The Use of Metaphor to Establish Acceptance and Mindfulness

Varra, Alethea A.; Drossel, Claudia; Hayes, Steven C.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09593-6_8

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…It is acknowledged that this analogy is somewhat similar to the "Leaves on a Stream" [27] analogy and exercise, often espoused in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); and as well to the abovequote analogy offered by Marcks and Woods [18]. Varra, Drossel, and Hayes [23], however, state that while this and other already-developed analogies are commonly used in ACT, "therapists are encouraged to create their own, similar metaphors in conjunction with their clients" (p. 117). Thus, the "Ticker" analogy is being proffered here due to the belief that it offers unique advantages in terms of the ease and interest with which clients may be able to connect to it.…”

Section: Psychotherapeutic Applicationmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…If I were able to read the Ticker that was scrolling your thoughts along your forehead, what would I have been reading? Varra, Drossel, and Hayes [23] indicate that one of the central applications of metaphor is "Structure Experiential Processes" and that "From an ACT perspective, mindfulness involves acceptance, defusion, a focus on the present moment, and a transcendent sense of self" (p.121). The Ticker Metaphor creates a figurative image that effectively weaves together these four integral ACT processes.…”

Section: Use As a Mindfulness Exercisementioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduction of a New, Contemporary, and Developmentally Flexible Mindfulness Metaphor

Mychailyszyn¹

2016

J Ment Disord Treat

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Mindfulness is described as an experiential state and an intentional practice aimed at enhancing attention to and acceptance of the broad range of human experience. The use of figurative language occupies a central role in the psychotherapy process. This article introduces a new analogy, not currently represented in the literature, with therapeutic utility across age groups for enhancing understanding of and appreciation for the nature of thoughts, their manifestation, and role in psychological functioning. A description is offered, along with instructions for applying it as a mindfulness exercise in a therapy context. Limitations to applicability are discussed.In applied psychological settings the integration of figurative speech can be an invaluable tool [9,10]. Robert and Kelly [11] suggest that "Metaphors may be used to improve counselor training and the counseling process by fostering client case conceptualization and facilitating counselor-client collaboration in intervention development" (p.182). Indeed, the field of psychology has a rich history of utilizing metaphors, similes, allegories, etc. as clinical tools in the therapeutic context. Blenkiron [12] offers a clinical review of the use of stories and analogies in cognitive behavior therapy, helpfully providing specific examples that can be applied to each disorder, while also importantly emphasizing the importance of tailoring use to the individual client. And while the avid reader is referred to Leary [13] for a more complete discussion of the role of non-literal language in the evolution of psychology, an especially poignant quote on the topic for the purposes of this paper can be drawn from Evan [14], who states: "the function of metaphor in psychotherapy expresses more basic truths about the subjective structure of the world and the nature of psychological activity. More specifically, it is argued that by facilitating the use of metaphor in describing one's experience the therapist is encouraging a part of the psyche that is intimately involved in both stasis and growth" (p.545).In a therapeutic context, individuals often struggle to connect with aspects regarding their own psychological functioning and the strategies relied upon for improvement. For instance, many evidencebased treatment modalities (e.g., cognitive therapy, cognitivebehavioral therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, along with others) involve assisting the client to explore how his or her own pattern of thoughts contributes to subsequent emotions and associated behavioral tendencies.The capacity to do so essentially incorporates the foundational

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Section: Psychotherapeutic Applicationmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Use As a Mindfulness Exercisementioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction of a New, Contemporary, and Developmentally Flexible Mindfulness Metaphor

Mychailyszyn¹

2016

J Ment Disord Treat

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“…An explanation of the risks and opportunities of the Internet has been offered. Exercise 4: Metaphors: The use of metaphors to describe problems is a typical ACT exercise [40].…”

Section: Day 4 Web Risks and Opportunities Cognitive Defusion Parenta...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and Early Outcomes of a Parent Training Intervention to Engage Parents in Children’s Media Education

Cavallini¹,

Caravita

Fandrem

2023

Healthcare

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The importance of parents in mediating adolescents’ Internet use is documented by many studies in the literature. Very few, however, regard interventions to support parents in this role. We wanted to assess the feasibility and the early outcomes of an Internet-based parent educational group course aimed to support parents in adolescents’ media education. The intervention was conducted with two different groups of parents (N = 20, 75% women; mean age = 46.9 y; SD = 6.3) at different time-points. The intervention included five sessions, during which information about parental mediation strategies was provided and practical exercises based on the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach were proposed. The intervention generated greater awareness, openness and flexibility and increased parental familiarity with technological devices. Overall, the proposed web-based and group-based parent training model has shown good feasibility and promising early outcomes in supporting parents as Internet mediators.

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“…The ability of metaphors to assist in understanding the partially unknown may be key to their therapeutic potential. It has been argued that psychotherapy at its core involves the creation of models of the mind through metaphor (Varra et al, 2009). The intentional use of carefully employed metaphor is centrally valuable to many psychotherapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), in which figurative language encourages psychological flexibility and reduces barriers to change (Hayes et al, 1999).…”

Section: Metaphormentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatric Models: Reconciling Neurobiology, Metaphor, and Uncertainty

Syed,

Jacob

2023

Preprint

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Explanatory models of the mind inform our working assumptions about mental illness with direct implications for clinical practice. Neurobiological models assert that the mind can be understood in terms of genetics, chemistry, and neuronal circuits. Growing evidence suggests that clinical deployment of neuroessentialist models of illness may have unintended adverse effects on patient attitudes, public perception, provider empathy, and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment. Despite calls for explanatory pluralism as a philosophical structure for psychiatry, neurobiology continues to hold an elevated status among psychiatrists and the public alike. New approaches are needed to reconcile neurobiological models with the uncertainty of science, clinical practice, and the knottiness of finding language to describe (let alone explain) the experience of mental illness. To address this conceptual gap, we draw upon interdisciplinary sources to examine the meta-cognitive process of explanatory reasoning that clinicians and their patients use to develop models of the mind. We propose a clinical approach to explanatory reasoning based on logical inference, the considered use of metaphor, and the tolerance of uncertainty. Our goal is to bring attention to the possibility that uncertainty, metaphor, and neurobiological models share a common logical framework, and that their reconciliation has the potential to enrich our understanding of mental life and clinical practice.

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The Use of Metaphor to Establish Acceptance and Mindfulness

Cited by 10 publications

References 20 publications

Introduction of a New, Contemporary, and Developmentally Flexible Mindfulness Metaphor

Introduction of a New, Contemporary, and Developmentally Flexible Mindfulness Metaphor

Feasibility and Early Outcomes of a Parent Training Intervention to Engage Parents in Children’s Media Education

Psychiatric Models: Reconciling Neurobiology, Metaphor, and Uncertainty

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