Effective Metaphors for Hypnotherapy

By Allegra Etheridge and Tayma Wallbridge

This inspirational book provides readers with forty fresh new metaphors, which have been trialled in the therapeutic environment. Each positively addresses a variety of universal goals. 

Tayma Wallbridge is an experienced hypnotherapist and Allegra Etheridge is a writer and editor. Both have honours degrees in Psychology. Together, they have created this engaging and effective collection which will prove useful to hypnotherapists, counsellors, psychotherapists and other professionals as well as for people interested in owning a collection of uplifting stories.

***Please note that there are 40 unique metaphors in this book, 24 of which are duplicated into male and female versions. The reasons for this are: a) the different versions can be read to men and women to make the stories more tailored to the subconscious minds of the client b) some therapists are able to read and convert e.g. 'himself' to 'herself' - 'brother' to 'sister' and so forth as they read, others are not, so both versions are provided c) having both versions means that book is accessible for those people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.***

'I would go as far as to say that having two gender versions is why I love your book so much and use it all the time! I can relax and really get into the flow of the story without having to change words as I go. I'm sure my clients will benefit from me being so relaxed too.' 
- Solution Focused Hypnotherapist, January 2017

'Tayma and Allegra have created a fantastic book that can be picked up and used effectively in an instant. A must for therapists that are looking to broaden their knowledge and develop their skills as a practitioner.' 
- David Mclean, CEO Association for Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (AfSFH) 

'How true to say that a good story is unforgettable. This book is a modern Aesop's Fables with a take-home message from each story that will have lasting therapeutic value. I am proud to say that both Tayma and Allegra studied honours degrees in Psychology at Keele University during my tenure as senior lecturer. Their collaboration has led to the creation of this wonderful book. It is a definite must for anyone practicing hypnotherapy and for all psychotherapists and counsellors interested in the power of narrative.' 
- Dr John R Hegarty, Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Psychology Keele University 

'Metaphors are a key part of my work with clients. I feel this book provides a beautiful array of stories that can be used and adapted to clients' circumstances. A great addition to any person's library.' 
- Nicola Griffiths, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Partner of Therapists Marketing Solutions

• Language: English
• Publisher: Write-Film-Edit
• Release date: Oct 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781909093683

Allegra Etheridge

Allegra is a Workplace Mediator, Coaching Psychologist and author. She co-wrote her first book in 2015 'Effective Metaphors for Hypnotherapy' with Tayma Wallbridge. This book is recommended for hypnotherapy training and practice in the UK and has sold worldwide. Her second book, 'Effective Metaphors for Children', was released in May 2017. This is used a) in schools to support children with discuss emotional issues b) in hypnotherapy practice for 'inner child' work and for children and c) for parents to find a way to communicate with their children about emotional issues. Her next four books, released in 2023 and 2024 are part of the 'Coaching Psychology Series'. They comprise 'Increasing Empowerment Workbook' 'Increasing Inner Confidence Workbook' 'Managing Self-consciousness Workbook' 'Managing Emotions Workbook: Including Stress and Anger' These are a comprehensive approach to a) support coaches who want to assist their clients with issues that commonly arise in coaching practice and b) for individuals who want to perform at their best. Allegra lives in the Cotswolds with her husband Peter. www.allegrastonemediation.co.uk

Book preview

EFFECTIVE METAPHORS FOR HYPNOTHERAPY

- by -

Allegra Etheridge

- and -

Tayma Wallbridge

© Allegra Etheridge and Tayma Wallbridge, 2015

The rights of Allegra Etheridge and Tayma Wallbridge to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published 2015

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system, published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast, transmitted recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

Enquiries should be addressed to Allegra Etheridge

[e-mail]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THERAPEUTIC GOALS

AUTHOR’S STORIES

THE METAPHORS

APPLE TREE

ART GALLERY

CANDLE FLAME

CARPET BAG

CARPET OF BLUE

CAVE BOUNDARY

CHURCH BELLS

COLOURFUL CLOTHES

CROSSING THE RIVER

DOMINOES

GIANT BALLOON

GOLDEN SUNRISE

HOUSEMARTINS

JIGSAW PUZZLE

LOCKS AND BOLTS

LOST KEYS

MAGIC POTIONS

MELTING DROP

NOISY BRIDGE

OCEAN RACE

OIL PAINTING

OLD AND NEW FRIENDS

PLOT THE ROUTE

POETRY PRIZE

RABBIT’S FOOT

ROSE GARDEN

SHIPWRECKED

SIP OF CHAMPAGNE

SNAKES AND LADDERS

STRAY CAT

SWIMMING WITH THE CURRENT

TAKE A BREATH

TEACH THE PARROT

TENDED GARDEN

TENDED GARDEN

TRAIN JOURNEY

UNCHANGING FACE

WALKING BOOTS

WEAVER’S CLOTH

WOODEN EAGLE

WOODEN EAGLE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I was returning from school one day. A runaway horse, wearing a bridle, sped past me into a farmer’s yard. The farmer didn’t recognise the horse. So, I climbed onto its back, took hold of the reins, and said:

‘Giddy-up!’

