Metaphor in the practice of counseling and psychotherapy
Municipal educational institution "Secondary school No. 7", Ust-Ilimsk
Metaphor is a literary trope, a method of generalization, a tool of cognition and thought, a means of communication, and artistic image. Metaphor can be found in a psychotherapeutic conversation and in a dialogue between a pilot and an air traffic controller, in an esoteric ritual and programming language, in a lyric poem and an article on quantum mechanics.
The world of metaphors is beautiful, diverse, multidimensional. However, if we continue to dissect the fabric of being, then from the level of verbal reality we can distinguish the following types of metaphors:
The style of metaphors can be magical, seductive, hypnotic. Creativity to the use of metaphors can make them a precious decoration and a useful technique in achieving your goals. The magical effect of metaphor on the listener can be observed in the practice of psychotherapy and psychological counseling.
Psychological counseling and psychotherapy are types of psychological assistance aimed at overcoming problems of a psychological nature. Psychological counseling is aimed at solving various kinds of psychological difficulties, primarily situational and interpersonal problems. Psychotherapy is the treatment of a person (patient) using psychological means.Psychotherapy and psychological counseling, the areas of work of a practice-oriented psychologist, have much in common:
– are types of psychological assistance to the client (they involve helping the client in solving problems that he cannot cope with on his own);
– help him look at himself from a new point of view, realize the true motives of his behavior and unconstructive ways of implementing them;
- learn see intrapersonal or interpersonal conflict, gain new experience in overcoming a problematic situation.
Most psychotherapeutic areas actively use metaphor as a means of influencing the client. Metaphorical communication (communication through metaphors) occupies a prominent place in Gestalt therapy, NLP, humanistic and existentially oriented approaches, and Eriksonianism.
One of the first psychotherapists to consciously use metaphor in practice was M. Erickson. He used two types of patterns in his metaphorical model of communication. First: selective violent restrictions. For example: a sad river, a harsh sunset. When a client hears such statements, his subconscious understands that the river cannot be sad, and the sunset cannot be harsh, and his consciousness inevitably concludes that in fact we're talking about about him, while the subconscious actively perceives the true meaning of the statement. Second pattern: quoting or using “quotation marks”. It consists of a reference to someone’s authoritative opinion and works almost flawlessly.
IN in a broad sense Metaphor therapy can be understood as the use in the context of therapeutic interaction (statement by a psychotherapist or joint composing with a patient or group of patients) of a story that has important quality: It contains advice or educational messages about how to solve a specific problem. Someone faces a certain problem and overcomes difficulties or obstacles. The way in which the hero of the story solves his problem can suggest a solution to other people in a similar situation. If any conflict described in a story reminds us of a similar one in our own lives, the story becomes more meaningful to us. When listening to an anecdote or story, you may experience certain feelings associated with identifying various characters with people or events that are directly familiar to you. With such associations, it is likely that you will feel particularly interested in how the story ends. The source of such sensations can be epic poems, short stories, poetry, fairy tales, fables, parables, songs, films, anecdotes, jokes, gossip, etc. When a story is presented to the listener with the intention of helping in resolving a psychologically difficult situation (and when the patient implies such an intention), the story becomes a metaphor.
Metaphor used in psychotherapy and psychological counseling, is commonly called a therapeutic metaphor. The following types of such metaphor are distinguished:
Formal metaphor - stories specially created for the patient, in which the form, characters, etc. do not matter, but it is important that the metaphor retains the relationships that take place in the patient’s problem situation; This creates the prerequisites for solving this problem.
An effective metaphor, in contrast to a formal one (a structurally equivalent problem), also has specific characteristics. These include the sufficiency of the metaphor, i.e. the necessary “modal subtleties” are added, increasing its significance, use various systems representations – visual, auditory and tactile. Another difference between an effective metaphor and a formal one is the expansion and exaggeration of both characters and actions. The third advantage of an effective metaphor is the requirement for its completeness, that is, the presentation of the problem at various levels - the persons involved, the dynamics of the situation, linguistic features, communication models, representation systems, the use of submodal elements.
There are also natural metaphors, the construction of which is associated with reliance on someone’s personal or collective experience.
The purpose of a metaphor is not to express, with the help of a certain semantic substitution, something that can be expressed without its help, but to convey information that cannot be conveyed in any other way. Allegories, stories, parables, myths, fables in psychotherapy and counseling act as a means of mutual understanding between a specialist and a client.
