22 May 2025
Most coaches recognise the catalytic role metaphors play in deepening client insight. Yet too often, authentic metaphor opportunities are missed. Coaches may try to work with metaphors artificially by suggesting them or directly asking clients to think of one, or they become so blind-sided by the complexity of the client’s story that they forget to tap into the power of metaphors altogether.
The real art of working with metaphors lies in mining the conversation for those that naturally arise. From there, you can skillfully weave and leverage the metaphor throughout the entire coaching dialogue. When used this way, a single metaphor can open up layer after layer of awareness and transformation. It’s about milking metaphors for every bit of insight you can get so that the learning really lasts.
That’s exactly what Lyssa deHart, MCC, explores in Light Up: The Science of Coaching with Metaphors. As Lyssa explains in her blog article The Transformative Power of Metaphors in Coaching, “When we invite and notice metaphors in our conversation, we’re stepping onto a bridge between conscious awareness and the deeper waters of a thinker’s lived experience.”
We think metaphor is so powerful, and an invaluable tool for all coaches to master, that we’ve partnered with Lyssa to bring you Peer Coaching with Metaphors. In this peer coaching round, you’ll work through Lyssa’s book, Light Up, to explore the science behind metaphors and practice milking metaphors in your coaching sessions with your assigned client, and experience having your own sessions milked for metaphors by your assigned coach. Find out more about this round and what it includes here.
If you would like to further deepen your skills, you also have the opportunity to join a group mentoring session with Lyssa (available for separate registration and not included in the peer coaching round). If you can’t attend live or miss out on one of the limited places, you can register for the observer-only session to listen in when it suits you and still benefit from Lyssa’s expert feedback and coaching insights.
Join us in lighting up your coaching with metaphors,
Kerryn Griffiths, PhD, PCC
Global ReciproCoach Coordinator
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