Envisioning the representational world: The client's experience of metaphoric expression in psychotherapy.

Abstract

A total of five client-generated and six therapist-generated metaphors were selected across four therapy dyads, with a single therapy session being focused on in each dyad. Each client’s and therapist’s recollections of the metaphoric events were stimulated by audiotape playback within 24 hours of the therapy session. A qualitative analysis of the participants’ accounts revealed that each metaphoric expression was embedded in an associated context of meaning. This meaning context appeared to operate like a gestalt in which a network of related visual images, memories, and emotional responses were evoked by the spoken metaphor. Three organizing principles structured the relationship between a metaphor and the underlying meaning context: it served as an associative link to other elements of the meaning context; it represented aspects of self-identity; and it represented dialogical role-relationship patterns characteristic of the individual.

Shattering the Bell Jar: Metaphor, Gender, and Depression

“…A series of post-session qualitative studies exploring metaphor in psychotherapy sessions found that metaphors have profound experiential impact and meaning (Angus & Rennie, 1988, 1989Rasmussen & Angus 1996, 1997. The referential, representations, and expressive capacities of metaphors are thought further to promote communication between client and therapist as they assist in the development of a shared language over the course of therapy.…”

Photography as a Measure of Constricted Construing: The Experience of Depression Through a Camera

“…Throughout the literature, the importance of metaphor as a means of communicating the experience of depression has been repeatedly acknowledged (Rowe, 1985;Angus & Rennie, 1989;McMullen & Conway, 1999;Schoeneman et al, 2004a;Schoeneman et al, 2004b;Harvey, 2004). Despite the recognised importance of the metaphor, there has been limited research examining the use of visual metaphors in depression.…”

“…However, the photographs taken by the participants in the depressed group were also analysed for visual metaphors representing the experience of depression. The method for identifying metaphors was taken from a previous study which examined the use of different metaphors in depressed clients undergoing psychotherapy (Angus & Rennie, 1989). This method has subsequently been used in other studies examining the use of metaphors in therapy interactions, and transcripts of clients experiencing depression (Angus, 1996;Levitt, Korman & Rennie, 2000;Angus & Korman, 2002;Schoeneman, Schoeneman & Stallings, 2004).…”

“…These visual metaphors will be explored in accordance with the thematic analysis outlined by previous authors (Angus & Rennie, 1989;Levitt, Korman & Rennie, 2000;Angus & Korman, 2000;Schoeneman et al, 2004a).…”

“…Numerous researchers have examined the use of metaphors in therapy dyads through the transcripts of sessions, and explored the use of different themes (Angus & Rennie, 1989;Bayne & Thompson, 2000;Levit et al, 2000;McMullen & Conway, 2002). The intention of this chapter is not to provide a thorough review of metaphor studies, rather it is aimed at giving some examples of how metaphors have been used in studies of depression.…”