Thus, in the article we summarize the information available in the literature about metaphor in general and therapeutic metaphor, in particular, its types, functions and mechanisms of its psychotherapeutic effect. A theoretical review of sources allows us to consider the therapeutic metaphor one of the effectively working tools of psychotherapy and counseling, as well as a means of personal and creative growth and self-development of clients.
Metaphor works more effectively if it is combined with other methods of work of a psychologist. But in itself, it is a simple, accessible and painless method of influence, does not cause resistance and works for a long time after meeting with the therapist, forming positive self-sustaining structures that are only partially realized by the client, but are mainly the property of the subconscious.
The therapeutic metaphor has no clear limitations or side effects, can help in critical situations. In the literature one can find the following opinion from practicing consultants: the more creativity that goes into drawing up a metaphor, the more positive effects can be expected as a result.
Literature
1. Belicheva in Everyday life. – St. Petersburg: Rech, 2004. – 295 p.
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5. Psychotherapeutic encyclopedia/ Ed. . – St. Petersburg: Peter KOM, 1999. – 718 p.
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8. , Tumanova, symbol, metaphor in modern psychotherapy. – M., 2004. – 285 p.
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MODERN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
Course work
on the topic: “Analysis of various areas of using metaphor in the practice of psychological counseling”
completed by: fifth year student
Faculty of Psychology
*********
scientific consultant:
Korneev A.S.
Moscow, 2007
Introduction 3
1. The concept of “metaphor” in modern practical psychology 5
2. Types and general structure of working with metaphor in psychology
counseling 13
3. Psychotherapeutic directions for using metaphor in
counseling 18
Conclusion 41
Literature 42
Introduction
The history of the development of ideas about metaphorical knowledge of reality goes back thousands of years. Even the priests of ancient civilizations used various metaphors as an element of their pagan cults. Currently, metaphor is widely used in many scientific fields. However, the most significant impact of this application is felt in the process of working with a client in psychological practice. The metaphor allows us to consider much more broadly the psychological, social, spiritual context in which problems and difficulties arise for a person, which force him to seek professional help from a psychologist. This feature predetermines the social significance of our research.
In psychology and psychotherapy, metaphor is an inseparable element of the advisory, therapeutic process of the therapist’s work with the client. Starting from S. Freud, M. Erikson, F. Perls, K.G. Jung and ending with modern researchers of this problem in various areas of practical psychology, the use of metaphor as a technique for working with people has been a constant attribute of individual and group work with people. However, despite the fact that the technique of using therapeutic stories is far from new, no scientific study of this problem has yet been carried out. In addition, there are so many views on the use of metaphor in counseling that analysis and study of them is simply necessary in the context scientific justification application of this technique in practice. These aspects constitute the scientific significance of our work.
Study various forms and models of using metaphor in the advisory and therapeutic process can help practicing psychologists and psychotherapists more effectively use this technology of working with clients. This explains the practical orientation of this work.
In this regard, the purpose of our research is to study and analyze various areas of the use of metaphor in the practice of psychological counseling.
The object of the study is metaphor as an element of working with a client in the process of consulting work.
The subject of the study is various directions of using metaphors in the practice of psychological counseling.
Tasks:
1. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the literature on the problem.
2. Define and carry out a scientific interpretation of the basic concepts of the study.
3. Consider and analyze various areas of use of metaphor in the process of a psychotherapist working with a client.
1. The concept of “metaphor” in modern practical psychology
Therapy using metaphors is not currently a scientifically based concept, but is developing as a system of empirical techniques used in various psychotherapeutic approaches. Psychotherapists who argue for the implicit use of metaphors in psychotherapy, such as Gordon, author of Therapeutic Metaphors: Helping Others Using the Mirror, note that throughout cultural history, metaphors have been used as devices to develop and communicate ideas. Shamans, ancient philosophers, preachers - all of them, in a similar manner, intuitively recognized and applied the power of metaphor......
Conclusion
The theoretical work we carried out to study various areas of using metaphor in the practice of psychological counseling allowed us to highlight a number of significant conclusions:
Metaphor is a method of communication in which some things are expressed through terms belonging to another field of things, which together sheds New World on the nature of what was described earlier. The effective use of metaphor in psychological counseling should be based on a purposeful and conscious impact on certain personal patterns of the client.
