Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020
The agonistic metaphor in psychotherapy: should clients battle their blues?
1California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA. fheide@alliant.edu
Abstract:
A tradition stretching back to early Greek philosophy has described the mind as a field of struggle or even battle. This comparison has been termed the agonistic metaphor, based on the Hellenistic notion of athletic contests. Today, it is not uncommon for psychotherapists and the general public to seek solutions to mental health problems agonistically. Examples of this are cited from major psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, family, and humanistic theorists, and advantages and disadvantages of the metaphor are explored. Although agonistic thinking can energize clients and ennoble the therapeutic journey, it runs the risk of ignoring educative aspects of problematic situations and ironically perpetuating the resistance it predicts.
Related Concept Videos
Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy
The Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship between the therapist and the client. The alliance strengthens when the therapist and the client engage in a nurturing, supportive, trusting, empathetic, and respectful relationship, improving therapeutic outcomes. Therapists must monitor this relationship...
Psychotherapy
Humanistic Therapy
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Psychodynamic Therapy
Cognitive Therapy
