Symbolic Modeling is a therapeutic method that uses symbols, metaphors, and modeling to facilitate positive change. In Symbolic Modeling (SyM), therapists use Clean Language to help people identify their metaphoric and symbolic mind-body perceptions to create a “model” of their experiences. Through the process of evolving these metaphors, therapists might support individuals, couples, families, or groups as they work to achieve greater self-awareness, inner peace, and an overall sense of well-being.
Symbolic Modeling is based on the premise that symbols and metaphors are embedded in human neurology. People tend to use metaphors as a means to reflect the inner experiences they represent. For example, someone feeling anxious about some upcoming news might describe anxiety by saying, “It feels like I'm hanging off the edge of a cliff. Good news and I grab hold of the lifeline, bad news and I fall to my death.” This metaphor not only reflects the person's inner experience, but also provides insight into the structure of that person's inner world in the face of potentially life-changing news.
A metaphor may capture exactly what one is feeling, but a metaphor might also hold one back or make a situation worse. That is where the process of Symbolic Modeling can be useful. Therapists can help people identify their metaphors and determine whether they are advantageous or constricting.
Symbolic Modeling involves three main components:
These components can be used in conjunction with one another or as separate processes. Additionally, the process of SyM can be used to model successful strategies, facilitate growth and change, or further the creation of new metaphors.
Symbolic Modeling was developed by psychotherapists James Lawley and Penny Tompkins through their work with Clean Language creator and psychotherapist, David Grove. Both interested in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Lawley and Tompkins met in 1991 during their first level of NLP training. NLP both brought the two together and significantly influenced their thinking, leading to the development of SyM.
NLP involves a process that examines the internal patterns and processes from which a person operates and seeks to reprogram any that are problematic. It was this study of NLP that led them to their work in modeling, and consequently, David Grove. Lawley and Tompkins first came across Grove in 1993 during one of his demonstrations. Captivated by Grove's metaphor therapy work with trauma victims, Lawley and Tompkins began to study him. Their work in modeling coalesced with his work in metaphor, and during the mid-1990s, they began what they now refer to as their 5-year modeling project of David Grove and his therapeutic work.
This project allowed them to develop the Symbolic Modeling method, and in 1997, Lawley and Tompkins published their first article on the subject. In 2000, they published Metaphors in Mind, their official guide to the theory and practice of SyM. Today, Lawley and Tompkins conduct training, workshops, and remain active in their psychotherapy practice. Interested mental health professionals or potential participants in treatment can learn more by visiting their official website, The Clean Collection.
Symbolic Meaning draws from several theoretical models and philosophies. In addition to metaphor therapy, modeling, and NLP, SyM is influenced by:
Recent research on the use of metaphors has demonstrated that people use anywhere between two and 10 metaphors per minute, which may be why those who practice Symbolic Modeling find metaphors so powerful. The prevalence of metaphor is not limited to speech alone. People can communicate metaphor through nonverbal communication as well. Symbols, metaphors, and imagery can be expressed via words, gestures, body language, and drawings, for example, and they can be expressed both consciously and unconsciously.
People may turn to metaphors in order to:
Symbols metaphors and imagery can be explicit or implicit. For example, if a man says “I have the weight of the world on my shoulders," it is obvious he is speaking metaphorically, and therefore, the metaphor is explicit. But if the man were to say, “I wish I could figure out what to do about my job," the words figure out represent the implicit metaphor. Implicit metaphors are used most often, but they are sometimes harder to catch.
In therapy, a therapist will generally incorporate a four-stage process to generate and develop the metaphors provided by the person in therapy. A set of nine basic Clean Language questions are most often used to support this process.
STAGE 1: Metaphor is identified.
Person in Therapy: Lately I have been feeling like I'm invisible.
Therapist: And when you feel invisible, what kind of invisible is it?
P: Like I am a ghost.
TH: And that ghost, what kind of ghost is it?
P: A spirit made of mist. You can walk right through me.
STAGE 2: Metaphor is developed.
TH: And when someone walks through the mist, then what happens?
P: It dissipates. It blows away.
TH: And when it dissipates, where does it go?
P: All over the place. You can barely see it.
TH: Could you show me where it goes with your body?
P: (person moves around the room, making circles repeatedly with arms)
STAGE 3: Metaphor is reframed.
TH: So sometimes you feel like an invisible ghost of mist that people walk through, causing the mist to dissipate and go all over the place. When the ghost first appears, what would you like to have happen?
P: I would like to be seen. I would like to come alive.
TH: And when you are seen and you come alive, then what will happen?
P: They will have to notice me and know that I matter.
TH: And what needs to happen for the ghost to be seen, come alive, be noticed, and matter?
P: The ghost needs to stop fading into the background. It needs to materialize.
STAGE 4: Metaphor evolves and person applies changes to their perspective.
TH: What needs to happen for the ghost to stop fading and materialize?
P: It needs to say what it wants out loud. To not be afraid to get hurt.
TH: And when the ghost says it out loud, unafraid of getting hurt, what happens next?
P: I will finally feel confident and whole. I will be honest with myself. And they will know who I really am, take it or leave it. And I will be all right with that.
After this process, people in therapy are generally guided to identify a new narrative with an evolved metaphoric landscape. Sometimes, people experience benefit from simply identifying their metaphor, while others take the process further, achieving full transformation. In either scenario, people often experience increased self-awareness and a general sense of well-being as a result of metaphor therapy and Symbolic Modeling.
The official website of Symbolic Modeling, The Clean Collection, includes a fair amount of research studies, academic papers, and professional articles that support the efficacy of metaphor therapy and SyM. For example, a study published in The Journal of Organizational Change Management (2008) found that the use of visual metaphors gave voice to the emotional experiences employees encountered during organizational change. Nonetheless, the field may benefit from more research. Studies that explore the therapeutic outcomes of Symbolic Modeling would likely reinforce the credibility of the practice.
In addition, Symbolic Modeling seems to involve a specialized skill set and clinical ability that requires solid training. Limited availability can make it challenging for interested practitioners to get the training they desire. An increase in outreach and educational opportunities will not only provide professionals with the resources they need, but may also expand the practice in general.
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