Using RFT to Create

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Using RFT to Create Powerful Therapeutic
Metaphors
Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, Dermot Barnes-Holmes,
Ian Stewart
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Workshop Overview

• The current workshop consists of three parts
• Overview of the RFT account of analogy and
  metaphor
• De-construction of examples of ACT metaphors
• Construction of novel metaphors for clinical
  practice

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Understanding Analogy Metaphor

• Relational frame theorists have employed the
  concept of relating relations, as the basic
  process underlying the verbal abilities for
  understanding and constructing analogies and
  metaphors
• At its most basic, Barnes, Hegarty, and Smeets
  (1997) proposed a model of analogical reasoning
  that involved responding in accordance with
  equivalence-equivalence relations (i.e. the
  relating together of derived equivalence
  relations)

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APPLE
DOG
Equivalence-Equivalence
Equivalent
Equivalent
SHEEP
PEACH
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Is that it?

• The previous example involved the derivation of
  arbitrary stimulus relations
• But analogies and metaphors also appear to
  abstract out non-arbitrary relations among events
• Consider the analogy Apple is to Peach as Dog is
  to Sheep
• This abstracts out specific non-arbitrary
  properties that pertain to each of the two sets
  of relations

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Crels Round, juicy, edible
Crels Hairy, four legs,
lives in groups
The analogy then also allows two sets of
non-arbitrary properties to function as Crels for
the two equivalence relations
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Understanding Analogy Metaphor

• So, two of the central features of the RFT
  theoretical and empirical model of analogy and
  metaphor are
• Relations between derived arbitrary relations
• Relating based on the abstraction of
  non-arbitrary properties

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Understanding Analogy Metaphor

• Because the relating of the derived relations
  most often involves a relation of coordination,
  it is common that individuals experience this as
  a novel insight or Aha!
• And this of course, may be based on the fact
  that the two related events give rise to similar
  somatic outcomes, such as the same feeling

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Understanding Analogy Metaphor

• However, it is errroneous to think of
  analogies/metaphors as simply the compounding of
  one or two relations of coordination, especially
  when the metaphors in question are used for
  clinical purposes
• Instead, these are substantive relational
  networks, that require sophisticated verbal
  histories of shared knowledge and experience
• Take a look at this . . .

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Understanding Analogy Metaphor

• Of course, metaphors are practically useless for
  clinical purposes if they fail to facilitate
  behaviour change
• And thus some specific transformations of
  function must be targeted with the relational
  networks and in such a way that they make the
  behaviour change seem feasible

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Secrets for Constructing Good Clinical Metaphors

• Try to unhinge yourself from the verbal traps
  and frustration if you are finding a metaphor for
  a problem that you have been struggling with for
  some time
• You could maybe even think of a metaphor that
  would describe yourself in this situation!

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Secrets for Constructing Good Clinical Metaphors

• Try to think in precise and simplistic terms
  about the clients
• existing relational network (think of this as the
  target)
• the types of relations contained therein
• the transformations of functions that currently
  occur
• If it helps, even draw them out in order to try
  to illucidate target non-arbitrary properties
• The closer your vehicle (i.e. the other network
  you construct with the metaphor) matches the
  target relationally, the better will be your
  metaphor

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Secrets for Constructing Good Clinical Metaphors

• Once you have the target network in mind, try to
  think through the non-arbitrary features of this
• And then identify what happens to the client when
  she experiences these properties
• Often, the properties are coordinated with
  evaluations like stupid, disgusting, hopeless and
  these participate in self-relations (and thats
  why she feels so bad about herself) and she
  desperately wants you to share in these (i.e.
  co-ordination relations in the perspective-taking
  frames)

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Trying to Find Solutions is Like Digging in a
Hole
Feelings generated by target network Repetitive
Feels painful Overwhelming
Feelings generated by the vehicle Getting
deeper Dark Helpless . . .???
Finding solutions
Dig in hole
SAME
Getting confused
Sinking
In this case, the vehicle enhances aspects of the
properties associated with the target
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Secrets for Constructing Good Clinical Metaphors

• Networks
• Specific relations
• Non-arbitrary properties
• Behaviour change