A "primer" in conceptual metaphor for counselors

Conceptual metaphor provides a potentially powerful counseling framework, g eneralizable across theoretical orientations. According to the conceptual p erspective, metaphor is not merely a matter of language, but is an indispen sable dimension of human understanding and experience whereby more abstract ideas (like relationships) are understood in terms of more concrete experi ences (like journeys). Consequently, when a couple in counseling says, "we' re just spinning our wheels," they are not only using a common colloquial e xpression, but also giving information about how they conceptualize their r elationship. This article provides a theoretical foundation for use of conc eptual metaphor and offers examples of its potential for counseling.