Embracing darkness for growth: The power of metaphoric transformation

Three Clients in Darkness: Finding Transformation Through Metaphor

Recently, three separate clients came to me in dark and desperate places. One had just lost her job and described herself as being trapped in a “coffin.” Another, a single mother with a two-month-old baby, was living in a foreign country without a support system. Her life, as she had known it, was disintegrating, and the image that arose was of her “melting” into the earth. The third client shared an image of being caught inside a black bag, frantically trying to escape. For all of them, the rational response would have been to claw their way out of these dark spaces—desperately scrambling back into the light.

As humans, we thrive in the light—working, connecting, and building our lives in tangible, visible ways. When life disintegrates and we’re pulled into darkness and despair, it feels terrifying. It can feel like suffocating under an unbearable weight or being stuck in a place with no exit. Naturally, our immediate response is to escape—to “get out of the coffin,” “stay solid,” or “break free.” Despite well-meaning teachings about “embracing what is,” surrendering to the dark is something most of us resist fiercely.

The Wisdom of Images

New therapists are taught not to get emotionally entangled in their clients’ stories. When we do, we lose our objectivity and ability to help. That’s why I follow the images. Metaphoric images are neutral—they’re neither good nor bad. It’s our interpretation that assigns value. Darkness, for example, can symbolize rich, fertile soil—the source of new life—or it can feel empty and cold. A rope can be a lifeline in a fog or a tool of despair. By letting go of judgment and simply observing the qualities of the image, we create space for curiosity: What movement wants to happen here? Where is the creative process flowing? What possibilities are emerging?

This shift from desperation to inquiry is transformative. Instead of being trapped in our rational minds, we connect to the wisdom of the imaginal realm, where all images carry meaning and potential.

The Nonlinear Path of Creativity

The creative process is rarely linear and seldom moves in the direction we expect. Life itself—the ultimate creative process—cannot be fully understood through logic or reason. Metaphoric images provide a way to make sense of what seems senseless. They carry layers of wisdom that resonate beyond the surface level, often described by clients as “sacred gifts.”

Michael Meade refers to this as the “old mind,” the instinctive and intuitive part of us that has endured across time. This ancient way of knowing allows us to see beyond the rational and into the deeper layers of life.

Embracing the Darkness

For all three clients, the creative movement wasn’t about escaping the darkness; it was about entering it. In this imaginal space, they could melt, merge, and transform into something new. Unlike the rigid boundaries of the rational world, the imaginal realm allows for shape-shifting. In this realm, one can melt into black tar and fertilize the earth, merge with the soil to plant seeds of possibility, or transform into an eagle soaring to new heights. The creative process is always breaking down the old and discovering new, more productive forms of expression.

No matter how dire the situation may seem, the ancient language of imagery offers a way through. It taps into our creativity, allowing us to try on new forms, inhabit the darkness, and emerge transformed when we’re ready.

Beyond Rational Thinking

Our culture has long prized the intellect, and while logic and analysis are valuable, they can only take us so far. They don’t offer the tools to see beneath the surface of life or to navigate the profound layers of experience we find there. For that, we need the wisdom of the old mind—the ability to feel, shape-shift, and move fluidly through the darkness.

In the imaginal realm, transformation is always possible. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, creativity and renewal are waiting just below the surface.