Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Utilizing Animal Metaphors In Child Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach For Therapists, Tricia J. Gordon

The Graduate Review

Despite a plethora of therapeutic approaches utilized when working with children, there is still a need for empirically based, child-centered, developmentally appropriate methodologies. This research aims to provide a greater understanding of the use of action-based metaphors when working with clients in early to middle childhood, while integrating various treatment modalities. While there are a countless number of metaphorical possibilities, there is a lack of research with a focus on the specific use of animal metaphors in child therapy. This child-friendly integrative approach proposes that therapists adjust their current working model to see the client as a whole, while integrating …