The Hakomi method draws strongly from Gestalt, founded by Fritz Perls . Gestalt therapy can be summed up as “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” In Gestalt, therapy, as in IFS, we work with creating dialog between parts of our mind and psyche, encouraging our mind to fill in the missing information that links the parts together.
The “open chair” is a well-known technique used in Gestalt. For example, client may come in with the presenting issue of intense shame. I might put the shame in the open chair, let the shame speak, and have the client start a dialog with it, only to discover the interject of a critical parent. From there, we would deepen the dialog with the intention of helping heal the shame.