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A fundamentally new model of awakening through metaphor.
Dear Fellow Practitioner,
Have you ever worked with a client who seems stuck, no matter what you try?
You have good rapport. You're using techniques that have worked beautifully with others. You're both putting in the effort.
But somehow, week after week, you end up in the same place.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. And you're in the right place.
My name is Mark Andreas. For over 15 years, I've been helping practitioners like you break through situations like this using a method called Metaphors of Movement, originally developed by Andrew T. Austin.
I'm excited to share with you an upcoming live training that can transform how you work with stuck clients.
(And how you understand your own stuck patterns too.)
But first, a quick story.
When colonizing Australia, the English brought songbirds with them to feel more at home. The first summer was lovely. The birds sang just like in the English countryside.
Then winter came. The birds did what they'd always done: they flew south. Just one problem…
All those songbirds ended up in Antarctica!
They had a great strategy. A proven strategy, refined over thousands of years of evolution. There was just one problem: they weren't starting from the right place.
They didn't realize where they actually were. They thought they were in England.
So despite doing everything "right," they ended up somewhere very different than they expected.
This is the heart of what we're exploring.
Most of us, whether working with clients or ourselves, are like those songbirds. We have good strategies. We've learned valuable techniques. We're doing things that should work.
But what if we're not starting from where we think?
If you don't know where you're actually starting, then even the best strategy in the world can lead you somewhere you never wanted to go.
Here's a pattern that many coaches and therapists have experienced regardless of the specific modality or approach they use:
Week 1: Client comes in stuck. You explore the issue, validate their experience, offer some reframes. They leave feeling heard.
Week 2: They're back in the same place. You go deeper, explore patterns. Perhaps a breathing technique. They nod along saying, "That makes sense”, but nothing has changed.
Week 3: You keep going. Perhaps you offer a different technique, something you learned recently. It helps a little. You both feel hopeful.
Week 4: Same issue, different angle. Now it feels like you’re working harder than the client! And sure, the client is cooperative and doing the homework.
But deep down, you're both wondering: Is this actually going anywhere?
Now, let me be clear: This isn't every therapist with every client. And there's nothing wrong with deep work that takes time. Some of the most profound transformations happen slowly, from the inside out.
The inner shifts are often invisible at first. But as someone's internal environment gets cleaner, their outer life shifts in really meaningful ways.
That's important work. That's valuable work.
But when you're in the discouragement cycle, it’s different. It feels stuck. Both you and the client can sense it.
As a caring professional, here’s what's hard to admit:
There's only so long clients will pay for a relationship where the problem stays the same.
At some point, even if they really like you, even if they feel heard and validated, they notice the problem is still there.
They might not say it. They're too polite.
But you feel it.
Sessions get rescheduled. Texts arrive: "I think I need to take a break for a bit." And you wonder: Am I just a paid friend with boundaries?
The missing piece isn't rapport. You definitely have that.
It's not empathy. You have that too.
Perhaps what's missing is a way to help your client see their stuckness in a completely new light.
Not just understand it better.
And not just feel validated.
But actually see the shape and structure of what's keeping them stuck. When they can finally see it, it becomes obvious what needs to change in order to move forward.
Now imagine this:
Week 1: Client comes in stuck. You know exactly what to ask to get a metaphorical version of their issue. You draw it out for them using the visual shorthand you were taught.
Within 10 minutes, you're reflecting back truths about their metaphor that land very deeply.
You start hearing things like, “Wow! I've never thought about it that way!"
Week 2: They come back different. Something has finally shifted. They're not circling anymore. They're telling you about the progress they’ve made, even if it’s small.
Your other tools finally start to land, because you’re applying them to the right part of the problem.
Week 3: Progress continues, and you feel uplifted… remembering why you love doing this deep work and changing peoples’ lives.
Week 4: The upward spiral continues, and your client begins telling friends about the great work you two are doing together.
In the downward cycle, you're working hard and getting nowhere.
In the upward cycle, you're working with the metaphor. The client does the discovering.
You're not fixing them or giving advice. You're showing them the map (the one they gave you).
You’re helping them see their own inner world in entirely new ways.
