Metaphor and Smoking

Metaphor Modelling uses a natural ability that we all posses: the ability become aware of how we represent our past. The basis of metaphor modelling, (and cognitive modelling) is that if you can change how you represent past experiences in your mind, the mental picture you have of it, you can change how that experience affects you emotionally now. The following excerpt from a stop-smoking session demonstrates how with metaphor transformation the change can be simple and fast, happening almost automatically.

 

 

SESSION TRANSCRIPT
THERAPIST/CLIENT	COMMENTS
Is there anything that would stop you stopping smoking?	Standard Question: Probing for unconscious beliefs
I wouldn't feel complete without it.	Belief
And what would not smoking feel like?
Freedom.	DESIRED OUTCOME
And not having freedom is like what?	Try for a metaphor
Like the habit has got me.	Symbol 'the habit'
And what else about that habit that has got you?	Developing
Like it... there are hands.
And hands...	Developing
It has got me by the shoulders.
And the habit has hands and it has got you by the shoulders.... and what else?	Developing
It's like a shadow lurking behind me.
It's like a shadow lurking behind you....	Developing
With big claws in my shoulders.
And that habit has hands and it's got you by the shoulders with big claws and it's like a shadow lurking behind you... And what is the purpose of that shadow behind you?	Probing for the protective benefit associated with the problem
A companion in the hard times.	Belief: secondary benefit
And what would you like to happen to that shadow.....?	Suggesting change
Send it away.
And can you send it away?	Testing Capability
It's gone.	Spontaneous deletion
Gone?
Shrivelled up and disappeared.	Cleared residuals as well.
And it has gone completely?	Checking
Yes.
And how does that make you feel?	Testing for change
Free. Different. Something has changed.	DESIRED OUTCOME ACHIEVED!

 

This dialog shows that change can happen spontaneously the moment the client becomes aware of the representation. A few questions were used to develop the metaphor, and those led to the awareness of a 'shadow lurking behind me'. It is speculated that this awareness led immediately to an feeling of unpleasantness and threat and the client spontaneously decided not to have the unpleasantness and so it was sent away. Once the client became aware that it was possible to 'send it away', and therefore briefly imagined sending it away, that was enough of a metaphorical transformation to allow it to 'shrivel up and disappear'.

 

 

• Other Metaphor Modelling examples

 

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