Using metaphors in psychotherapy

Why metaphors matter in psychotherapy

In virtually all models of psychotherapy, metaphor is an important aspect of communication. Metaphors help clients express complex experiences in a more accessible way, provide alternative perspectives, and facilitate behavioral change. Modern behavioral therapy models such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) place particular emphasis on their use.

But what do we actually know, from a scientific perspective, about how metaphors work? Are there guidelines that can be applied in everyday clinical practice? How can therapists create metaphors that best fit a client’s specific problems and unique life experiences?

What you will learn

After this workshop, you will be able to:

• Explain the scientific basis of how metaphors function in language and psychotherapy
• Recognize when a metaphor is more effective than direct communication
• Create metaphors tailored to a client’s specific problem
• Connect metaphor use with Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and behavioral change
• Adapt metaphors to different therapeutic goals (anxiety, obsessions, trauma, self-acceptance)
• Practice through experiential exercises and role-plays

Who is this workshop for?

• Psychotherapists
• Psychiatrists
• Clinical psychologists
• Coaches specializing in ACT/DBT
• Anyone wishing to deepen their skill in working with metaphors in clinical practice

What you will receive

• A personalized certificate indicating the number of training hours (printed form)
• Electronic training materials
• Hands-on exercises and role-plays

Teaching methods

• Didactic presentations (research on metaphors)
• Experiential exercises (creating metaphors)
• Role-plays (practice in pairs and groups)
• Discussion and questions

Questions we will address

How do metaphors work in the mind?

Metaphors are not a decorative feature of language; they are a fundamental way humans think about and understand abstract concepts. Research shows that metaphors engage cognitive processes different from literal language, opening new ways of coping with emotions and behavior.

When should you use a metaphor instead of speaking directly?

When a client resists change, when an experience is too close to name, or when you want to activate the client’s own resources rather than suggest a solution. In this workshop you will learn to recognize that moment.

How do you create metaphors that genuinely work?

Not every metaphor lands. The workshop teaches you how to choose or build a metaphor matched to:

• The client’s specific problem (anxiety, depression, obsessions, trauma)
• Their life experiences (so the metaphor resonates)
• The therapeutic goal (acceptance, defusion, change)

Do metaphors work across cultures?

Metaphors can be universal (for example, emotions as weather), but how they are understood depends on culture. The workshop will cover adaptations for clinical practice in Poland.

Can I create metaphors spontaneously, or must they be planned?

Both approaches matter. You will learn to prepare metaphors for specific clients and to generate them spontaneously within a session.

About the presenter

Dr Niklas Törneke is a Swedish psychiatrist and licensed psychotherapist with more than 30 years of clinical experience. He has spent many years supervising and training clinicians from various professional backgrounds in psychotherapy, both in Sweden and internationally.

He is the author of several books translated into multiple languages on applying basic behavioral science to psychotherapy, including The ABCs of Human Behavior (2008, co-author), Learning RFT. An Introduction to Relational Frame Theory and Its Clinical Application (2010), and Metaphor in Practice. A Professional’s Guide to Using the Science of Language in Psychotherapy (2017). His work bridges behavioral science and clinical practice and is widely cited within the ACT community.

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Fees and registration

The fee depends on registration order: first 20 registrations, PLN 1,200; next 20 registrations, PLN 1,300; subsequent registrations, PLN 1,400.

Discounts: registering as a pair or group reduces the fee by PLN 100 per participant. Contact: bkleszcz.act@gmail.com

Endorsement

This workshop is endorsed by the Gdańsk Psychological Publishing House, publisher of the most widely read ACT and third-wave therapy titles in Poland.