I've been working with Metaphors of Movement since the very beginning, when Andy Austin was still developing the process. We hosted Andy here in Colorado back in 2009, and I got to sit in on one of the first presentations when the method was still in its infancy.
I also witnessed individual client sessions as Andy was refining the work. Since then, I've trained and consulted with Andy almost every year, watching the method evolve and deepen.
I've been fortunate to learn this work directly from its creator as it developed over the years.
I’m one of the few people in the world approved by Andy to teach his work, and I’ve taught this to hundreds of people worldwide.
I grew up surrounded by transformational work. My parents, Steve and Connirae Andreas, dedicated their lives to understanding how people change.
I learned Core Transformation, Wholeness Work, Self Concept, and other incredibly powerful change tools directly from my family (who invented them).
I've spent many years helping people transform their lives with our family’s tools.
But even with powerful tools like these, sometimes I encountered moments where clients (and I) would get stuck in ways that didn't quite make sense.
Metaphors of Movement works in a completely different way than most other methods. It shows you exactly where someone is starting from. Once you can see that clearly, you know exactly where to focus your work.
I’ve been around transformation for a long time. I grew up in our family’s business. I’m not easily impressed, but to this day… I continue to be blown away by how quickly this reveals what's actually happening. It shows me unconscious patterns I would never have seen otherwise.
Here’s how the Metaphors Of Movement process works:
You’ll ask questions that guide your client (or yourself) to describe the full metaphorical landscape.
For example, when they say, "It’s like I’m stuck in the mud", we’d ask more precise questions about their experience. Questions like:
- How deep is the mud?
- What's around you?
- What are you standing on?
- Where is the water coming from that’s creating the mud?
Then you draw it so you both see it clearly. (I’ll teach you the visual shorthand to easily draw them out in seconds.)
This reveals where they actually are, not where they think they are.
You simply reflect what's literally true about the metaphor using common idioms. For example, here are some idioms for, “I’m stuck in the mud:”
- This situation has made you dirty.
- It’s probably hard to fully stand up for yourself.
- Nothing feels stable.
- You can't get any traction.
- This is bogging you down.
- You’re not on solid ground.
- It may be very difficult to get out.
- People will worry that if they get too close, they may get pulled in with you.
These aren't interpretations. Just descriptions matching the metaphor itself.
The idioms create "Aha!" moments that the client can feel in their bones. They often realize something about their situation that was hiding in front of them the whole time.
Most clients are trying solutions to their problems that can't possibly work. That’s why they’ve been stuck for so long.
The process helps them see, in the metaphor, why their solution can never work. Here’s an example:
Let’s say your client sees themselves in a car that is hopelessly stuck in the snow. They keep pressing the gas, and the wheels are just spinning… but there’s no forward movement.
The problem here isn’t a lack of effort (which makes them keep “spinning their wheels”). The problem is a lack of traction.
This is very freeing for the client!
Once they see that what they've been trying can’t and won't work, there's space for something new.
Now they're coachable. Ready to listen, and ready for whatever tool comes next.
This doesn't replace your other tools. It sets them up for success.
If someone says "I’m banging my head against a brick wall," you know exactly where they are before you start.
You can use Core Transformation, Timeline work, whatever feels right. But now with precision, because you know where you're starting.
You don’t have to guess.
Many of us who do this work are seekers ourselves… working on our own stuff alongside clients.
Sometimes we have patterns that haven't budged in years. Procrastination, money blocks, anxiety, fear of success, fear of being seen, etc.
Metaphors of Movement acts like a perceptual “blacklight” for those issues. It shows you what's been right in front of you but invisible to your conscious mind.
I've seen practitioners have breakthroughs on patterns they'd been working on for decades.
And it’s not because the pattern dissolves magically. But because they finally see the structure, and that new clarity makes forward movement possible again.
If this resonates, I'd like to invite you to the next Metaphors of Movement Level 1 Training. Four live sessions over two weekends: Jan 24, 25, 31 & Feb 1, 2026.
Each session 10am to 1:30pm Denver time, on Zoom.
You'll practice in small breakout groups, experiencing this from both sides as practitioner and client.
If you're reading this, you've probably already invested significantly in your education as a professional. You've also invested a lot in your own personal growth.
