Objective. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between metaphors and psychic reality among 10 preschool female teachers who took part in a formation program for nursery education in a public institution of Cali city. Method. They were asked to construct metaphors from the memory of events with their own childhood teachers. The relationship between metaphors, evoked by memories, and the underlying psychic reality of each participant was the subject of psychoanalytic analysis. Results. It was found that in this group of teachers, aggressive anal characteristics in their relationships with internal objects were prevalent; these correspond to a pre-oedipal stage of development, which is related to control regulation and with norms, fundamental themes in nursery education. Conclusion. Finally, it was concluded that teachers’ values and