Metaphors

Metaphors and similes are powerful tools we use to facilitate rapid understanding of a new phenomenon by transferring meaning schemas from a previously experienced phenomenon.

Peter Sims identified several 'stages' of working with metaphors in psychotherapy which could be applied to reflection (self-therapy).

1. Noticing metaphors — this could include looking for metaphors and similes used during an event (e.g. self-confrontation or dialogical approaches) or during reconstruction of the event (e.g. journaling or cognitive interviewing)

2. Validating metaphors — exploring the usefulness and limitations of the imagery in the metaphors used

3. Expanding metaphors — exploring and developing the wider associations and implications of the metaphor to the phenomenon

4. Playing with possibilities — exploring the potential meaning, emotional impact and alternative perspectives offered by the metaphor

5. Marking and selection — choosing the aspects of the metaphor that are useful for the current phenomenon

6. Connection with the future — exploring the implications of the metaphor for the interpretation of other phenomena and for future actions

Archetypes can provide ready-made metaphors for interpreting phenomena.

Working with metaphor

1. Select an experience to reflect upon (perhaps giving it a name)

2. Seek a metaphorical comparison (something that has parallels with the experience).
   Ask 'What else is this experience like?' You might try to relate it to your own previous experiences or to situations other people have told you about or even events from fiction.
   Alternatively, you can make a forced comparison by asking 'How is this experience like X?' Where X could be a particular model or theory (Brookfield's theory mirror), an archetype or just an idea chosen at random.

3. Immerse yourself in the metaphor. Familiarise yourself with the concepts inherent in the metaphor and the language and symbols used within it.

4. Examine your experience through the lens of the metaphor. Redescribe your experience using the language and symbols from the metaphor. Perhaps use counterfactual thinking to explore how the experience might have been different if you had been aware of the metaphor at the time.

5. Evaluate the metaphor. What new insights did using the metaphor give you on the experience? What aspects of the experience did the metaphor emphasise and what did it ignore?