Developing of a Metaphor-based Psychoeducational Package to Explain and Conceptualize Disconnection and Rejection Schems

Metaphors possess the potential to convey and conceptualize complex and voluminous material in a short sentence or passage. Hence, its wide use in different sciences. Evidence confirms the benefits of using metaphors in education and psychotherapy. Metaphors help wear down client resistance, simplify abstract concepts and make them accessible, improve the therapist-client relationship, and boost client learning.

This research aims to design and evaluate the metaphor-based psychological-educational package to explain and conceptualize early maladaptive schemas of disconnection and rejection domain.

By drawing upon the schema therapy and client metaphors, the researcher designed and prepared five metaphors (25 metaphors in total) for each schema of rejection and disconnection domain and presented it to the expert panel of 13 to test its qualitative and quantitative content validity. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were used in quantitative validation.

Results of the statistical analysis suggest that out of 25 metaphors, 23 showed CVR and CVI higher than the required number and proved valid. The Content Validity Ratio for the entire educational package was calculated as 0.84 and the content validity index as 0.95.

Given the benefits and applications of metaphors in education and psychotherapy and based on the validation of designed metaphors, this psychological-educational package can be employed in education and schema therapy sessions.