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Metaphors and Stories in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children

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Abstract

Despite the recent proliferation of material on cognitive behavioral approaches with children and adolescents and the call for these approaches to be more child-friendly, there is scant attention paid to the use of metaphors with youngsters. This paper emphasizes the value metaphors add to cognitive behavioral therapy with children and adolescents. The advantages which recommend metaphor use for cognitive behavioral therapy with children are delineated. Further, seven guidelines for clinical practice are outlined. Examples of both clinician-generated and patient-generated metaphors are also presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center/College of Medicine, 22 Northeast Dr., Hershey, PA, 17333, USA

    Robert D. Friedberg & Laura H. Wilt

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  1. Robert D. Friedberg
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  2. Laura H. Wilt
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Correspondence to Robert D. Friedberg.

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Friedberg, R.D., Wilt, L.H. Metaphors and Stories in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children. J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 28, 100–113 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-009-0103-3

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