Working with Metaphor

This article explores and affirms the importance of metaphor, in both conceptual and poetic thought, and its relevance to the practice of psychotherapy. It examines some of the obstacles commonly encountered as we attempt to become more aware of, and responsive to, the metaphors used by our clients. It continues by describing a simple six- stage model for working with client-generated metaphors, and concludes with a case example demonstrating the effectiveness of metaphor exploration in clinical work.