"One thing that people really need to get about my life's work is that it's not about therapy or business or 'networking' organisations - it is about freedom"

Richard Bandler - Co-developer of NLP

 What is NLP?

NLP is the art and the science of human behaviour

NLP is the study of personal excellence

NLP is the powerful and practical approach to personal change

NLP is the acronym for Neuro-Linguistic-Programming.

Neuro refers to our Neurology or the biological makeup of our brains and nervous systems. Including our five senses: Sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. As humans we are in contact with the world through these 5 senses. Our neurology takes this input and presents them to us internally in ways that are unique to you. This is the realm of subjective experience. When thinking of something you may 'see' something in your mind's eye. You may hear some internal dialogue or just have a feeling about something. It is also true to say that some may say 'they smell a rat' or that an experience 'leaves a bad taste'. What is important is that your experience will be created by combinations of these internal representations which create your behaviours. These will of course continue in the same way unless you interrupt them or redirect them.

Linguistic refers to the language we use, both verbal and none verbal, and how this mirrors our internal mental processes.

Programming suggests that we can re-programme our brain in much the same way as a modern computer, "upgrading" existing behaviours and "installing" new ones.

Neuro-Linguistic-Programming is just a descriptive word for what in essence is an attitude (of curiosity and experimentation) that leads to a methodology that leaves behind a trail of techniques.

It can be defined as the study of the structure of subjective experience and what can be calculated from that and is predicated upon the belief that all behaviour has structure. It is based upon the attitude, the models and the skills which allow for constant generation of new techniques which are more effective and work faster.

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so"

William Shakespeare

The History of NLP

NLP was initially created in 1975 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, who discovered that you can "model" human behaviour, and then, using this model, duplicate the results in someone else. They began modelling and duplicating the "magical results" of a few top communicators and therapists and using what they learned to improve other peoples skills and abilities. Some of the first people to be studied included Hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, gestalt therapist Fritz Perls and family therapist Virginia Satir.

Because these models are formal they also allow for prediction and calculation. Patterns that may not have been available in any of these people's work could be calculated from the formal representations they had created. New techniques and models were (and still are being) developed.

NLP was specifically created in order to allow us to do magic by creating new ways of understanding how verbal and non-verbal communication affect the human brain. As such it presents us all with the opportunity to not only communicate better with others, but also learn how to gain more control over what we considered to be automatic functions of our own neurology. The ideas and methods used in NLP allow us to take behaviours apart, produce new and more empowering behaviours which will in turn let us control the input we get from the outside world.

"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right"

Henry Ford

Presuppositions of NLP

During the early days of NLP certain beliefs and ideas were developed and adopted as general principles that we can follow that will help us develop higher levels of communication with both ourselves and others. If we 'pre suppose' them to be 'true' they can serve as useful tools in our search for improved communication.

• The ability to change the process by which we experience reality is more often valuable than changing the content of our experience of reality.
• The meaning of the communication is the response you get.
• All distinctions human beings are able to make concerning our environment and our behavior can be usefully represented through the visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory senses.
• The resources an individual needs in order to effect a change are already within them.
• The map is not the territory.
• The positive worth of the individual is held constant, while the value and appropriateness of internal and/or external behavior is questioned.
• There is a positive intention motivating every behavior, and a context in which every behavior has value.
• Feedback vs. Failure - All results and behaviors are achievements, whether they are desired outcomes for a given task/context, or not.

Benefits

Individuals

Teachers and Trainers

• Gain an understanding of different learning styles enhancing a students self-esteem and motivation.
• Reduced stress levels and greater job satisfaction.
• Develop further creativity and the ability to pass this on to students.
• Able to present in a more imaginative and stimulating fashion.

Sales people

• Create the outcome they want through increased rapport
• Understanding sensory based language patterns that equate with the customers preferences
• Understand how to cope with rejection and develop a truly positive approach to selling
• By understanding their own behaviour they can have more flexibility in their communication and improve areas such as Time management and make more time for selling.
• Understand what people really mean when they say something especially where they may be conflict

Therapists and Health Professionals

• Learn to focus on solution based health care treating the client as an individual
• Handle the most stressful situations through an understanding of how you create your own internal experience
• Positive feedback from clients who feel that for the first time they've met someone who values them as a human being

Managers

• Build better and stronger relationships with their staff
• Understand the value and have the ability to use one to one coaching with staff
• Develop the real qualities of leadership
• Run more effective and exciting meetings
• Understand how you can find the strategies of the successful employee and install them in others

Sports People and Athletes

• How to enter the ZONE more often
• Improve your concentration and focus
• Deal with anxiety and stress
• Increase motivation
• Use the power of your imagination
• Play the top range of your skill regardless of circumstance
• Learn from mistakes and turn them into lessons for success