A Depressive Case Report: Using Metaphor and its Changing Meaning throughout the Psychotherapy Process

Year 2019, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 85 - 101, 25.02.2019

Tuğba Uyar Suiçmez

https://doi.org/10.31682/ayna.456726

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The psychotherapeutic discourse provides researchers a fruitful content to investigate
the theoretical properties of metaphors. In the current article, metaphorical
expressions were explored through a clinical case report. The male patient who
applied to our clinic with depressive complaints was chosen for this investigation. “A
boy throwing stones” was a very comprehensive metaphor which interacted with the
various aspects of the treatment process. The expressions and functions of the
selected metaphor were explained in the six-stage model. The change in metaphor
throughout the treatment process was analyzed with the help of voice records and
session notes. At the early stages of the sessions, “a boy throwing stones” was
perceived as furious, harmful and disturbing. However, in the following sessions, the
qualities of the metaphor had dramatically changed. The patient stated that a boy
might want to warn him about some threats and protect him from adverse outcomes.
In conclusion, consistent with the positive changes in the depressive symptoms, the
content of the metaphor had also changed. 

Keywords

case report, metaphor, depression, figurative language, qualitative studies

Psikoterapide Metafor Kullanımı ve Değişen Anlamı: Depresif Bir Olgu Sunumu

Abstract

Metaforların teorik özelliklerinin incelenebilmesi için, söylem aktivitesi olarak
psikoterapi süreci, araştırmacılara oldukça zengin bir içerik sağlamaktadır. Bu
makalede, psikoterapi sürecinde ortaya çıkan metaforik anlatımlar seçilen bir metafor
ve vaka özelinde ele alınacaktır. Olgu sunumu için, kliniğimize kendi isteğiyle depresif
şikâyetlerle başvuran, erkek bir hasta seçilmiştir. Bu olgu sunumunda seçilen “taş
atan çocuk” metaforu, tedavi sürecinde pek çok farklı alan ile etkileşim halinde
olmuştur. Bu metaforik anlatım ve işlevi, vaka ile yürütülen psikoterapi süreci
paralelinde 6 aşamalı bir model üzerinden ayrıntılı olarak ele alınmıştır. Vakanın ses
kayıtları ve seans notları incelenerek, süreçteki metafor değişimi incelenmiştir.
Görüşmelerin başlangıcında, “taş atan çocuk”, öfkeli, zarar vermeye çalışan, keyif
kaçıran ve anın yaşanmasına engel olan şeklinde nitelenmiştir. Ancak ilerleyen
seanslarda, bu çocuğun hastayı korumaya ve uyarmaya çalışan tarafları da fark
edilmeye başlanmıştır. Sonuçta, hastanın depresif duygu durumundaki değişime
paralel olarak, metaforun açıklanma biçimin de değiştiği görülmüştür. 

Keywords

olgu sunumu, metafor, depresyon, figüratif dil, niteliksel çalışmalar

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