Strengthening the Foundations: An Introduction to the Role of Conceptual Metaphor Theory in Art Therapy

Abstract

This paper offers an introduction to conceptual metaphor theory (CMT), rooted in the cognitive linguistics field of study, and its application to art therapy theory and practice. Utilizing comics as a form of further elaboration and explanation, this manuscript is divided into five main sections: 1) an overview of current theories of conceptual metaphor, 2) a review of metaphor in art therapy, 3) an introduction to metaphor in comics, 4) a discussion of how CMT applies to art therapy practice, and 5) an encapsulation of these ideas in comic form. CMT proposes that metaphor is one of the main ways that humans are able to have abstract thought, and argues that metaphors often 1) work from the concrete to the abstract, 2) are based in bodily experience, and 3) build on each other over time, forming interconnected conceptual systems. Simultaneously, the field of art therapy utilizes metaphor in the understanding of both the process and product of art-making. The author puts forth that the work being done in cognitive linguistics can enhance and support the work being done in art therapy, and that CMT will further our understanding of art therapy pedagogy and practice.

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