The Importance of Metaphor in Counseling: Connecting to People and Connecting to God

Our use of language is at the center of how we engage people and make sense of life. Metaphor especially acts as a bridge between what we do know and what we don’t know, what is understood and what we are trying to understand. Not surprisingly, then, Scripture uses metaphor to bridge us to God and God’s kingdom. In this presentation, we will consider how Scripture uses metaphor and how we can use it in counseling to understand people, make connections, and grow in holiness. We will identify the theological parameters and relevance of metaphor in our counseling work and some principles that can guide our use of language and metaphor.