Metaphor in Counselling
Gabriela LEMENI, Carmen AVRAMESCU
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences,
University Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj NapocaHistory
Metaphors are communication tools frequently used to conceptualise complex
phenomena around us (Grant; Oswick, 1996, Ortony, 1993, apud Mignot, 2004). Use of
metaphor often reveals a superior level of conceptual operation.
Metaphors were initially used as a technique of organization analysis (“Images of
organization”, Morgan, 1986). In analysing organizations in terms of metaphor
(organization as a “machine”, “organism”, “culture” and “brain ”), Morgan explored
the implications on understanding and managing organizations, and proved the usefulness
of the method in creative and flexible problem solving. His experience prompted him to
suggest “the method of multiple metaphor”, that is using all four metaphors in
organization analysis in order to understand their various facets. “No metaphor speaks the
whole truth”, however “every metaphor is more or less applicable according to the
situation... real understanding comes when we take into consideration several
metaphors” (Morgan, 1986).
Later, metaphors were used in organizational management, as a technique to analyse and
describe the organization and problem solving. Creative conceptualisation of the
organization through various metaphors: anthill, spider, the four rooms, etc. resulted in
the apparition of the “creative management art” (Morgan, 1992, apud Inkson, 2002) that
led to novel solutions for many organizational problems.