The Metaphors of Emotion
Decoding the Bias Filters of Emotional Experience
This is an extension of the Metaphors of Movement model and a highly effective way to explore emotions and create profound change in oneself and others.Emotions are experienced and described through various bias filters and models. There are several bias filters and metaphor structures that people can use; some are listed below. As therapists, when we can hear the structure of a person’s emotions, creating rapid change in emotional health becomes straightforward.
Emotions as Object/Burden
- “I carry the burden of guilt.”
- “The guilt weighs me down.”
- “I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
- “I have a lot on my mind.”
Self as a Container for Emotions
- “I am full of anger.”
- “I am brimming over with rage.”
- “I am full of love.”
- “I feel empty inside.”
Emotions as Containers
- “I am in a state of despair.”
- “I am living in fear.”
- “I am in love.”
- “I am in a great frame of mind.”
Emotions as Temperature
- “That leaves me cold.”
- “I’m all hot and bothered.”
- “I am boiling with anger.”
- “She is an ice-queen.”
- “I am cold-hearted.”
Emotions as Pressure
- “I am going to explode in a minute.”
- “He just erupted without warning.”
- “He’s like a volcano about to explode.”
- “I need to let off steam.”
- “I’m under a lot of pressure.”
The Clinical Mismatch
Additionally to this, negative emotions are often referred to as forms of physical damage, such as “I am hurt,” “I am torn apart,” “I feel suffocated,” “I’m feeling crushed,” and so on.
In therapy, mismatching commonly occurs, whereby the patient reports something like, “feeling crushed,” and the therapist responds by trying to “put the client’s life back together,” which, of course, would be more apt for the client whose life has “fallen apart” or is “in pieces/in bits.”
An understanding of the metaphorical structure of emotions can lead to a rapid and profound change in both emotional health and relationships.
Structural Emotion Audit
A Clinical Mapping Tool for Emotional Bias Filters
Listen to the client’s reportage and categorise the emotional structure. Use the “Congruent Intervention” column to guide your response.
| Bias Filter | Client Idioms | Congruent Intervention Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Object / Burden | “Weighs me down,” “Carrying guilt,” “Heavy heart.” | Explore the weight, the grip, and the location. Can the object be set down or is it tethered? |
| Self as Container | “Full of rage,” “Brimming over,” “Empty inside.” | Explore the volume and the integrity of the container. Is it overflowing, leaking, or void? |
| Emotion as Container | “In a state,” “Living in fear,” “In a dark place.” | Explore the boundary. Where is the exit? What happens if you step out of the state? |
| Pressure / Eruption | “About to explode,” “Under pressure,” “Letting off steam.” | Explore the venting mechanism and the source of heat. Is the pressure internal or external? |
| Physical Damage | “Crushed,” “Torn apart,” “In pieces,” “Suffocated.” | Identify the force causing the damage. (e.g., If “crushed,” what is the weight? If “in pieces,” do not attempt to “release” it). |
If the client is “in bits,” do not ask them to “let it go” (releasing/container metaphor). If the client is “crushed,” do not try to “put them back together” (fragmentation metaphor). Match the geometry of the reported injury to the logic of the intervention.