An analysis of various directions in the use of metaphor in psychological counseling can be considered as an evolution of views on the process of a therapist working with a client. If at the beginning metaphor was considered primarily as a context for a certain theoretical concept(in classical psychoanalysis by S. Freud or analytical psychology by C. G. Jung), then subsequently, metaphor becomes one of the techniques used when working with a client in the counseling process. This can be seen especially clearly when considering the theory of Ericksonian hypnosis, Gestalt therapy, as well as NLP and art therapy. The very meaning of using metaphor in counseling is expanding, new forms are emerging (visual, bodily metaphor). Finally, recently another type of work with clients has appeared - fairy tale therapy. This direction basically completely contains and is based on the use of a fairy tale as a metaphorical image with which work in progress consultant and client.
The versatility of using metaphor in the practice of psychological counseling expands the boundaries of methods and techniques used in working with adults and children.
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How are Eastern stories, parables and metaphors used in psychological counseling?
Stories, fairy tales and parables were a means of folk psychotherapy that healed spiritual wounds long before the emergence of psychotherapy as a science. There are many examples of how stories were psychologically purposefully used to provide assistance in various everyday situations. One of the most striking examples of this is the collection of stories "A Thousand and One Nights", which tells the story of the healing of a mentally ill ruler through fairy tales. Two tasks are solved here at the same time: the smart Scheherazade successfully heals the sick king and, at the same time, her stories heal listeners and readers who, perceiving the content of the stories, learn from them and incorporate the experience gained into their inner world. Other oriental stories, as well as stories belonging to European or other cultures, have a similar effect.
Since time immemorial, people have used stories as a means psychological impact and support. With their help, they were fixed in the minds of people moral values, moral principles, rules of conduct. Because they were entertaining, stories were particularly well suited for this purpose. They were that spoon of honey that sweetened and made even the most bitter morality interesting.
In addition to intellectual donation, says G.S. Abramov, there is an emotional thing when people support each other with their feelings, and the communication situation resembles the one about which G. Ivanov said in one of his wonderful poems: “Talk to me about trifles, talk to me about eternity...”.
Perhaps the use of wise thoughts and aphorisms may seem to someone a manifestation of professional impotence, but I can say with confidence, the author notes, that contemporaries, tortured by many everyday problems, are very receptive to the purity of expression of feelings and thoughts, if it is addressed to their situation, to the logic of their life. As an argument, recalls G.S. Abramova, I will quote the words of my long-time visitor, with whom life brought us together many years after a psychological consultation: “Remember, you spoke words from Yesenin to me then, I myself felt something similar, but could not say it, and then I repeated these many times words - they helped so much, like an attitude towards joy, towards action. Remember?..” At first glance, there was nothing special, but the man came to life.
In the work of a psychotherapist and consultant, the use of metaphors - important tool, says R. Haskell, which helps to identify attitudes, feelings and thoughts that are inaccessible to the client’s consciousness.
The famous German psychotherapist N. Pezeshkian is the founder of the method positive psychotherapy, uses fairy tales and parables in her work, on the one hand, as a means to help better mutual understanding between the therapist and the client, and on the other, as a method of psychotherapy. The author notes: “It became clear to me that stories have much in common with medicines. If used in a timely manner and in accordance with recommendations, they can become a starting point for the therapist's therapeutic efforts and contribute to changes in the client's life position and behavior. However, incorrect dosage, insincerity, and excessive moralizing on the part of the therapist can cause harm.”
Actively using and developing the achievements of K. Rogers' approach, N. Pezeshkian's positive psychotherapy demonstrates complete acceptance of the client with all his feelings, including incongruent behavior, as a protective or pseudo-protective function. Differential analysis and the inventory stage make it possible to identify those abilities that already deserve encouragement and those that have yet to be developed. At the stage of situational encouragement and support, K. Rogers' ideas are embodied in differentiated emotional encouragement of desired behavior patterns.
Stories, parables and fairy tales, says N. Pezeshkian, along with extraordinary entertaining, poetic and vivid presentation, contain something unexpected, unforeseen. The usual train of thoughts and desires suddenly appears in a completely different light. A different way of thinking, which previously seemed unusual, becomes close and understandable. This change of position is the most important function of stories.
Most stories go beyond simple description events. They unexpectedly cause a new experience, similar to that, which happens with optical illusions: in the consciousness of a person without special labor on his part there is a change in position, which is perceived with amazement and causes the experience of “aha!”
