About Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP)

Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP)

Yes, it is a fearsome name but we assure you that it is much more “user friendly” than it may sound! In fact most people, often to their surprise, find the process both interesting and enjoyable.

NLP originated in the 1970s when two American academics, John Grinder and Richard Bandler, were trying to find out why it is that, in any walk of life, some people seem to produce results way ahead of their peers despite the fact that they have much the same standard of education, the same I.Q. and similar family backgrounds. There seems no obvious reason why their performance should be so markedly different. So what is the “difference that makes the difference”?

One of the very first people that these two studied was Milton Erikson, a well known hypnotherapist, who was noted for his unconventional approach and outstanding successes with his clients. They watched him work, observing the minute details of his expressions, his gestures, his tone of voice , his movements and how these related to his clients movements etc. They talked to him at length about what he noticed, what he was saying to himself, how he felt about his clients and much more. They repeated this process with other successful therapists. They then went on to other skill areas: teachers, craftsmen, managers – indeed any area where a specific skill was required. Always they were looking for what made the difference between the excellent and the mediocre.

The interesting thing was that success seemed to follow a similar pattern of beliefs and values about self and others no matter whether it was a successful business manager, sportsman, parent or anyone else.

As a result, NLP arose from their studies as a means of changing how we think about ourselves and others so as to enable us to operate in the world in a much more constructive and rewarding way.

Our aim when using NLP is to create a safe space within which the clients can feel safe to relax and talk about whatever is bothering them. It is not our job to judge or criticise or even to offer solutions. Our job is to listen carefully and ask for clarification where necessary until we see a possible way forward. There are many different ways of helping people to discover within themselves the hidden answers to their problems. We always explain my suggested plan first. If our client feels it would be a helpful approach we go ahead, otherwise we find an alternative intervention to achieve the same outcome. In short, we will not do anything without your expressed agreement.