You have tools that work. You have skills that serve your clients. So why add another method to your practice?
Metaphors of Movement is powerful work on its own. It produces profound insights, aha moments, and big shifts in people's lives. I've personally had huge breakthroughs with it.
And when you combine it with your existing tools, it shows you exactly where to apply them. It gives you a way to see what's been invisible… hiding in plain sight.
Think about how much you've invested in your training over the years. Certifications, workshops, books, mentoring. This is not just another tool to add to the pile.
As a standalone methodology, this is a valuable investment because it helps you create deeper breakthroughs with your clients.
AND… it's also an investment that helps you get far more out of all your other investments in tools, because it shows you where to apply them (the optimal starting place).
Because this training is delivered live online over Zoom, we don't have the overhead of renting hotel ballrooms or the expense of traveling to teach in person.
That allows us to keep this training accessible and affordable, and why we attract practitioners from all over the world.
You get the benefit of learning from the comfort of your home while still working directly with other students in breakout rooms for valuable hands-on practice.
The investment for the complete program is $395.
That breaks down to just $1.08 per day for a year.
Less than a cup of coffee per day for a methodology that will serve you, your personal growth, your clients, and your career for decades.
Space is limited so everyone gets support.
If you're ready to experience this work, I'd love to see you in the training. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to working with you. Mark Andreas
The biggest thing I hear from students is: "Training with you showed me I don't have to be Andy to be good at this. I can do it in my own style."
Andy is brilliant and I highly recommend training with him. He's provocative in the best way, full of incredible stories and depth that will make you think. His style works wonderfully for many people.
My approach is gentler while still delivering the hard truths the method requires. Students often find it helpful to see that you can be effective with this work using different personality styles.
Not at all. While many of my students are coaches, therapists, or NLP practitioners, we also get plenty of people who simply want to learn this for their own personal growth and to get themselves unstuck. Whether you help others through personal change or you're focused on your own transformation, this will serve you.
You're learning visual shorthand, not art. Most of what you need comes from watching how I draw things out and practicing during the training. We approach it step by step, so early on you're only drawing part of the metaphorical landscape rather than the whole thing. This keeps it manageable. Plus, another purpose of the drawing is to do it “badly” so your client knows by demonstration that they also don’t need to be perfect.
Not at all. Metaphors of Movement is powerful as a standalone method that produces deep breakthroughs on its own. It also shows you where to apply your other tools with precision. Think of it as the map that helps you know exactly where your client is standing, so you can meet them there and guide them in the direction that will work for them.
Core Transformation guides someone to their Core State, a deep experience of wholeness and peace. Metaphors of Movement reveals the structure of where someone is stuck right now. They work beautifully together. The metaphor shows you the terrain, and Core Transformation can help transform what you find there.
Absolutely. Many students report using the process successfully within days of the training. You'll get hands-on practice during the workshop, plus four bonus practice sessions with an experienced alum to build your confidence.
Most metaphor work involves creating or suggesting metaphors for the client. Metaphors of Movement elicits the client's own unconscious metaphor for their stuck state. It's already there. We're just learning to see it and reflect it back using idioms that help them see the situation in a whole new way.
All sessions are recorded. You'll have video access for one year and audio access for life, so you can catch up on anything you miss. That said, the live practice in breakout rooms is valuable, so we encourage attending all sessions when possible.
Each training session includes guided practice in small breakout groups. You'll experience this work from both sides, as practitioner and client. Plus, you get four bonus practice sessions led by an experienced alum after the main training.
Both. Many practitioners have profound personal breakthroughs during the training on patterns they've been working on for years. Learning to see the structure of your own stuckness is just as valuable as learning to help your clients.
Most people who complete Level 1 go on to take Level 2. The second level goes deeper into relational positioning, business and money metaphors, emotional health, and additional metaphor categories like attachments, support, emotional injury, and stages of life. Level 1 gives you a complete foundation, and Level 2 expands your ability to work with any metaphor you encounter.
It depends on how you use it and what you're integrating it with. My full sessions are 90 minutes, but you can produce powerful breakthroughs in under an hour. Some Practitioners use just the metaphor elicitation and idiom delivery as a 20-30 minute opening to their other work.
$395
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