Hey There, Hypno-Healer!
Ever gotten your client into a trance only to be hit with the panic of “what now?!” You know the struggle they want to address and have a clear picture of what they need to do to overcome it, but you just can’t think of what metaphor or image to use to give them that powerful experience of healing. It happens to all of us!
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Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Here are 10 powerful metaphors that you can use in your sessions to help your clients make deep, meaningful shifts. Even if you never use one of these metaphors, it’s a great way to get your mind thinking and story. I encourage you to use these as a template to spark inspiration for your own unique metaphors and stories that will bring lasting change to your client’s lives!
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1.The Shattered Vase:
Rebuilding Strength Through Kintsugi
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Metaphor: Trauma can feel like a vase shattered into pieces. But in the Japanese art of Kintsugi, broken pottery is repaired with gold, making it even more valuable than before.
Guided Imagery: Guide your client to see their own cracks being filled with gold—stronger, more beautiful, and unbreakable. Depotentiation: As they admire the golden lines, they suddenly realize that the vase was never broken—it was always transforming. The cracks are simply where the light gets in.
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2. The River of Time:
Letting Pain Flow Away
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Metaphor: Emotions are like a river; they may rush and swell, but they never stay in one place.
Guided Imagery: Encourage your client to imagine placing their pain on a leaf and watching it drift down the river, slowly carrying the burden away.
Depotentiation: As they watch the leaf disappear, they realize they are not standing at the riverbank at all—they are floating in the river, moving effortlessly with the current.
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3. The Locked Room:
Reclaiming Power Over the Past
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Metaphor: Trauma can feel like being trapped in a locked room, but what if the lock has always been on the inside?
Guided Imagery: Guide your client through unlocking the door, stepping out, and feeling the fresh air of freedom.
Depotentiation: As they step out, they turn back to look at the locked room—only to find there was never a door at all, just an open doorway waiting to be walked through.
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4. The Foggy Path:
Finding Clarity in Healing
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Metaphor: Healing is like walking through fog. At first, nothing is clear, but with each step, the path becomes more visible.
Guided Imagery: Have them imagine stepping forward, feeling the fog slowly lifting, revealing a safe, beautiful place ahead.
Depotentiation: As the fog clears, they realize they were never lost—they were standing in their own backyard all along, surrounded by everything they needed.
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5. The Garden of the Mind:
Cultivating New Growth
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Metaphor: The mind is a garden. Trauma plants weeds, but your client has the power to pull them out and plant flowers instead.
Guided Imagery: Guide them through tending to their inner garden, removing old weeds, and planting new, vibrant growth.
Depotentiation: As they plant new flowers, they notice that the weeds were never just weeds—they were herbs and medicines waiting to be recognized.
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6. The Suitcase of the Past:
Choosing What to Carry
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Metaphor: We all carry a suitcase of experiences, but some things are too heavy to keep lugging around.
Guided Imagery: Help your client visualize opening their suitcase, examining each item, and deciding to remove what no longer serves them.
Depotentiation: When they try to pick up the suitcase again, they realize it has become weightless—because they no longer need it at all.
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7. The Broken Chains:
Releasing Old Ties
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Metaphor: Trauma can feel like being chained to the past, but those chains are rusted and weak.
Guided Imagery: Guide your client to visualize the chains snapping, watching them crumble to dust, leaving them free.
Depotentiation: As they walk away, they look down and see that the chains were never wrapped around them at all—just lying in the dirt, waiting to be stepped over.
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8. The Lighthouse:
Inner Strength in the Storm
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Metaphor: Even in the worst storm, a lighthouse remains strong and steady, guiding ships safely home.
Guided Imagery: Help your client visualize a lighthouse inside themselves, standing firm against crashing waves, guiding them toward peace.
Depotentiation: As they approach the lighthouse, they realize the light was not guiding them home—it was coming from within their own heart all along.
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9. The Sandcastle:
Learning to Rebuild
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Metaphor: Trauma can wash away parts of you, like a sandcastle swept by the tide. But just like children rebuild their castles, your client can rebuild—stronger, wiser, with a better foundation.
Guided Imagery: Have the client picture themselves sculpting a new, beautiful castle, this time with stronger foundations.
Depotentiation: As they work, they realize the ocean has been helping all along—washing away the old to make space for something even better.
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10. The Phoenix:
Rising from the Ashes
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Metaphor: Like a phoenix, your client is not destroyed by their trauma—they are reborn, stronger and wiser.
Guided Imagery: Guide them through visualizing themselves transforming into a phoenix, shaking off the ashes, and soaring into a new, vibrant life.
Depotentiation: As they spread their wings, they realize they were never ashes to begin with—they were simply in the cocoon, waiting for the right moment to take flight.
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🔥 How will you use these metaphors in your sessions? Reply to this email and let me know! And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to sign up for the Trauma Focused Hypnotherapy course!
You’ll gain even more advanced skills and practical tools to transform your practice.
📌 P.S. Join the conversation on our Discord community! Connect with other hypnotherapists, share insights, and learn together.
Join here: https://discord.gg/CQRMufZVKX
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Here’s To Healing Through Story,
Warmly,
Jesse & Zac
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Co-Founders of Trauma Focused Hypnotherapy
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