I first came across the term “catastrophisation” many years ago during a conversation with a clinical psychologist at Southampton General Hospital. I understood that it is a concept often explored in CBT client work. Basically, it is making mountains out of molehills. Not an entirely uncommon thing to happen, but it is something that can..
Read moreDial 419 NLP Nigerian
I’ve just spent a few minutes googling the words "NLP career". It is interesting how many training companies are offering their services from the sales angle of "NLP as a new career." Nothing new, of course, but the question I have is just how many of these companies are actually making any money themselves? I..
Read moreThe Map is Not The Territory?
I must be getting old; either that or I am just getting tired. I've seen it happen to relatives and their peers who take up political causes, rage at the television news debates, get angry at the behaviour of the youth and lament the nostalgia of times gone by. So I think I am definitely..
Read moreLaw of Attraction
There seems to have been a new work ethic lurching about in recent years. It looks something like this: "If it seems difficult, or if it seems like hard work, then you are doing it wrong." The Law of Attraction people really seized the day with this one – formulate your desire, set your intention..
Read moreTeaching the Armless to Juggle
One tip I offer therapists in my Brass Bollocks workshop is that to get more clients, some may need to lower their claims of success. The main issue is that many such clients simply won't and don't believe the claims that are made, even if those claims are in fact accurate. Let me give you..
Read moreCold Callers
Today's idiot phone call. I get one or two a week. Ring, ring... Me: "Good afternoon, Andy Austin. How can I help?" Caller: "Hello, is that Mister Austin?" Me: "Yes, it is. How can I help?" Caller: "You run a plumbing business; is that right?" Me: "No, I don't." Caller: "Oh, you are a roofer,..
Read moreNLP, Metaphors, Neurology and Depression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwUz9SJFX18&rel=0 Summary: Andy presents a 2017 session on metaphors of depression, using his Metaphors of Movement approach. He acknowledges the neurobiological side of depression while saying that a person's metaphor is not a chemical imbalance, and he discusses how people are diagnosed and labelled. He says the aim is to prepare the person to accept..
Read moreOver the Edge
This was originally posted in September 2011. It wasn't a good year, but it had some interesting life lessons occurring throughout. Last week, a business trip in Turkey took a rather surprising turn. I started off in Ankara to deliver a Metaphors of Business workshop to a business group there before flying to Antalya to..
Read moreTreatment for Chronic Pain
Patients with chronic pain often report that the lack of understanding from professionals about their situation can be a major problem when receiving treatment. In this video I wanted to cover some of the main considerations that IEMT practitioners and clinicians need to have when working with chronic pain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr0yezyuYz8&rel=0 For more on IEMT, please..
Read moreFilming the Miraculous
The personal development field is awash with grand claims and new hope. I regularly see advertisements offering workshops where the attendees will learn to make a six-figure annual income from coaching and therapists claiming life-changing work for a mere £10,000. Everyone was, of course, trained by the best and has travelled far and wide in..
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