The following story gives a clear idea of what " positive approach" The situation of a client experiencing psychological difficulties is in many respects similar to the situation of a person who stands on one leg for a long time. After some time, the muscles of the overloaded leg begin to cramp. He can barely keep his balance. Not only my leg hurts, but my whole body hurts. The pain becomes unbearable, the person cries for help. Those around him are trying in every possible way to help him. One massages his sore leg. Another takes hold of the cramped back of the head and also massages it according to all the rules of art. The third, seeing that the person is about to lose his balance, offers him his hand for support. Those standing around advise you to lean on your hands to make it easier to stand. And one wise old man suggests thinking about the fact that a person standing on one leg can consider himself quite happy compared to those who have no legs at all. There is also a well-wisher who conjures our hero to imagine himself as a spring, and the more he concentrates on this, the sooner his suffering will end. A certain serious, sensible old man says favorably: “The morning is wiser than the evening.” Finally, another one appears, approaches the poor fellow and asks: “Why are you standing on one leg? Straighten your other leg and stand on it. You have a second leg.”
A person perceives the meaning of each story in his own way, depending on his way of thinking. When a person comprehends the relative nature of individual norms, then a “change of position” occurs not due to the loss of values, but due to the fact that he begins to understand that there may be more preferable values. Conversely, emphasizing or increasing emphasis on existing generally accepted norms leads to the fact that other points of view are questioned or rejected.
In contrast to straightforwardness and rationalism, Eastern stories suggest unexpected, stunning, and, nevertheless, very real, “positive” solutions. They seem to contradict logic, but they act like a saving leap of an animal from a cage, helping it escape from captivity and gain freedom.
N. Pezeshkian formulated three “parting words” for beginning psychotherapists:
- Smile with the client;
- Efforts in “design” when introducing techniques are always helpful. They cannot be redundant;
- Don't skimp on praise. Express approval and support for the patient's every move toward a solution.
The purpose of therapeutic stories, says V.N. Belonogov, not moralizing, but contact with a similar situation and possible solution Problems. It is important that the client extracts something from it and represents it as applied to his own experience. The use of metaphors, parables, anecdotes and stories is important element during therapy. They help the client expand his repertoire of concepts and look at them from a more flexible position.
Humor in psychological counseling
One can note the psychotherapeutic function of the comic, the effectiveness of its use in conflict situations, the possibility of emotional saturation of the material. Moreover, according to S.L. Rubinstein, humor has a close relationship with self-regulation. A person with a sense of humor assesses the situation realistically and does not consider the current circumstances, even those of a stressful nature, to be the cause of loss of mental balance. It is necessary to clarify, the author notes, that a sense of humor does not imply frivolity: in the value system of a person with a sense of humor, higher, universal values prevail.
Humor not only has social significance, but also has a direct physical impact. The 17th-century scientist and doctor Sydenham once noted that “the arrival of a clown in a city means much more for the health of the inhabitants than a dozen mullahs loaded with medicines.”
A smile, according to V.V. Volkov and Yu.A. Makarov, performs a very important communicative function: it is a sign with which a person communicates to another person his state of affective non-tension. With his smile, a person can not only communicate his emotional state, but also to offer the other an affective release. Reducing affective tension contributes to the formation of acceptance in communication, which is very important. Acceptance or acceptance of the interlocutor allows you to better understand and feel what he is trying to convey. Making a person laugh, the authors say, means entering into emotional contact with him and, to one degree or another, winning him over.
A.I. Rozov writes that a laughing person has an increased assessment of his own personality - its physical and moral qualities, its well-being and the stability of its position in life. social environment.
Modern American researcher D. Powell believes that laughter is the most effective against stress, protects against the destructive effects of anger and resentment, and helps to “save face” in any difficult everyday situation.
A sense of humor, notes Burnard Philippe, can save the day in most situations. This is not to say that an effective consultant should become some kind of traveling comedian, or that he should not take the client's words seriously. The tactful use of humor can help the client regain a “broader view” of things. People who have problems often begin to fix their attention only on them. They reflect on the situation in which they find themselves and can no longer think about almost anything else. We all very easily know how to distort the true relationship of things. It often turns out that a consultant with a “non-serious” approach can ease existing tension and help the client see new prospects. Laughter is both a consequence of the release of tension and the understanding that “meaningful” topics are not necessarily “sacred.”
