Use of metaphors in Chinese family therapy: a qualitative study

Abstract

The use of metaphors in family therapy has been extensively written about in western literature, yet very few studies on this subject have been conducted in China. The goal of this study was to summarize the metaphors used by Chinese family therapists. Transcriptions from 36 hours of video‐recorded family and couple therapy sessions from eighteen Chinese family patients were qualitatively analysed to identify categories of therapist‐produced metaphors that are applicable to the Chinese context. Two major categories emerged: verbal and non‐verbal metaphors. Verbal metaphors included four subgroups: story, object comparison, sayings and age. Nonverbal metaphors involved two subgroups: gesture and spatialization. The influence of the Chinese culture on the use of metaphor is discussed. This study adds to the greater understanding of how to integrate metaphors in therapy in the Chinese context.