Metaphor Use in Psychotherapy and Enactive Sense Making

Unchosen transformative experiences are transdiagnostic psychological events that lead an individual to question their sense of agency. Considering the various symptomatic manifestations coinciding with decreased agency, the literature indicates a need for exploring an individual’s sense of meaning through psychotherapy. This study sought to explore lived experiences of using metaphor in treatment to increase agency and help clarify affective states. We interviewed ten participants to elucidate the lived experiences of those who use metaphor in recovering from an unchosen transformative experience. Experiences were investigated using the existential phenomenological research approach to better distinguish psychological elements at hand. We then considered how themes such as autopoiesis, intersubjectivity, and reflexivity give insight into lived experiences. The hope of this study was to create a dialogue between clinicians of psychology/counseling and researchers studying cognitive science.