Therapeutic Potential of Metaphorical Cards in Psychosomatic Practice: Integration of Body-Oriented and Spiritual Methods

The article presents a theoretical and analytical overview of the therapeutic potential of metaphorical cards in psychosomatic practice, with a focus on the integration of body-oriented and spiritual methods. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach combining clinical psychology, body therapy, cognitive science, and existential frameworks. Special attention is given to the analysis of empirical and qualitative studies that explore the mechanisms of action of visual-symbolic images in working with somatoform symptoms, chronic anxiety, and repressed emotional experiences. Key modalities of metaphorical card impact are identified: activation of embodied experience, symbolization of repressed affects, emotional desensitization, restoration of subjective control, and the formation of bodily-felt meaning. The article presents a classification of therapeutic effects and application formats of the method in individual, group, and digital settings. The necessity of moving from linear models of intervention to holistic strategies is substantiated—strategies that combine bodily perception, metaphorical representation, and spiritual-meaning transformation of symptoms. The specifics of co-design and narrative accompaniment of visual images are analyzed, highlighting their role in enhancing self-reflection and bodily integration. An original integrative framework is proposed, in which the symbol functions as a mediator between sensation, cognition, and existential experience. This article will be of interest to practicing therapists, researchers in psychosomatics, psychology educators, and all those interested in using imagery-based methods for deep work with bodily and emotional manifestations.