Mastering the Metaphor
ACBS World Conference IX
Colleen Ehrnstrom, Ph.D.
Boulder, Colorado, USA
www.actskillsgroup.com
Many thanks to Chad Emrick
and Carl Baccellieri and the
Boulder ACT consultation
group for their advice and
feedback regarding this
workshop.
We utter about one metaphor for every 10 to
25 words, or about six metaphors a minute
(Geary, 2011).
Metaphors are represented in this
presentation in both written and visual form.
Metaphor: Picture is worth a
1000 words (embedded in
computer metaphor)
1. Learn where metaphors fit into the
infrastructure of the ACT model
2. Understand the basic science of metaphors
3. Know and apply the guidelines for using
metaphors in therapy
4. Watch therapists use metaphors in the
therapeutic context
5. Practice using some ACT metaphors in the
therapeutic context
Mechanistic versus Contextual
Metaphor: Bank of a stream– Where
does the bank end and the water
begin?
Functional Contextualism – given
the context, what is the function?
Metaphor: Google maps v floorplan –
do you want to drive there or live
there?
Suffering is related to language
Metaphor: Your words slice through
me like knives
RFT is the science behind ACT
Metaphor: Driving a car without
knowing the mechanics of it
Pliance (“plys”) – compliance with
verbal rules that are socially
supported.
Plys are typically our first introduction to rules.
Examples:
Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables to stay
healthy
Wear a coat – it is cold outside
Metaphor: Go the extra mile
What are your plys
about doing ACT in the
therapy room??
Plys are more prevalent because they do not
require direct experience.
Metaphor: The Brain is taking a short cut
Challenge here is that without direct experience,
the rules run the risk of becoming rigid and
inflexible.
1. We often don‟t get feedback from the
environment (remember, it is a verbal rule)
Metaphor: Lotto: you can‟t win if you don‟t play
ACTmovietheater.m4v
2. Even when we get feedback, we have a hard
time making room for it (aka memory
monitoring).
Confirmation bias
Over-magnification
Assimilation versus
accommodation
Metaphor: Changing her mind is as unlikely as a
dog singing opera
Tracking (“tracks”) –
behavior based on rules
that are reinforced by
natural consequences
in the environment.
Examples:
See plys
Tricky: Is putting the coat on ply or track?
Distinction is functional, not formal.
Learning by thinking versus
learning by living
This allows for flexibility, contact with the
present moment, and behavioral choice in
the direction of values.
Metaphor: Follow your heart
Therapeutic • Challenges paradox between language
and life
Paradox • If you are not willing to have it, you will
Experiential • Allows experience to be observed and
studied
Exercises • Milk, milk; Jump off cliff; Chocolate Cake
• Open for interpretation and rapid learning
Metaphors • Quicksand, Passengers on the bus
Metaphors provide for the
opportunity to develop the
capacity for tracking, that is,
adjusting behavior in
accordance with natural
consequences.
A good meal is like a sunset
Work like a dog, burn the candle at both
ends
If someone hurts you, turn the other cheek
Shower people with love and compassion
Fighting anxiety is like struggling in
quicksand
Trying to get rid of depression
is like trying to dig your way out
of a hole
Metaphors evoke a rich range of verbal
and sensory associations
Alters the interpretation that
people apply to their life
experiences
Expands the repertoire
immediately
Metaphor: The lightbulb went on
“Metaphoric language transfers functions from
one experiential field to another” (Torneke,
2010).
“…you link a network of
connections with another
network….. Which
swiftly opens up new
possibilities both internal („thinking in a
different way‟) and external („acting differently
than usual‟)” (Torneke, 2010).
Don‟t have to adjust information on a deep
schematic level, just apply new framework to
the problem
Build on something that is already in place
Avoid common challenge of convincing
through language
Work around the fusion that accompanies
language
Audio: Changing Radio Stations
The brain treats literal and metaphor as the
same; this “neural confusion” gives symbols
enormous power (Sapolsky, 2010).
A study on learning reported that the use of
metaphors and other strategies
can “increase retention by as
much as 40%” (Earl, 1995).
Metaphor: I could eat a horse
Metaphor = a transfer of symbol
Cats are dictators. What is your inference?
Cat = topic
Dictator = vehicle
Transferable = Shared
ground
Metaphor: Leaves on a
stream
Metaphor is widely applied to other linguistic
classifications (e.g., similies, puns) as well as to
analogies, allegories, idioms, anecdotes and any
figurative stories that have multiple
interpretative meanings
Who cares? Be willing to be lost!
Metaphor: Sometimes a cigar is
just a cigar.
Thematic stories suggesting solutions to a
client‟s problem
Optimal in situations where description is
unavailable or overwhelming.
The goal is behavioral change.
Metaphor: Keep your
eye on the prize.
Compatible with insight-oriented and
dynamic theories (projective technique)
Assumed to enhance therapeutic insight
by expanding clients‟ awareness of
situation and of alternative life choices
Metaphor: Zoom lens
to wide angle lens
Ubertragung – German term applied to mean the
transference phenomenon in which therapist
becomes a substitute from the client‟s past,
can literally be translated to mean “metaphor”
Metaphors allow the listener to generate his or
her own conclusions about the story presented
The client can extract his or her own meaning
from the metaphor
Insight
precedes behavioral change, even in the
absence of verbal comprehension
Allow for psychological flexibility to be
actually happening in the room at that
moment for both parties
Metaphor: Psychological Flexibility
Model tracking in the room
Go with all interpretations, never fight,
convince, or contest; instead-- dig deeper
Therapist needs to be
willing to stay with function
and process and resist urge
to go in or after content
Metaphor: Two Mountains
1. The metaphor needs to match as
closely as possible with the situation
faced by the client.
Metaphor: Quicksand
2. The metaphor needs to be something
the person truly understands.
Metaphor: Chessboard
3. A metaphor aims to modify behavior; it
needs to have the intention of providing
alternative behaviors.
Metaphor: Tug of War
4. Metaphors need to be memorable, so
they can be portable and reusable. Plan
on referencing them over time.
Metaphor: Passengers on the Bus
ACTbus.m4v
5. Consider picking a few favorites and
becoming very comfortable with them,
rather than trying to master them all.
Metaphors:
encourages clients to seek clues that apply
to their current experience
Extract potential new perspectives that lead
them to see the consequences of their
actions
focus on the here and now
Observe what is happening in the natural
environment, rather than relying on thoughts
about what is happening
“The use of metaphor increases the
proportion of client behavior that is
under the control of tracks. Thus, the
functional value of behavior is directly
targeted.” (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson,
1999)
AKA: Behavioral Change, psychological
flexibility, workability
Brooks, D. (2011). April 12. Poetry for Everyday Life. New York Times.
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Earle, R (1995). Teacher imagery and Metaphors: Windows to teaching
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Harbinger.
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