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Part of
The Language of Crisis: Metaphors, frames and discourses
Edited by Mimi Huang and Lise-Lotte Holmgreen
[Discourse Approaches to Politics, Society and Culture 87] 2020
► pp. 199–229

Chapter 7
The ‘transformative’ power of metaphor

Assessing its unexplored potential at the crossroads between static and dynamic instances

Given the centrality of bodily and emotional experience to the notion of conceptual metaphor (Lakoff and Johnson 2003[1980]; Lakoff 1993; Gibbs 2006a and b; Kövecses 2000), this chapter investigates the ‘transformative power’ of metaphor in ‘talking cure’ practices, to face personal crisis and to produce strategic change.

Starting from the centrality of metaphor in the (-re)structuring of experience (Burns 2005; Loue 2008; Roffman 2008), its power as a ‘transformative’ tool is fostered on the basis of its language/thought and embodiment theoretical foundations to implement its application potential. An experimental method emerges, which adapts textual identification procedures (Steen 1999, 2010; Ferrari 2007, 2018; Pragglejaz 2007) to an integrated psychological approach (Rogers 2003[1951]; Perls, Hefferline and Goodman 1951). A psychometric test is presented to evaluate the transformative power of ‘integrated metaphor’ in counselling.

Keywords: conceptual metaphor, embodiment, integration, transformation, personal development, awareness
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: Metaphor and practice, an overview
    • Existing Methodological Proposals using metaphor in the ‘psycho-practice’
    • Unexplored Potential? Towards an implemented definition of conceptual metaphor as ‘integrated’
  • 2.Redefining metaphor, for the sake of practice
  • 3.Metaphor-based and -driven counselling: Sketching a methodological framework
  • 4.Feedback on the transformative power of metaphor
  • 5.Discussion
  • Appendix
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 16 July 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.87.07fer
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