From the point of view of Finnish psychotherapists T. Ahola and B. Furman, in psychotherapy the purpose of using humor is not to put the client in his place, but to help him develop a new point of view for a more effective solution to his problem.
Humor can be provoked in endless ways, the authors say. For example, a cheerful and humorous atmosphere can be created through role-playing, games, puppets, imitation, exaggeration, acting out a series of interactions in a humorous manner, etc. But in this discussion we will focus on the following types of humorous communication, which played a central role in our behavioral style of psychotherapy:
- Anecdotes: jokes and humorous stories or parables;
- Humorous comments: unexpected and surprising questions or remarks;
- Humorous exposure of (internally) censored thoughts and feelings;
- Humorously challenging the patient's beliefs;
- Humorous development of new explanations;
- Humorous fantasies;
- Humorous tasks.
In psychotherapy, T. Ahola and B. Furman believe, humor is considered as a protective formation, the patient’s desire to reduce tension. The use of various humorous means during a session of short-term positive psychotherapy is associated with the desire to eliminate as much as possible the tension that impedes the liberation of creative potential and the work of fantasy. A cheerful, relaxed atmosphere facilitates the discussion of unusual and fantastic ideas and the search for constructive solutions.
Humor in psychotherapy is also a way of distancing the patient from a problem, the ability to look at the situation from the outside, which in itself has psychotherapeutic significance in some cases. This is also a means of coexisting with the onslaught of patients seeking to convert their interlocutor to their “negative” faith.
S. Gladding believes that humor implies a funny, unexpected reaction to a question or situation. To use humor in counseling, the consultant must, firstly, have a sense of humor and, secondly, be able to apply it in a timely manner. Properly used, humor is a "clinical tool" that has wide therapeutic applications. Humor can help circumvent the client's resistance, ease tension, and help the client take his mind off psychological pain. From “ha-ha” there is often one step to “aha”, to a clearer perception of the situation, i.e. insight. In general, humor can help creative thinking, help maintain a clear view of things and make it easier to explore difficult, intractable or absurd aspects of life. However, counselors must remember that in order to use humor usefully, they must understand what is funny and under what circumstances it is funny.
Summarizing the material on the use of oriental stories, parables, metaphors and humor as a method of psychological and emotional support in practice psychological counseling, we can conclude that:
- The use of various humorous means, stories, parables and metaphors in counseling as a tool for psychological and emotional support is associated with the desire to eliminate as much as possible the tension that impedes the liberation of the client’s creative potential and the work of fantasy.
- A cheerful, relaxed atmosphere facilitates the discussion of unusual and fantastic ideas and the search for constructive solutions.
- The exploratory attitude towards one's problem, stimulated by the psychotherapist, increases as the overabsorption of it decreases.
Literature:
1. Abramova G.S. Psychological consultation. Theory and experience M. 2000, pp. 59, 200
2. Ahola T., Furman B. Short-term positive psychotherapy St. Petersburg, Publishing house “Rech” 2000 p. 34-35, 120, 180-181, 217
3. Belonogova V.N. The use of parables, metaphors and anecdotes in the practice of psychological counseling//Training manual for psychologists and psychotherapists Magnitogorsk 1998, pp. 3-6
4. Burnard Philip Training of consulting skills, PETER 2002, from 18-19, 22-28, 32-33, 41-42
5. Volkov V.V., Makarov Yu.A. The use of the funny in psychological and pedagogical practice Penza 2000, pp. 8-9
6. Gladding S. Psychological counseling St. Petersburg 2002, p. 172, 197-198
7. Powell D. Why am I afraid to love? St. Petersburg 1992, pp. 5-8
8. Pezeshkian N. Merchant and the parrot St. Petersburg 1995, Progress-Culture from 11-12, 19, 28-30, 39
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11. Haskell R. Hear the main thing St. Petersburg 2002 from 17-19
Metaphors (in the form of fairy tales, poems, jokes) are used consciously and subconsciously by psychologists to help clients make desired changes. Such stories, anecdotes and idioms have one fundamental quality: they contain important tips or instructive messages regarding a specific problem. Someone faces a problem and somehow either overcomes it or fails. The way the hero solves his problem may be suitable for other people in a similar situation. When any of these stories is presented to a listener with the intention of advising or instructing him (or if the listener implies such an intention), then it becomes a metaphor for that person. In a general sense, a metaphor can be defined as a message in which one domain of things is expressed in terms of terms belonging to another domain of things, and together sheds new light on the nature of what was previously described.
