Harnessing the Power of Metaphors in Clinical Supervision with School Counsellors
As school counsellors, our role is to nurture students’ wellbeing and development. But the emotional weight of guiding children through difficulties like anxiety, bullying, or uncertain futures can take its toll. This is where regularly scheduled clinical supervision becomes vital self-care. Having dedicated time to decompress while making sense of experiences with students allows us to keep showing up as our best selves to those relying on us.
In these reflective conversations, metaphors can be a potent tool for processing feelings, gaining insights, and planning future directions with cases. By mapping an abstract counselling situation onto a more concrete image or symbol, new interpretations and solutions can emerge. Let's explore three metaphor examples and how harnessing this approach in our own practice can better serve students.
The Anchor in the Storm
Imagine a 5-year-old experiencing separation anxiety any time her mother drops her off at school. She cries, clings to her, and becomes inconsolable despite her best reassuring efforts. In supervision, you might choose an object from nature to represent the emotional storm the child is experiencing, such as a small sailboat tossed violently on the waves. This paints a vivid picture of the intensity of the child’s feelings.
You could then become the anchor creating enough stability and comfort so she no longer feels so afraid and out of control. This metaphor of finding steady ground during a storm demonstrates how you aim to be a calming, consistent emotional anchor until she develops her own coping resources. The goal is helping the sailboat feel safe enough to eventually navigate the waves independently.
A Compass in the Forest
Now imagine you have a 13-year-old student struggling with friendships and social status. Other girls make fun of her appearance and interests. She feels lost, like she doesn’t fit in anywhere.
In this case, a forest can symbolise her confusing social world in the middle years. Without a trail in sight, she stumbles and falls, her arms and legs scratched from trying to find her way through the dark thickets on her own. Guiding her to self-acceptance and showing that her differences make her uniquely special can reorient her sense of social belonging. Perhaps you are the compass, guiding her true north.
Road Signs for the Journey
Finally, picture a graduating year 12 student paralysed trying to pick a university degree that will determine, what he thinks, the rest of his life. The anxiety around making such a big decision freezes him.
Framing this dilemma as a long cross-country road trip can make the path ahead less intimidating even without a precise final destination. Highlighting different signposts and points of interest along the way demonstrates that he doesn’t have to map out every kilometre. You empower him to choose an initial direction aligned with his interests and strengths, knowing he can recalibrate if needed. Detours and unexpected beautiful sights are all part of the journey.
By using metaphors to reframe counselling situations, school counsellors gain new language and concepts for understanding student struggles. We can then share these metaphors with students themselves to normalise their experiences, build self-efficacy, and expand possibilities for their development. Harnessing figurative language helps turn life’s complex road into one filled with clearer markers.