Matching Metaphors
Clients often use metaphors to express their ideas, feeling and emotions. A metaphor involves the use of an image to describe or represent a feeling, situation or scenario such as “I feel as though I have the weight of the world on my shoulders”.
REFER TO YOUR ACTIVITY WORKBOOK AND SOLVE ACTIVITY NO.3 IN THE SECTION LEARNING ACTIVITY 6.
Here are some examples of commonly used metaphors:
· Life is the pits · I feel like I am drowning · I am stuck in a rut · My head is about to burst · Everything is such a grind · It never rains, but it pours · He is like a bear with a sore head |
People use metaphors such as these all of the time. By using similar metaphors, even unhelpful ones, coaches are able to build rapport by stressing things in common. After a period of pacing, coaches can begin to lead and introduce more helpful language and metaphors that bring new insight and perspective.