Using metaphor in psychotherapy:
A practical users guide for therapists
As a therapist, mastering the use of metaphor in your dialogue with clients is key. This is because metaphors are a powerful means of communication and:
- Can help clients express complex private experiences
- Often offer insight and a new perspective
- Can be used for supporting essential processes of change
- Can function as flexible rules and thereby increase the probability of new, helpful behavioural patterns
This workshop will sharpen your skills in using metaphors, as you learn:
- How to build co-operation by using metaphors
- How to craft metaphors in a functional analysis
- Ways to use metaphors to create observational distance
- Methods for using metaphors to clarify direction and new strategies
Background to the workshop
In almost all models of psychotherapy, metaphor is considered an important aspect of communication. Metaphors help clients express complex experiences in a more accessible way. They can provide an alternative perspective, offer insight, and facilitate behavioural change.
For example, the Chinese fingertrap metaphor, powerfully illustrates the way in which avoidance in response to anxiety, counterintuitively exacerbates the problem. The metaphor takes the visceral experience of getting your fingers caught in the children’s toy, and maps it directly onto the action of avoidance (pulling your fingers out of the trap makes perfect sense, as does avoiding anxiety, it’s just that doing so, traps you further). The metaphor brings insight into the hopeless strategy of controlling anxiety in the moment.
But what do we know, from a science perspective, about how metaphors work? And are there any guidelines we can use in everyday clinical work, based on a scientific understanding of metaphor? How can we craft them to work best for the client’s particular problem and specific life experience?
About this workshop
This workshop will provide psychotherapists with a scientific update as to current understanding of the function of metaphor in language generally and how to apply that knowledge in everyday clinical work. It will connect understanding of metaphor use with basic principles of change in psychotherapy, derived primarily from relational frame theory (RFT).
What you will gain from this workshop
During this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of the significance of metaphors as a foundational element in human language. Through the lens of relational frame theory, they will learn how to use metaphors focusing on a few basic processes of change. Practical skills will be discussed on applying fundamental behavioural principles when incorporating metaphors into therapy sessions.
In this workshop you will learn
- How metaphors function as a fundamental building block of human language
- How metaphor use can support building therapeutic co-operation or alliance
- How to apply basic behavioural principles in working with metaphor in therapy
- How to use metaphors in doing a functional analysis
- How to use metaphor as a central tool for unhooking from dominating private experiences
- How to use metaphor as a central tool for supporting new behavioural strategies
Who will benefit from this workshop?
This workshop is aimed at therapists, psychologists, counsellors and coaches who use talking interventions to assist people move forward in their lives. The workshop assumes some basic knowledge of ACT and contextual behavioural approaches. You can view our FREE Introduction to ACT to help if this is a new area for you.
Feedback from previous attendees
I highly recommend this workshop. I’m excited to try out new metaphors with my clients!
Jeremy Chisholm – CBT therapist
Niklas gave an excellent workshop. It was practical, thought provoking and extraordinarily useful.
Sue Ironside – clinical psychologist
Thank you – amazing workshop. I’ve learned so much
Pedro Rodriguez – psychiatrist
If you have disability and require adjustments or accommodation, please email us at admin@contextualconsulting.co.uk to discuss your needs and we will do our best to help you.
Booking cancellation
The registration fee will be refunded minus a administration charge if cancellations are received at least two weeks before the workshop date.
Cancellations within two weeks of the event date are charged the full registration fee, other than in exceptional circumstances that can be verified.
Event cancellation
In the event of cancellation of the course outside of our control we will not be held accountable for travel and/or accommodation costs incurred. However, the workshop fees will be refunded.
All workshops will be subject to minimum delegate numbers being met; in the event that a workshop should be cancelled delegates will be given no less than 2 months’ notice.
Replacing delegates
If a delegate is unable to attend and a replacement is nominated there may be a charge depending on the individual circumstances, this will be advised at the time. Please contact the us to request a replacement of delegates at least a week before the workshop date.
Contextual Consulting is committed to the identification and resolution of potential conflicts of interest in the planning, promotion, delivery, and evaluation of continuing education. Potential conflicts of interest occur when an individual assumes a professional role in the planning, promotion, delivery, or evaluation of continuing education where personal, professional, legal, financial, or other interests could reasonably be expected to impair their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness.
There was no commercial support for this event. None of the planners or presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
This program is sponsored by Contextual Consulting and is approved for 4 CE credits for psychologists. To find out more, including attendance requirements and how to access your certificate, go to our continuing education information page.
APA psychologists: This program is sponsored by Contextual Consulting and is approved for 4 CE credits for psychologists.
Nationally certified counselors: This workshop is available for 4 credit hours. Contextual Consulting Ltd. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7578.
Behaviour analysts: This workshop is available for 4 BACB Learning CEUs. Contextual Consulting is an approved BACB ACE Provider # OP-20-3415.
To find out more, including attendance requirements and how to access your certificate, go to our continuing education information page.
After this workshop, you will be able to:
- Identify the role of metaphors as a fundamental aspect of human language.
- Analyse metaphor use using relational frame theory.
- Apply basic behavioural principles when working with metaphors in therapy.
- Use metaphors for conducting functional analysis.
- Utilise metaphors for defusion techniques.
- Implement metaphors as a tool to support valued actions.