Dr. George Blair-West is an author, researcher and doctor specializing in psychiatry.

Why you should listen

Author and psychiatrist George Blair-West has worked in couple therapy for 25 years. He has become focused on preventing the deep pain and extensive fallout of divorce by exploring how long-term, healthy relationships are initiated and built. By studying successful relationships, initiated with varying levels of romantic love, we can unlock insights that all couples can use to build an enduring relationship. He is particularly interested in understanding and defining the "true love" — as distinct from romantic love — that underpins resilient relationships. His 2022 TEDx Talk further elaborates the mastery and application of these insights in modern relationships.

Blair-West's writing and speaking career began with scientific publications on suicide and depression resulting in his lifetime admission to the New York Academy of Sciences in 1998. Lay articles and five books followed. The Way of the Quest, which explores his interest in how to find one's meaning and purpose in life, garnered several awards in the inspirational fiction genre. How to Make the Biggest Decision of Your Life: Unlocking the Secrets to a Healthy Lasting Relationship, co-authored with his daughter, Jiveny Blair-West, a dating coach, builds on his 2017 TED Talk on avoiding divorce by unpacking three of the main factors that bring relationship undone.

Blair-West and his wife of 35 years, Penny, a psychologist, live in Brisbane, Australia and have two adult children.

George Blair-West’s TED talk