Metaphorically Speaking: The Use of Metaphors in Grief Therapy

Abstract

Grieving people use metaphors to describe their experience of loss. Therapists can engage clients by using their metaphors in ways that facilitate grieving. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) contend that metaphors are more than figures of speech; metaphors structure the way we perceive, how we think and what we do. Reality is negotiated by means of metaphors. People who have lost significant others to death or divorce are forced to construct a new reality. In this article four metaphors are used to illustrate how a therapist can listen for metaphors and work with clients to explore, expand and rework their metaphors in ways that are helpful to them in their suffering. Several current approaches to using metaphors in grief therapy are reviewed. Recommendations are made for future development of models that take advantage of the considerable power of metaphors while avoiding their potential for harm.