Metaphors are used overtly or covertly in all psychological approaches and systems. An example is Freud's use of sexual symbolism as a tool for understanding dreams, fantasies, and "unconscious" associations. Jung invented the metaphors of animus and anima. Reich invented the orgone. Humanistic psychology talks about “peak experiences,” while mechanists talk about the “little black box.” Berne had “games,” Perls had “top” and “bottom” dogs, and Yanov spoke of “primary” experience. Further, every therapy or system of psychology has as its foundations a certain set of metaphors (in the form of a dictionary), which provides some part of people with the opportunity to express some part of their experience about the world. However, the important clarification we must make here is the fact that such metaphors are not the experience itself. People do not carry around in their heads either little “top” dogs or “primary entities” prowling around looking for “It” to fight in a duel. Metaphors are simply a way of communicating experience.
The above and other metaphors help you understand that your client's story about his situation is also a set of metaphors that you can “feel into” to the best of your ability. However, the “feelings” and “sensations” you derive from these metaphors will never be identical to your client's actual experience, just as your responses to the client will be misunderstood to a certain extent. It often happens that similar system communication through metaphors leads to ever greater errors in mutual understanding and perception.
Each person develops his own unique model of the world, based on a combination of genetically determined factors and his personal experience. A "model" includes all experiences and all generalizations about those experiences, as well as all the rules by which those generalizations are applied. Some parts of this model undergo certain changes with physiological development and in accordance with new experiences, while other parts of this model appear rigid and unchanging. There are no two identical models of the world. We all develop our own and unique models of the world. This clarification is very important to keep in mind, since the collection of accurate information is a fundamental aspect for any effective psychological situation. Realizing that all communications are metaphorical and based on unique experiences, we can remember that for this reason they are not complete and that it is the listener who forms the idea of what he heard and, in general, of all the information presented to him.
The counselor should never assume that the client fully understands him. He must make sure that the client gets what the consultant told him. The same words and expressions different people may be understood in completely different ways. The meaning of such concepts as “hostility”, “dependence”, “self-deprecation”, etc., should be revealed by relating them to specific cases in the client’s life, and this is very important in the process of psychotherapy. The general principle of the approach to conducting a consultative dialogue is to create conditions in which the client could independently determine the meaning that certain events have for him, and this is much more productive than when a psychologist tries to explain or instill it in the client using statements or questions , suggesting a very specific type of answer. One of the most useful questions in a counselor's repertoire is, “What do you mean now?” It should be set in a tone that conveys that the consultant only wants to understand the client and does not doubt his ability to find the answer on his own.
Of course, there are more than just differences between models of the world. There are also many similarities, partly due to the conditions of upbringing in a specific social environment. The development and use of psychological metaphors should make maximum use of those similarities that describe the patterns in which people express their life experiences.
Fairy tales are psychological because the client finds his own solution, associating what in them seems to relate to him with the conflicts of his inner life, with what he is currently experiencing. The content of a fairy tale is usually not related to the client’s current life, but it may well reflect what constitutes his internal problems, which seem incomprehensible to him and therefore insoluble.
Thus, the purpose of psychological metaphors is to initiate a conscious or subconscious search that can help a person use personal resources to enrich the model of the world that he needs in order to be able to cope with the problem that occupies him.
The most important requirement The requirement for a metaphor in relation to its effectiveness is that it meets the client in his model of the world. This does not mean that the content of the metaphor must necessarily coincide with the content of the client's situation. “Meeting the client in his own model of the world” simply means that the metaphor must preserve the structure of the given problem situation. In other words, the significant factors in the metaphor are the interpersonal relationships and patterns with which the client operates within the context of the problem. The context itself does not matter.
Psychological metaphors, like therapy in general, begin with a problem. The first and foremost task of someone who helps people is to achieve a certain level of understanding of the nature and characteristics of the client's problem, as well as an awareness of the direction in which he wants to change his situation. An important prerequisite for effective therapy and for the work of psychological metaphors is the need for an accurate formulation of the client's goals. This means that the client will have control over the changes that need to be made.
