Using Metaphors: Reflecting Change in Student Speech and Language Therapist’s Construing of a Clinical Experience

Trudy Stewart and Alison McLaughlin

This paper will describe events in a speech and language therapy student’s clinical training. The student’s initial construing of stammering was explored using elicitation of a metaphor for stammering and this process was repeated at the end of the placement. This process will be outlined and full details of both (pre and post) metaphors will be given. A qualitative analysis involving both the therapist and the student was carried out and specific themes emerged. The significance of these themes for both the therapist and the student will be discussed. Finally, the authors will consider what bearing their results have on clinical training for speech and language therapists.