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Metaphors of Movement

If you have got this far, chances are you already know what learning Metaphors of Movement can do for you, just in case - here is the information you need.

Metaphors of Movement explained

A problem with therapy is that often the client might as well be mute and not speak at all as the practitioner fits whatever communication is offered into their preferred model or frame of understanding. Meaning gets inferred upon the client’s reportage, and the client’s meaning gets lost in the frame. This reframing, no matter how artful and clever, will so often serve merely to negate the client’s experience for the duration of the therapy sessions. It is the precision that the MoM training model develops for the therapist that is often missing. Four things should be noted here. Most methods follow a pretty conventional format:

• Examples of the problem (what happens)

• Emotional responses to the problem (how we feel about what happens)

• The consequences of the problem (the effects of what happens)

• The diagnosis of the problem (what we call it)

But none of these explore the possible solutions that are inherent within the problem system. When a chronic client is caught up in inappropriate and self-defeating behaviours, outcomes are of secondary importance. What is important in this context is where and how they are stuck now. When you have four flat tires, where you want to go is irrelevant until you get the tires fixed.

angry business woman on phone
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Metaphors of Movement

Team stuck in a meeting
Building Team Rapport

The client does not usually have the resources or the ability to know what to do about their situation – that is why they are the client. As the metaphor is developed, clients will often discover their own solutions, which can be either specific external behaviours, or changes in attitude, etc. But when they don’t, then it is the therapist’s job, as an expert, to give appropriate, accurate and precise guidance. It is this precision that the MoM training model develops for the therapist.

In MoM, the metaphor is expanded only as far as is required so that the advice given by the therapist makes perfect sense to the client. The MoM model demands a high degree of creativity, humour, rapport, lateral thinking, and of course sensitivity to the client’s response to all of these. These key skills are essential elements in MoM training.

MoM training seeks to eliminate these mismatches. This takes rapport building to a whole new level – not only does the therapist pace and lead V-A-K modalities and sub-modalities, for example, but also the metaphorical identity of their experience. Examples of these can be found on the rest of the site.

MoM is a very practical methodology, often utilising drama, props and re-enactments. Clients and trainees of the process report that they find it practical, fun, effective, relatively fast, and most commonly, that it changes many of the accepted rules and practices of contemporary change work. The fact is: you will never hear language in the same way again!

Key Benefits

Change is a good thing
Alan teaching NLP

Metaphors of Movement has been taught across the world, including India, United Kingdom, USA, Poland, Sweden, Holland, Hungary, Israel and Japan.  

Attendees have included doctors and psychiatristscounsellors, psychotherapists, NLP practitioners and trainers, hypnotherapists, prison and probation officers, police officers, teachers, security personnel and business leaders.

• MoM takes the guess work out of change work. It is a precision tool to help you home in on the client’s exact stuck point and how they are maintaining their problem state.

• Unlike other approaches that are intrusive, or covert, or discursive, once you understand the client’s unique metaphors, MoM gives you and your client lots of room for creative engagement. How far you go with ‘directing’ is entirely up to you, your style, your comfort level.

• MoM is much more empowering and effective for the client. Once past the initial work of unearthing their metaphors and directing them, clients awaken to their own beliefs, metaphors and stuck points, which triggers a series of rapid, self-induced results. They get the ‘hang of it,’ and fast.

• The Metaphors of Movement models can be applied to both individual and corporate/organisation levels

Ready to ‘Embrace’ Change?

Let MoM help you learn another way to help chronically distressed, stuck clients.

Personal Change & Development

With the Metaphors of Movement models, you will learn not only how to uncover your own metaphors, but how to engage them at a physiological and neurological level —a completely new approach to overcoming stuck states and creating effective movement towards our personal goals.

You will never hear language in the same way again!

In change work and therapy outcomes and goal setting is largely just fantasy. The key to personal change is not to focus on the outcome or goal, but rather to face the reality of where you are right now.

This is what some workshop participants who attended the four-day program in Boulder, Colorado had to say:

Andy’s MoM has infused me with new energy and perspective for the work I do. It has also given new life to the tools I already have.

