The Jigsaw Piece Metaphor (acceptance, defusion)

This is a metaphor and defusion technique devised by one of my clients and shared with her permission.

It provides a very simple and powerful image for the acceptance of thoughts which are disturbing and unwanted.

The Jigsaw Piece

When an unwanted or distressing thought arises, I try seeing it on a jigsaw piece.

My jigsaw has many pieces, each representing the many different aspects of myself and my experience.

I see the jigsaw piece with my thought (or feeling) on it as it finds its alloted place in my jigsaw.

There is a space for this piece.  It is a perfect fit.  It belongs here, for whatever reason, even if I don't understand or want it.

It is a part of my experience.  Just that.  Even if this piece looks ugly or painful or disturbing, it is one piece of a large and beautiful picture. 

As I'm typing this, I'm also thinking of those photo montages where, for example, the picture looks like a face and when you zoom in it is constructed from thousands and thousands of unrelated smaller images.

There is some scope to elabourate this image a little or use it in conjunction with other exercises - for example I sometimes use an exercise called "Big I, little i's" (constructing a big I on the wall using lots of post-it notes, the client being invited to write about different aspects of themselves on each one)...the point being that I am more than any one aspect of myself e.g. I'm more than my appearance;  more than my history;  more than my intrusive thoughts...

I hope this is helpful.

Regards

Andrew Chester

Sheffield, UK.