Spinning Out Family Stress with Michael Blair

Welcome to another episode of Great Dad Talks! This week, I sit down with life coach and former psychologist Michael Blair to explore modern tools for family harmony, emotional healing, and child development. Michael shares the transformative power of his unique “spin” method—a tool rooted in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)—that helps kids, parents, and even whole families quickly change negative emotional patterns in just minutes.

In this episode, you will be able to:

1. Learn Michael Blair’s “spin” tool to quickly shift difficult emotions in yourself or your kids.
2. Find out how to identify, name, and move emotions by paying attention to where you feel them in your body.
3. Discover how Neuro Linguistic Programming can create real, fast change for families and individuals.
4. Get a simple self-forgiveness method to help release guilt and let go of past mistakes for good.
5. Pick up practical strategies to stop family conflict and foster genuine connection and resilience at home.

On this week’s episode of Great Dad Talks, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Blair—a former psychologist turned life coach with over 35 years in early child development and family coaching. Michael’s approach to helping families isn’t your typical therapy session, and our conversation left me thinking deeply about how we can practically—and quickly—change the emotional dynamics in our homes.

From Psychologist to Life Coach: Michael Blair’s Unique Journey

While Michael’s background is rooted in psychology, he’s moved away from the traditional title. “I have 35 years of history in all that. I just found something a lot better than most of the psychology world knows about,” he told me. This “something” is a set of tools designed to address emotional pain efficiently—not just for kids, but for adults, couples, and entire families.

The “Spin It Out” Technique: A Game-Changer for Family Dynamics

What really caught my attention was Michael’s signature tool, highlighted in his book, When In Doubt, Spin It Out. Michael explained the concept with a story about his grandson, who was feeling annoyed by his sister. In just 10 minutes, through the “spin” process, the feeling shifted from annoyance to love. “He looks up at me squeamishly afterwards and says, ‘I just love her now.’”

And it’s not just for kids. Michael recounted helping a whole family work through betrayal, anxiety, and even fear of water or zip lines—again, in about 10 minutes per issue. “It worked. Ten minutes, just like that,” he said, repeatedly.

While Michael didn’t walk through the full technique step-by-step (it’s best delivered in a private or guided setting), he shared the basics for listeners wanting immediate relief from anxiety:

The Basic “Spin Out” Technique:

1. Identify the Feeling: Name what’s bothering you (anxiety, anger, sadness).
2. Locate It in Your Body: “Where do you feel that? In your body?” Michael prompted me during our interview.
3. Give It Form: Imagine pulling the feeling out, giving it a shape and a color.
4. Notice Its Movement: Does it rotate or move? Identify the direction.
5. Reverse and ‘Spin Out’ the Feeling: Reverse that movement, spin it out, and imagine it leaving your body as quickly as possible.
6. Replace It with Positivity: Breathe in positive feelings (love, calm, harmony), and imagine weaving them into your personality.

After trying this myself on-air, I really did feel a genuine shift in my anxiety: “It shrank, at least in my mind, to a little teeny tiny pinpoint.”

Making Real Changes—Not Just Coping

One important thing Michael stressed is that his spin technique isn’t just about coping; it’s about transformation. As he put it:

“A spin will knock out at the core what’s going on, instead of doing the superficial stuff that normalizes it, but doesn’t take it away.”

He went on to add that traditional therapy soothes, but doesn’t always address the root issues. With the spin and the follow-up replacement of feelings, families can disrupt patterns of anger, anxiety, and even longstanding resentments—quickly and effectively. According to Michael, “When those changes happen—just one child gets unannoyed, one mother gets calm in the face of the storm—that changes the fabric of that family.”

Tools for Forgiveness and Letting Go

Michael also shared a quick self-forgiveness exercise—a practical tool I believe any parent can use:

• Say aloud, “I, [Your Name], forgive you, [Your Name], for being a twerp [or insert your moment] yesterday and I release you to your higher power.”
• Repeat this fifteen times, or until you feel a shift.

Michael shared that even deep, childhood wounds responded to this kind of practice:

“My dad slapped me as a kid one time. It stuck with me for 60 years… I took this process and I did it, and all I came back with was I love my dad. And that was gone.”

Key Takeaways for Modern Dads (and Moms)

• Address Emotional Issues Quickly: You don’t have to spend years in therapy to shift recurring family problems.
• Get the Family Involved: Michael’s methods are meant to empower kids and adults alike, creating a resilient, harmonious home.
• Use Simple Physical Visualization: Locating and ‘spinning out’ negative feelings bridges the gap between talk and actual change.
• Practice Self-Forgiveness: Don’t let old baggage weigh you (or your kids) down. Try repeating forgiveness statements until they truly land.
• Replace Bad with Good: Always follow up any emotional release by breathing in positive emotions and integrating them, for lasting change.

Want to Try It Yourself?

Michael is currently offering free 15-minute “spin” sessions for our listeners. Email him at Michael@whenindoubtspinitout.com or call 435-703-0756. You can also find his book When In Doubt, Spin It Out in both print and Audible editions, which includes bonus video demonstrations and extra training resources.

Final Thoughts

What stood out most in my talk with Michael Blair is how much hope—and practical, accessible action—he brings to the table. In a world full of complex, drawn-out methods for family healing, sometimes the simplest, fastest practices can spark the lasting change we crave.

What do you think—would you try spinning out your own stress or frustration? Hit reply or let me know in the comments! And as always, find more resources and my coaching offerings at GreatDad.com—including a free course on gratitude for podcast listeners.

Till next time, spin it out—and stay strong, dads.