hot-seat technique
a technique of gestalt therapy in which a client sits in a chair next to the therapist, who encourages the client through direct prompting and questioning to relive stressful experiences and openly express feelings of discomfort, guilt, or resentment. The technique aims to generate a new, more vivid awareness, which leads the client to find his or her own solutions to problems or emotional difficulties. In a group therapy variation of the hot-seat technique, an individual member expresses to the therapist an interest in dealing with a particular issue, and the focus moves away from the group into an extended interaction between the group member and therapist for a limited period of time. During this one-on-one interaction, the other group members remain silent; afterward, they give feedback on how they were affected, what they observed, and how their own experiences are similar to those the individual member discussed.