As part of our study trip to Italy, a visit was organized specifically for EUROCEF at the Métaphora Institute, which specializes in family and relational psychotherapy approaches. Presentation of this institution:
"The Métaphora Institute is a training organization that focuses on family and relational psychotherapy, integrating innovative approaches such as the use of metaphor. This institute emphasizes the importance of the relationship in the therapeutic process, offering training that allows therapists to explore and apply metaphorical tools to facilitate communication and understanding within families.".
Approaches and Methods
- Use of Metaphor: The metaphor is used as a tool to help patients express emotions and experiences that are difficult to verbalize. It allows for the creation of connections between seemingly disparate concepts, thereby facilitating the understanding of family dynamics..
- Systemic Therapy: The systemic approach is at the heart of the institute's practice, recognizing that each family member plays a role in the overall functioning of the family system. The training includes techniques for working with "heavy third parties," meaning those who are absent but influence present relationships..
- Creativity and Imagination: The institute encourages the use of creativity in therapy sessions, allowing therapists and patients to co-construct narratives and solutions. This includes the use of role-playing, drawings, and other forms of artistic expression..
Training Objectives
- Developing Therapeutic Skills: The training aims to equip therapists with practical and theoretical skills to work effectively with families, using metaphorical tools and systemic techniques.
- Promoting the Therapeutic Relationship: Emphasis is placed on the importance of the relationship between the therapist and the patient, regarded as a key element in the healing process.
- Awareness of Family Dynamics: Participants learn to identify and understand relational dynamics within families, including the impacts of absentees and transgenerational traumas.
Conclusion
The Métaphora Institute positions itself as a key player in the field of family and relational psychotherapy, emphasizing innovation, creativity, and the importance of relationships. Through its training programs, it helps to train therapists capable of supporting families in their healing and personal development processes.