrama-type group enactments align with the emphasis on experiential contact and role-play in a way that fits gestalt-style work. Free association, however, is a psychoanalytic method aimed at uncovering unconscious material through spontaneous thought flow, which contrasts with the here-and-now focus and experiential experiments that define Gestalt therapy.