Metaphors of Movement: Decoding the Subconscious Stories We Live Inside
We all use language that hints at something deeper.
"I'm stuck."
"I'm under pressure."
"I'm just trying to move forward."
These aren’t just expressions—they're maps.
Metaphors of Movement is a powerful therapeutic approach that helps decode the symbolic language of your subconscious. Developed by clinician and international trainer Andrew T. Austin, this work offers insight into how your mind organizes experience—and how those inner frameworks shape your path forward.
This process is now available through Grounded Visions Wellness, either as a stand-alone session or as part of a custom holistic coaching journey.
Why Metaphors Matter
In traditional talk therapy, we often focus on what happened.
In Metaphors of Movement, we focus on how you're holding the experience—subconsciously and symbolically.
By listening closely to the metaphors, you naturally use (“spinning my wheels,” “hit a wall,” “walking on eggshells”), we uncover the emotional logic underneath. These metaphors aren’t random—they’re precise clues, revealing:
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Where and how you're stuck
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The internal beliefs holding patterns in place
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How you’re unconsciously relating to the problem
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And what new options might exist just beyond your current view
What You Might Be Feeling
This work is especially helpful if you’re navigating:
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Emotional or mental stuckness that hasn’t shifted, even with mindset work
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A persistent sense of pressure, weight, or disorientation
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Patterns of self-sabotage or repeated emotional loops
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Major transitions, identity shifts, or internal conflict
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Difficulty finding clarity or motivation
Many clients describe it as a sudden clarity—like naming something they’ve been circling for years.
What To Expect During A Session
You don’t need to know what you're looking for.
You don’t need the “right” words.
You just need curiosity—and a willingness to listen differently.
Sessions are gentle, intuitive, and often surprising. You won’t be asked to rehash painful memories or explain your emotions in depth. Instead, we explore how your language is already doing that, often without your conscious awareness.
What emerges is a new way of seeing. Not just your story—but the structure beneath it.
Your Metaphor Is A Map
This is work that doesn’t just offer insight—it opens a door.
Metaphors of Movement can be experienced as:
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A one-time, stand-alone session
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A series of sessions when you're craving breakthrough or clarity
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A fully integrated part of your ongoing holistic coaching journey
Whether you’re processing something specific or simply sensing that it’s time to look at your life through a different lens, this work meets you exactly where you are.
Ready to explore?
If something about this resonates, let’s talk.
No pressure. Just a deeper conversation—with yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Metaphors of Movement
What is Metaphors of Movement?
Metaphors of Movement is a therapeutic approach developed by Andrew T. Austin that explores the symbolic language of the subconscious.
By listening to the metaphors you naturally use like “I’m stuck,” “I’m under pressure,” or “I’ve hit a wall” we uncover the emotional and cognitive frameworks shaping your experience. Each metaphor acts as a precise map, showing how your mind organizes the problem and where new movement can begin.
How does Metaphors of Movement work?
During a session, we explore your language and imagery to reveal how your subconscious represents a situation. Rather than analyzing the past, we decode the structure of your metaphors to understand what’s keeping the pattern in place.
Once that structure becomes clear, you can make new choices and create meaningful internal change without force, judgment, or repetition of old stories.
How is Metaphors of Movement different from traditional therapy or coaching?
Traditional therapy often focuses on what happened and why. Coaching usually focuses on setting goals and taking action.
Metaphors of Movement focuses on how your subconscious organizes experience through language and imagery. It doesn’t interpret or analyze the metaphor it lets the metaphor itself reveal the emotional logic underneath. This makes the process deeply intuitive, creative, and often faster in producing clarity.
What can Metaphors of Movement help with?
This work is especially supportive for:
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Persistent emotional or mental “stuckness”
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Repeated self-sabotage or looping patterns
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Feeling pressure, weight, or confusion during life transitions
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Burnout or loss of motivation despite mindset work
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A desire for deeper clarity, direction, or meaning
It’s ideal for people who sense that insight alone isn’t creating movement and are ready to explore what’s happening beneath the surface.
What happens during a Metaphors of Movement session?
You don’t need to prepare or find the “right” words. We begin by talking naturally about what you’re experiencing.
As certain metaphors appear in your speech, we map and explore them together. You remain fully conscious and conversational throughout. The process is gentle, often surprising, and can reveal profound realizations in a short time.
Do I need to share painful memories for Metaphors of Movement to work?
No. You won’t be asked to relive or describe distressing experiences in detail. Metaphors of Movement works with the structure of how experiences are held, not the story itself. This makes it a safe, non-invasive approach for exploring deep material.
How quickly does change happen with Metaphors of Movement?
Many clients experience immediate clarity or perspective shifts after one session - like finally “seeing” something that had been invisible for years.
For others, integration unfolds over several days as new insights settle in. The process is gentle but often catalytic.
Can Metaphors of Movement be combined with other modalities?
Yes. At Grounded Visions Wellness, it can be integrated with hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT), and holistic life coaching.
Combining these experiential methods allows both subconscious mapping and conscious re-patterning, creating deeper and longer-lasting transformation.
Who can benefit from Metaphors of Movement?
Anyone who feels emotionally or mentally “stuck,” curious about their own inner landscape, or drawn to symbolic work can benefit.
It’s especially helpful for creatives, professionals, and seekers who think deeply but feel something is still missing beneath the surface.
How can I experience Metaphors of Movement?
You can schedule a private session with Samantha Rosenbaum at Grounded Visions Wellness.
Sessions are available as one-time explorations, multi-session breakthroughs, or integrated parts of ongoing holistic coaching journeys offered both in person in Delray Beach, Florida and virtually for clients anywhere.