“Incredibly insightful and thought-provoking training. Andrew Austin is extremely entertaining, bold yet covertly compassionate, and skillfully models how to help chronic clients discover where they stand with their problems.”

stuck state of mind
stuck of state mind in the office

Therapy & Healing

Alan teaching NLP
Reprogram Mind

The Metaphors of Movement models can be applied to both individual and corporate/organisation levels.

Most contemporary analysis involves an exploration of four main themes:

• Examples of the problem (what happens)

• Emotional responses to the problem (how we feel about what happens)

• The consequences of the problem (the effects of what happens)

• The diagnosis of the problem (what we call it)

But none of these explore the possible solutions that are inherent within the problem system.

“After working with their own Metaphors of Movement through these models, the experience people generally tend to describe is a sense of being more “awake.” So often we do not pay attention to our own communication, using metaphoric words seemingly at random that are in fact incredibly rich clues into our internal experience and strategies for moving through the world. Through attending to what we are each already saying, and to the underlying metaphoric structure, suddenly the way we maintain our problems is revealed, and we have the choice to change.”

“Andy provided four days of enlightenment for me to discover how I can take the client’s language as clues to what is needed. I have new tools for understanding metaphors. Even how amazing movement allows those “Ahas” of change. Change is what I see and know—change in how/what moves the client in life.”

“This training has helped me have a completely different view of all the training I’ve had to this point. My view of the world and others has expanded where I can fit so much more into it.”

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Learn Metaphors of Movement and make positive changes to your life

We deliver Metaphors of Movement training from beginners through to experts, book your course today

Metaphors of Movement Level 1- with Alan Johnson in North Yorkshire

Why should I attend? If you are a coach, counsellor, therapist, or anyone interested in helping people, and want to … • Be at the cutting edge of therapeutic change work • Learn a powerful change technique that truly works with the client’s model of the world • Enhance your ability to quickly help people ... Read more

£354.00 – £594.00
Find out more
Change Working Northallerton, 33 High Street
Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8EE United Kingdom
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Metaphors of Movement Level 2- with Alan Johnson in Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Why should I attend? If you are a coach, counsellor, therapist, or anyone interested in helping people, and want to … • Be at the cutting edge of therapeutic change work • Learn a powerful change technique that truly works with the client’s model of the world • Enhance your ability to quickly help people ... Read more

£354.00 – £594.00
Find out more
Change Working Northallerton, 33 High Street
Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8EE United Kingdom
+ Google Map

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I have attended several of Alan's training courses and can highly recommend him to anyone. He is extremely knowledgeable and very professional. He is also a genuinely caring person too which I think is just as important as there are a lot of over inflated egos out there!

Lynn Marshall - Registered Nurse

Alan is the best trainer and facilitator I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I have completed four of the Change Working courses and each time I come away more inspired. The NLP has impacted directly in my work in education and classrooms whilst also shining the light on the personal journey which has been life changing. The IEMT has brought an additional layer to coaching my one-to-one clients and each one has reflected that they felt positive change after the process. I can wholeheartedly recommend Alan; his ability to safely challenge, guide for change and hold the group without judgement is a great talent. I am returning next year for more NLP as I can trust the process, the facilitator and maximise my learning.

Anna Robinson - Specialist teacher for SEMH

Loved today’s course. Alan gave a whole new perspective on an intriguing approach. Would
definitely recommend Change Working

Tracey Dunning

Just brilliant! Alan inspires confidence, he's 'a real human being' and doesn't set himself up as 'a guru'. He's passionate about what he does and he shares his knowledge in an open and honest way. He just wants his students to be successful at what they do - both on a personal and professional level.

Valerie Edwards

Would thoroughly recommend Change Working. I have recently attended Alan's Foundation NLP course and I've learned loads about myself and other people. For me, this course and the coaching session that I had have been life changing. Thanks Alan - I will be eternally grateful

Sharon Lewin

Amazing, found this course so interesting and helpful. Alan is a fantastic teacher who is easy
to follow and understand.

Maria Williamson

Alan is a very engaging trainer who uses humour to make the course very enjoyable. I've really enjoyed the course and feel confident to use it with others. Fantastic material, fantastic trainer...when is the advanced IEMT course

Andrea Hopwood

Alan is a very interesting guy and knows his subject well It enabled me to look at a couple of issues I thought I had already dealt with. I feel it helped me to see them in a different way

CR Blackpool

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