Ep. 24 | Does Metaphoric imagery have a place in the Therapist’s Toolbox

Welcome to our PCI Graduate Investigates episode where we explore the 2023 Martin Kitterick Award second place thesis by Joan Kelly. The title of Joan’s thesis is ‘Does metaphoric imagery have a place in the therapist’s toolbox?’. We discuss how she came to pick this topic for her thesis, in tandem with her own exploration of the use of metaphor in her client work. She describes how metaphoric imagery needs to be a collaborative piece of work which helps to add depth to the therapeutic relationship as the therapist and client work to a shared understanding of the image. The image can also evolve along with the client’s process and can help to move past the narrative of what happened and connect to the associated feelings. We tend to use metaphors and images in everyday life so it is important for therapists to be aware of how they present in the client room to make sure they are being harnessed for their great potential.

This is a recording of a live webinar we held in March, attended by students across PCI College. I, Margaret O Connor, BSc Programme leader, am delighted to host these events as we want to highlight the high-quality research being produced by our fourth year students. The panel for this discussion includes Gael Kilduff, Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy and Colm Early, second year head and faculty lecturer. Please see this link to read Joan’s thesis - https://www.pcicollege.ie/pcicollegemartinkitterickawardwinner2023