Two-Chair Dialogue for Self-Criticism

Dr. Leslie Greenberg, Ph.D., Psychologist

Two-Chair Dialogue for Self-Criticism

Dr. Leslie Greenberg, Ph.D., Psychologist

Two-Chair Dialogue for Self-Criticism

Dr. Leslie Greenberg, Ph.D., Psychologist

Self-criticism is a common feature of many psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, and shame. Two-chair dialogue is one of the hallmark interventions in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) used to help clients transform harsh self-criticism by facilitating dialogue between the critical and experiencing parts of the self. 

Although the intervention appears straightforward, therapists often encounter challenges in its implementation. These include establishing a clear therapeutic rationale, helping clients fully engage in the dialogue, maintaining contact between the two parts of the self, deepening emotional experiencing, increasing emotional arousal and directing expression, working with clients who become intellectual or emotionally blocked, and making moment-to-moment decisions about when to deepen, regulate, redirect, or move the dialogue forward. 

Through detailed discussion and moment-by-moment analysis of videos of real psychotherapy sessions, Dr. Leslie Greenberg will demonstrate the therapist micro-skills and clinical decision-making that distinguish highly effective two-chair work. This workshop is appropriate for EFT clinicians learning the intervention and experienced EFT therapists seeking to refine their implementation of two-chair dialogue. 

For therapists who are newer to EFT 

With the purchase of this workshop, participants will automatically receive 2-month access to a 3-hour recorded workshop with Dr. Leslie Greenberg introducing Emotion Focused Therapy. We recommend watching this recorded workshop before attending as it reviews foundational knowledge and skills to work with emotion in psychotherapy.

Learning Objectives

In this workshop, participants will learn how to: 

• Establish a clear rationale for two-chair dialogue. 
• Facilitate engagement between the critical and experiencing parts of the self. 
• Learn how to activate arousal by increasing specificity and contact with the critic. 
• Deepen emotional experiencing and move beyond intellectual discussion. 
• Recognize and respond to common therapeutic impasses. 
• Make moment-to-moment clinical decisions that promote productive emotional processing. 
• Identify emotional markers that signal when to deepen, regulate, redirect, or transition the dialogue. 
• Learn how to bring the intervention to an end even if it is not fully resolved. 

Details

Date: March 12, 2027

Time: 11:00AM - 2:00PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Format: Live Online Training

Continuing Education Credits (CECs)

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)

• Pending Approval

Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP)

• Pending Approval

Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)

• Pending Approval

Ontario Psychological Association (OPA)

• Pending Approval

Please note that live attendance is required in order to receive CE credits



Self-criticism is a common feature of many psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, and shame. Two-chair dialogue is one of the hallmark interventions in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) used to help clients transform harsh self-criticism by facilitating dialogue between the critical and experiencing parts of the self. 

Although the intervention appears straightforward, therapists often encounter challenges in its implementation. These include establishing a clear therapeutic rationale, helping clients fully engage in the dialogue, maintaining contact between the two parts of the self, deepening emotional experiencing, increasing emotional arousal and directing expression, working with clients who become intellectual or emotionally blocked, and making moment-to-moment decisions about when to deepen, regulate, redirect, or move the dialogue forward. 

Through detailed discussion and moment-by-moment analysis of videos of real psychotherapy sessions, Dr. Leslie Greenberg will demonstrate the therapist micro-skills and clinical decision-making that distinguish highly effective two-chair work. This workshop is appropriate for EFT clinicians learning the intervention and experienced EFT therapists seeking to refine their implementation of two-chair dialogue. 

For therapists who are newer to EFT 

With the purchase of this workshop, participants will automatically receive 2-month access to a 3-hour recorded workshop with Dr. Leslie Greenberg introducing Emotion Focused Therapy. We recommend watching this recorded workshop before attending as it reviews foundational knowledge and skills to work with emotion in psychotherapy.

Learning Objectives

In this workshop, participants will learn how to: 

• Establish a clear rationale for two-chair dialogue. 
• Facilitate engagement between the critical and experiencing parts of the self. 
• Learn how to activate arousal by increasing specificity and contact with the critic. 
• Deepen emotional experiencing and move beyond intellectual discussion. 
• Recognize and respond to common therapeutic impasses. 
• Make moment-to-moment clinical decisions that promote productive emotional processing. 
• Identify emotional markers that signal when to deepen, regulate, redirect, or transition the dialogue. 
• Learn how to bring the intervention to an end even if it is not fully resolved. 

Details

Date: March 12, 2027

Time: 11:00AM - 2:00PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Format: Live Online Training

Continuing Education Credits (CECs)

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)

• Pending Approval

Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP)

• Pending Approval

Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)

• Pending Approval

Ontario Psychological Association (OPA)

• Pending Approval

Please note that live attendance is required in order to receive CE credits