Tony Humphreys is an Irish educator, a consultant clinical psychologist, the founder of the Relationship Mentoring modality of Psychotherapy and the author of eleven self-help books translated into 15 languages and available in 28 countries.
[5] He sought alternative spirituality and put himself through night school to obtain a degree and higher diploma in Physical Education, followed by an MA in 1977[6] and PhD in 1983[7] in Psychology.
His published opinions have drawn vociferous complaints from the Minister for Health and Children, James Reilly,[10] from groups representing families affected by autism[11] and a censure calling for retraction from the Psychological Society of Ireland[12] and his retirement by members of ICAAN (The Irish Council for Aspies and Autistic Networking).
[14] The Press Ombudsman of Ireland adjudicated that "the offence was not only widespread but grave, could have been interpreted as gratuitously provocative, and might have been avoided or at least minimized if the topic had been presented in a different manner".
He believes that these 'labelled disorders' are avoidant behavioural adjustments that enable a threatened child "to survive in a painful world of conditionality" and are curable through "unconditionally valuing and caring" relationships.