Well here we are! PPS has now entered the world of blogging. I have lots that I want to talk about so over the coming months I plan to cover the topics of anxiety, grief, depression, and relationship problems. Let me know what else you are interested in.

Today I've been thinking about the importance of metaphor in our lives.

Metaphor gives us the ability to communicate experiences and feelings that may be difficult to talk about. Embler (1966) in his book, ‘Metaphor and Meaning’, explained that metaphors, through stories, words, proverbs, symbols, and objects offer a more precise sense of inner life, which consists of feelings, affections, thoughts, and beliefs. In psychotherapy, we can use metaphor as a treatment technique.

The vital role of metaphor in human development is a way to help us move toward healing. If we can use the metaphor together and form a connection based on the metaphor language, then it can be a transformative experience. Used in this way metaphors function as bridges: they bridge the worlds between what is known and unknown, verbal and nonverbal, real and unreal, fact and fiction, past and present, and conscious and unconscious. The vital role of metaphor in a variety of different psychotherapies can open up an experience or emotion that may have been inaccessible before. It is in the moments when we are in a strong alliance that the most essential information can be expressed through metaphor.

Imagine that you are trying to talk about a traumatic event in your life but you simply cannot find the words.  By creating a metaphor, you could talk about the event from arms length, beginning to explore it without diving into the waters that might still be too deep to survive in. 

I hope you recognized that diving metaphor as a way to explain what I am trying to talk about here!

So, what do you think?  Have you used metaphor? Has it been helpful?