The fundamental characteristic of a psychological metaphor is that the participants in the story and the events that occur in it are equivalent - isomorphic - to those persons and events that characterize the client's situation or problem. This is also represented in the metaphorical list characters, and in the processes and parameters of situations relevant to the problem. Such representations are not equivalent to the parameters of the problem itself, but are equivalent to it in the sense of establishing the same relationships that are identified between the parameters of the metaphor and the actual situation. In this sense, “isomorphism” is understood here as a metaphorical preservation of the relationships that take place in the actual problem situation.
When constructing effective metaphors, it is not enough to simply include in the story one participant for each actual problem and one line of events for each actual event related to the problem. The relationship and flow of the current situation must be included in the story so that the client accepts it as a meaningful representation of his problem. Such a requirement means: what is significant for a metaphor is an isomorphic representation of the relationships and processes found in the problem. If the isomorphism condition is satisfied, then any context is suitable for composing a metaphor. When choosing characters for a metaphor, it doesn't matter who they are. The key to this is how they interact.
Until now, the only way to complete the basic metaphor has been to ask about solving the problem. By observing your client, you intuitively know what changes would be beneficial for him and can determine which outcome should be chosen. However, in many cases the client determines the resolution themselves. Clients usually know what changes they would like to make. Where they most often find themselves confused is in building a bridge between their present, unsatisfactory and repetitive situation, on the one hand, and the desired situation, on the other hand. Therefore, a metaphor, as its two main components, has a desired outcome and a strategy that would make it possible to bridge the gap between the problem and the desired outcome.
In order to lead the client from his constantly recurring problem situation to the desired outcome, some kind of experimental behavioral bridge must be built between one and the other. It is usually not enough to simply jump from the “problem” to the “new behavior,” since this is what the client has been trying to do without success. This bridge between problem and outcome is called a bridging strategy.
To understand what a “bridging strategy” is, we can use the concept of recalibration. Typically, all problems are recursive in nature, that is, the same or similar configurations of events are repeated again and again, ultimately producing the same set of unpleasant or undesirable experiences. Therefore, to facilitate problem solving, it must be subject to recalibration, which is a function of the bridging strategy and ultimately allows the individual to emerge from repeated situations with freedom of choice.
Recalibration of a recurring situation includes:
1. Providing the client with the ability to recognize in which cases events form such a proportion that they become problematic.
2. Providing the client with the means by which he can reproportion these events.
Then, returning to questions of the formulation of metaphors, the first step in implementing recalibration will be to introduce a character (equivalent to the client) who in some way violates the old pattern of behavior, as a result of which he is eventually capable of effective change situations. This "in some way" is a way that you will apply the metaphor and will depend on your experience and intuition as a helper to people and as an ordinary human being.
The second step would be to introduce in descriptive form a character who has an understanding of the calibration becoming a problem and the way in which that problem could be recalibrated.
As discussed, the desired outcome often involves a bridging strategy. But most suitable strategy, which could lead to this outcome is a strategy that the client directly or indirectly induces himself. An excellent way to obtain this information is to ask them to describe how the client tried to solve this problem before coming to the psychologist. By describing in detail his mistakes in solving a problem, the client will indirectly describe what needs to be done in order for the goal to be achieved, that is, he will describe at what points he becomes confused and, thus, in what directions his model is limited.
Another great way to get this information is to ask, “What is keeping you from..?” Therefore, the connecting strategy that the client induces for himself is that he takes too long to overcome or bypass his fear in order to do what he wants to do, and to understand that there is no need to put fear first place.
Another vital component in problem solving is reframing. To “reframe” means to take a previous painful or unwanted experience or behavior and recombine it so that it is valuable and potentially beneficial.
So, the whole process of formulating a basic metaphor looks like this:
Collection of information
1. Identification of significant persons involved in the problem:
a) identification of their interpersonal relationships.
2. Identification of events characteristic of the problem situation:
a) determining how the problem is developing (calibration).
3. Determining the changes that the client would like to make (outcome):
a) checking that they are accurately formulated.
4. Identifying what the client has done before to solve the problem or what is holding him back from making the desired changes (which can initiate a bridging strategy).
Creating a Metaphor
1. Context selection.
2. The choice of characters and the plan of the metaphor so that it is isomorphic to the identification of significant persons and events and the desired outcome.
3. Definition of permission, including:
a) recalibration strategy;
b) desired outcome;
c) reframing the immediate problem situation.
4. The message of the metaphor.