Research review of psychotherapists' use of metaphors

Therapists' use of metaphor in psychotherapy is ubiquitous. However, compared to theoretical and clinical claims about the potential effectiveness of using metaphor, research investigations pose challenges and remain relatively sparse. We provide examples of metaphors in sessions and then syste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPsychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 60; no. 3; p. 255
Main Authors McMullen, Linda M, Tay, Dennis
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.09.2023
Subjects
Humans
Metaphor
Professional-Patient Relations
Psychotherapists
Psychotherapy
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Summary:Therapists' use of metaphor in psychotherapy is ubiquitous. However, compared to theoretical and clinical claims about the potential effectiveness of using metaphor, research investigations pose challenges and remain relatively sparse. We provide examples of metaphors in sessions and then systematically review the empirical literature. This research suggests that collaborative coelaboration of metaphors with clients is related to positive in-session client outcomes, particularly cognitive engagement. Future research might benefit from a more in-depth focus on the process and impacts of using metaphors. We draw out implications from the research for clinical training and psychotherapy practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
ISSN:1939-1536
DOI:10.1037/pst0000473