DIFFERENTIAL USE OF METAPHOR IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

Metaphor is seen to play a significant role in psychoanalytic theory a nd technique. While acknowledging this view, this paper examines the d ifferences in which individuals of varying developmental profiles, exp erience, comprehend and use metaphor in the context of psychotherapy. Differences in the capacity to play, adaptively regress, regulate affe ct, maintain ego boundaries, and symbolize, are found to affect capaci ties to employ those figures of speech in words or phrases literally d enoting one type of object or idea but used in place of others by sugg esting likenesses or analogies. A rationale for differential use of in terventions involving metaphor is offered.