The horse headed for the highway.  I knew the horse would take me in the right direction. But I didn’t know what the right direction was. The horse galloped along. Now and then, he would forget he was on a highway and would start off into a field. So, I would pull the reins and call his attention to the fact that the highway was where he was supposed to be. And, finally, about four miles from where I had begun the ride, he turned into a farmyard.

The farmer there said:

‘So, the critter came back! Where did you find him?’

I said: ‘About four miles from here.’ 

‘How did you know to take him here?’

I said: ‘I didn’t know. But the horse knew.  All I did was keep his attention on the road.’

- Dr Milton H Erickson (1901-1980)

INTRODUCTION

This story was told by Dr Milton Erickson, the founder of modern hypnotherapy, to a group of his students.  It illustrates his own, very successful, methods for helping his patients.  Before Erickson, psychotherapists would rely upon delving into a patient’s past feelings and behaviours in order to discover their issues.  Usually patients did not achieve the results they had hoped for! 

Erickson’s ‘solution focused’ approach achieved huge success in helping people change their feelings and behaviours.  Rather than trawling backwards, his focus was on moving forward.  Instead of asking: ‘What’s wrong with your life?’ he would ask: 'What would you like your life to be like?’  He understood that each of his patients knew what they were seeking. He also knew that they had the power to change, but that they needed help in overcoming a natural resistance to change.

Erickson used two incredibly effective tools to help his patients to overcome that resistance.  One was hypnosis - the other was story telling. 

THE POWER OF STORY

We all enjoy a story.  In fact, we have a profound need to tell and hear stories, whether it’s in the form of a novel, a film, theatre, or a tale that a friend is telling us.  We find ourselves captivated by a spoken or written narrative.  And, quite simply, we remember the stories we hear for far longer than facts, because they can tend to hold more meaning for us.  In fact, you will probably remember Erickson’s horse story longer than any of the facts given about his ways of working. 

It is for this reason that, throughout history and in every culture, stories have been used to teach values and record events.  Prehistoric people drew their stories onto cave walls in the form of pictures. Sacred works of all religions use stories to illustrate moral and spiritual lessons. 

We are all natural story tellers.  Almost without thinking, we constantly use metaphors to describe our feelings to create a vivid image, for example – 'I felt ready to erupt’, 'I’m sinking under the weight of it all’, ‘I’m ready to start a new chapter’ and so on.  We pepper our conversations and personal anecdotes with these metaphors as a kind of shorthand we know the other person will understand when we share our experiences.

Our brains automatically link up metaphors and literal happenings, so that when we hear them, our minds quickly understand what is meant.  Brain scans show that if we listen to a factual lecture, then only the language processing parts of the conscious brain become activated.  We just decode the words. But, if we listen to a story, the areas within our brains which are responsible for our emotions are also activated.  For this reason, we will always be more fully engaged with a story than a presentation of factual information.  This is the Power of Story.

METAPHOR STORIES IN THE THERAPEUTIC SETTING

Whether you are a hypnotherapist, or another type of therapist who uses metaphors, these stories can maximise your client’s potential for change.  When stories are told with the intention of changing the way the listener thinks, or does things, then the story becomes a therapeutic metaphor and is often called a metaphor story or simply ‘a metaphor.’

A good metaphor will symbolically represent your client’s problem and offer a solution in an indirect manner.  Because it is indirect, the client has to become actively involved in the process of making sense of it and deciding what parts of the metaphor relates to them.  If the metaphor is engaging, it will bypass conscious resistance and sink delightfully into the unconscious mind, where it will be thought about for some time. Even if the client does not understand the metaphor, or think it is not relevant, their unconscious mind will keep going over it, until some connections are found with their own situation. 

The message within the metaphor should build a sense of expectancy in your client that their problem can be solved.  And, hopefully, it will then stimulate a change in the way they think about their situation.  Instead of the solution being presented as advice from you, it is discovered by them and so becomes their idea.  And that is the point of, and success of, all solution-focused therapy. 

METAPHORS IN THIS BOOK

Whether you are an experienced therapist, or newly qualified, you will find the metaphors in this book either a fantastic first selection or a valuable addition to those you already use. Your aim will be to help your clients make changes that they want to make to their emotions, health or behaviours – or a combination of these areas.  To support this, every metaphor in this collection has been written to encourage change.

Each client will bring a different set of beliefs about themselves and their world that will affect their motivation and confidence to achieve the changes that they want.  Effectively, each client has a different story to tell and this collection of metaphors will enable you to find the one that will resonate most effectively with them at each stage of their journey.

We have both ordered the metaphors alphabetically and also split them according to therapeutic goals. You may also wish to use the relevant version when considering the gender of the client hence we have both versions available where it is appropriate.

Many sentences deliberately begin with the word ‘And’ or ‘But’ which we appreciate is not grammatically correct. However, because the stories are intended to be read aloud we have deliberately structured them in this way.  Additionally, you could choose to offer the metaphor as a