Metaphors show up in our lives all the time, bringing powerful imagery and meaning. You may have felt that today was ‘a roller coaster’ but you know that ‘life is a marathon, not a sprint’ and despite feeling like you ‘have a full plate’ you can ‘recharge your batteries’ with the ‘bottomless well’ that is the love of your family.
No surprise then that metaphors offer rich images for exploration within coaching, providing insight into a client’s frame of mind and how they see themselves and the world around them. Metaphors are powerful because they help people to move beyond words, in a language and frame of reference that they own, often simplifying a situation and cutting to the heart of what’s really going on.
When coaching is transformational, it explores the client’s relationship with their experiences (how they feel, their mental framing) rather than the experiences themselves (the facts, the details). Metaphors are often central to this deeper exploration and the creation of new neural pathways in the brain that support growth and change.
When metaphors come up in sessions it’s like walking alongside someone in their brain. It’s my role as a coach to listen out for them and be curious, staying in the client’s language to explore more deeply, helping them make connections and choices that progress them towards their goals.
People may show up at a session at ‘boiling point’, where they’re reaching their limit and close to losing control, seeking ways to reduce stress and define practical steps forward that will support them to manage things better.
A client’s current project they have been asked to lead may be a ‘tangled web’ that feels complex and chaotic, where the goal is to bring some mental order to help them get back on track.
Someone may want to tidy the ‘drawers’ in their mind, where competing priorities and worries and concerns need organising to allow them to focus on the job-in-hand and reduce feelings of being overwhelmed.
As a coach, I support my clients by:
– Listening without judgement
– Asking deep and intuitive questions
– Creating a safe and confidential space
– Making room to think through desires, uncertainties, and options
– Inviting action and being an accountability partner
Clients leave our sessions with:
– A reframing of their experiences and issues
– More clarity to make decisions for themselves
– Tools and strategies to trial and make their own
– Actions to build confidence and practice
– A feeling of empowerment and control
What metaphors come up for you in your daily life?
