Author: Andrew T. Austin

Andrew T. Austin is a therapist, trainer and author. He qualified as a registered general nurse in 1992, with clinical experience that included accident and emergency (A&E) and neurosurgery, and went on to train in Ericksonian hypnotherapy, NLP (to trainer level) and Provocative Therapy with Frank Farrelly. He developed Integral Eye Movement Technique (IEMT), formalised as a training in 2008, and Metaphors of Movement. Both are included in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy (2015). He is the author of The Rainbow Machine: Tales from a Neurolinguist's Journal, edited by Steve Andreas and published by Real People Press.

NLP | Neurolinguistic Programming, Psychology

The Big Five Personality Traits

Andrew T. Austin

The Big Five Personality Traits The Big Five Personality Traits, also known as the Five-Factor Model (FFM), represent one of the most robust and empirically supported frameworks for understanding human personality. Developed through decades of psychological research and refined through lexical and factor-analytic methods, the Big Five provide a systematic way to describe personality across..

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Psychology

Proximity Panic

Andrew T. Austin

Proximity Panic: When Emotional Closeness Triggers Withdrawal Overview 'Proximity panic' refers to a patterned fear response that arises when another person seeks greater emotional intimacy than the individual feels safe to allow. While often seen in romantic partnerships, it can also occur in close friendships, mentoring relationships, or even therapeutic settings. This reaction is not..

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Psychology

Thought Terminating Cliches

Andrew T. Austin

Thought-terminating clichés (TTCs), also known as semantic stop-signs or loaded language, refer to commonly repeated phrases or idioms used to end discussions, deflect inquiry, or suppress dissent. Coined by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton in his 1961 work, Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, these clichés are central to controlling communication in high-control groups and ideological systems,..

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Psychology

Cognitive Load

Andrew T. Austin

Cognitive Load in Psychology: Understanding the Categories and Implications Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental effort required for working memory. Originally developed within the framework of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) by John Sweller in the 1980s, the concept has become foundational in understanding learning processes, instructional design, and therapeutic practice. By recognising the..

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Psychology

High-Control Groups

Andrew T. Austin

High-Control Groups High-control groups, sometimes referred to as "totalist" or "authoritarian" groups, are characterised by a rigid hierarchy, coercive social structures, and intrusive regulation of members’ beliefs, behaviours, and relationships (Lifton, 1961; Hassan, 2015). These groups often employ systems of psychological manipulation, such as thought reform, information control, and emotional coercion, to maintain loyalty and..

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Psychology

Tangential Communication

Andrew T. Austin

The Dynamics of Tangential Responses in Interpersonal Communication: Insights from Ruesch and Bateson Introduction Effective communication is a cornerstone of human interaction, facilitating the exchange of ideas, emotions, and intentions. However, not all responses in dialogue align with the speaker’s intent, leading to breakdowns in understanding. In their seminal 1958 work Communication: The Social Matrix..

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Narcissism

FOG: Fear, Obligation, Guilt

Andrew T. Austin

Introduction to F.O.G. in Parenting F.O.G., standing for Fear, Obligation, and Guilt, is a concept from Susan Forward and Donna Frazier’s book Emotional Blackmail, describing emotional tactics parents (and other authority figures) might use to influence children’s behaviour. This post explores how these tactics can manifest and their potential impacts, while acknowledging the complexity of..

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Psychology

(Video) A conversation with Andrew T. Austin about human behaviour and psychology

Andrew T. Austin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0TrEG-qTz4&rel=0 In this video, Roni Matar has a conversation with Andrew T. Austin about human behaviour and psychology. We discuss how people approach planning and problem-solving differently, using an example from my relationship. Andrew explains the concepts of feeding forward and feeding back in human responses. We delve into childhood experiences and their impact on..

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