At least for those of us in the U.S., the current bends in the river of change that make up our lives bring with them more uncertainty than usual, and at least in my circles, quite a bit of worry. Not knowing how the next several years will turn out is creating fertile ground on which our fears and divisions can grow. Regardless of your feelings about any particular change that has happened or is to come, I think we can all agree that the last several years have felt like quite a rollercoaster ride. Which gets me to my point for this article—paying attention to metaphors.
As many of you know, my day job is with the Veterans Health Administration, so I sent out a quick poll to our internal discussion board with nearly 500 hypnosis-using colleagues about what metaphors they are noticing in their work. Almost immediately examples arrived of hearing folks describing feeling like they are suffocating or trapped, buried alive, going through an apocalypse, being swept away by a tidal wave, or not sure they’ll be able to survive. If you, like me, have been recently watching more opinionated news sources (whether by choice or by relation), you may have noticed the Manichaean tone used to deliver even the dullest morsel of information. The headlines this morning leave me wondering how everything is unimaginable and unprecedented!
As practitioners of clinical hypnosis steeped in centuries of tradition about how language can change experiences, we are in a great position to help those worried, angry, or sad about the current state of the world consider how their use of language may be causing unnecessary upset. We can also help them realize how they are hearing more or less helpful metaphors throughout the day in the news, online, or even in conversation with friends.
Fortunately, my colleagues were also able to think of metaphors that have been helpful in changing perspectives for themselves and the veterans with whom they work. One group focused on narrowing down our attentional field by focusing on helping the neighbor next door or tending the flowers in the back yard. Another group aimed more at reminding us of the inevitability of change by focusing on the mountain that survives the storm or the palm tree that bends in the tidal wave. Finally, another colleague brought to mind the necessary tasks that happen in any difficult situation—balancing taking care of yourself in the moment with looking for opportunities to act to change the situation. Such a wealth of wisdom.
I hope that each of us has found perspectives and metaphors that help us and those about whom we care maneuver through whatever rapids we face and hope you will consider being generous with your own skills and knowledge. What could be more powerful during a time of disconnection and despair than helpers who heal with relationship and story?
John W. Hall, PhD, ABPP
ASCH President
