Shall we dance? Spatialization of couple and therapist-patient relationships

The language of spatial metaphor is both old and familiar: "You seem far away tonight," or "He stands head and shoulders above the crowd." It is vivid and evocative language. When put in the service of therapy, it is capable of clarifying and intensifying aspects of interpersonal relationships which ordinarily remain obscure. This paper explores the deliberate use of space as a metaphor representing interpersonal and emotional realities. Family sculpture, as pioneered by Kantor, Duhl, and Duhl (1973), and elaborated by Simon (1972), Papp (1976) and others, develops a spatial metaphor involving the entire family. This metaphor is both descriptive, clarifying emotional reality, and therapeutic, suggesting avenues for change and growth. We will illustrate the use of this vocabulary as it applies to two-person systems: therapist-patient interactions and the marriage relationship.