Origins And Information On NLP by Joe Isaac

Neuro-Linguistic Programming is becoming better known with high profile people like Paul McKenna on TV demonstrating amazing success with long-term phobias through use of NLP combined with hypnosis techniques.

NLP was developed as a result of Richard Bandler (a psychotherapist and mathematician) and John Grinder (a linguistics expert) working together in the 1970’s.

What fascinated them was how people worked – how people who were leaders in their field got the excellent results they did. What they discovered was that the patterns of behaviour, beliefs, etc. could be modelled and reproduced to get similarly good results.

They studied in detail how people function in terms of process and patterns and applied this to develop ways of changing beliefs, behaviours and feeling states, for example, ‘scrambling’ and undoing phobic responses. NLP is what they called the combined skills and techniques they gained through modelling effective behaviours. It is still growing and developing.

The foundation of NLP is rapport; fine tuned communication underpinned by basic presuppositions. In NLP, the presuppositions are a set of beliefs. In change work, NLP’ers act as if they are true.

For example:

• there is no such thing as failure, only feedback
• people already have all the resources they need to make the desired changes
• everyone is doing the best they can given their current choices
• everyone has their own unique map of the world
• all behaviour has a positive intention for the originator
• a person’s behaviour is not their identity

NLP is positive and solution-focused, and makes good use of humour. The ‘attitude’ of NLP is one of curiosity, experimentation and flexibility. NLP views everyone as unique and the expert in his or her own ‘world’ of beliefs values and experience.

In terms of therapy, NLP grew out of existing models as it used successful therapists as its starting point. (Virginia Satir and Milton Erickson) It is largely cognitive and behavioural, and makes good use of metaphor (the language of the subconscious) from Gestalt. It is also very accepting, non-judgemental and person centred in the way it approaches people and the way they function.

NLP has grown and become popular because it is so practical. It works! It introduced a wide range of quick, comfortable and effective techniques for exploration, state change, belief change, and resolving issues such as depression and phobias, which were previously considered difficult, ‘long-term’ issues.

As a therapy, NLP has proven effective for a wide range of issues in very few sessions.

There are many certificated training courses around on NLP, but the two most relevant are NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner.

So what to expect in NLP therapy sessions?

Much of NLP works by changing thinking processes at a deep subconscious level; changing the way our brains remember and store information, which in turn affects how we feel. NLP makes creative use of imagination, visualisation and metaphor – often putting feelings or behaviours in the form of metaphors on the outside so we can have a dialogue with them and work with them. NLP is systemic - the NLP therapist will aim to resolve any conflict, harmonise and integrate your parts so they are all working in your best interests.

The language we use and how we talk, both out loud and our internal dialogue can show how we are viewing things and say a lot about our beliefs and values. The therapist may work with us to look at what we say and help us to hear positive, helpful things. They may also help us to change unhelpful beliefs.

In practice, your NLP therapist may make use of imaginary ‘spaces’ on the floor for different states of feelings and use actual movement between them to explore them and create change. This is just one way to change behaviour and replace unhelpful strategies with more helpful ones. NLP has a holistic approach, treating the mind and body as connected. Many NLP techniques involve very practical action within the therapy room.

Before any changes are made, it is important that the ‘positive intention’ of the ‘old way’ is understood, for example, if a behaviour is keeping us safe, we need to find a new and better way of staying safe before changing the behaviour.

NLP therapists will work in ways which harness your innate resources, and work within your comfort zones. They will respect your ‘map of the world’ and acknowledge you as the expert in that world, providing more choices, not less. As NLP has a process focus rather than content, it can often effect change without emotional discomfort and without needing to share details of past experiences.

More information

More information about NLP can be found on the ANLP International website (International Association of Neuro Linguistic Programming)
NLPtCA have an on-line register of therapists and a complaints process if you are unhappy with the way you are treated by any of their members. Neuro Linguistic Psychotherapy and Counselling Association

Copyright 2006 Joe Isaac; www.elementsinbalance.co.uk