What is NLP

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming

We all have the potential to be highly effective in some situations yet in others seeming to make the most unlikely of choices resulting in less than desirable outcomes.  When asked what is NLP? I would say it is firstly about understanding yourself and being flexible in your choices.  Figuring out how we can learn from all experiences enables us to make effective decisions that drive positive outcomes more often, therefore creating options for ourselves and others. #winwin

Neuro – The brain and neurology, the way we process information from our senses through our brain and nervous system.

Linguistic– The verbal and non verbal language that we use and the response we have to that of others. Coding our experiences through linguistics in order to communicate with ourselves and others.

Programming – Internal thoughts and patterns which help evaluate situations, solve problems and make decisions. How we interpret the world around us creating an internal representation of our experiences and how our thoughts then translate into emotions which affect our physiology and behaviour.

A great foundation for awesome communication

NLP is an attitude and a methodology, providing a variety of models, theories and processes to increase behavioural flexibility and personal effectiveness.  The study and application of NLP enhances communication skills and hence improves personal and business relationships.

For Self

NLP can help improve your self awareness.  Imagine being able to take control of your life and the direction it takes you.  How often do you respond to situations without even thinking, only to be disappointed with the results?  Increasing your understanding of the strategies that work for you and learning from those that don’t is an essential ingredient for personal effectiveness and self esteem.  Identifying your core values and motivational drivers will help you to define outcomes.  Exploring self management techniques will enable you to access a wealth of personal resources to manage yourself during ambiguous times, increasing your resilience and enabling you to achieve success.

In Business

NLP is a holistic methodology, creating a well formed vision and strategy is a good starting point and NLP supports this systemic approach.  Understanding language patterns will support you in negotiating ethically for win win results, thus operating with integrity, maintaining stakeholder relationships and securing future business.  Awareness of verbal and non verbal structures will also contribute to protecting you from less than ecological business transactions.  Recognising motivational drivers and communication preferences within your teams will support employee engagement and retention.  Using NLP within your coaching conversations will enable you to pinpoint how, where and when to support your employees to maximise their potential and thus drive business results.

With Others

NLP provides a number of keys to unlock the structure underpinning communication.  Through recognising patterns in language and behaviour (both within ourselves and others) we can ensure we communicate with transparency, thus creating rapportful relationships, with shared outcomes.  Adopting the core attitudes of NLP will nurture curiosity and openness to explore possibilities, challenging ideas not individuals, seeking solutions not obstacles, developing behavioural flexibility and creating rather than limiting choices.  If, as NLP suggests, we truly respond to our internal representations of the world we are experiencing then our perception is our reality.  Opening our minds to the fact that there could be any number of realities co-existing at any one time dependent on “the experiencer” creates a wealth of options relating to how we might choose to think of and respond to others

History – An evolving art and science…

This modality evolved from a collaboration in the 1970s between Richard Bandler (a maths student) and John Grinder an associate professor of linguistics.  The roots of NLP lie within a number of fields and centre upon modelling human language and behaviour.

Bandler had been transcribing audio and video of Fritz Perls’ (father of Gestalt Therapy) and Virginia Satir (Family Therapy founder). He noticed that by replicating key aspects of their language and behaviour he could achieve similar results. He even began running his own Gestalt sessions at the university campus!

Grinder became intrigued and worked with Bandler to refine the core elements that made a difference, distilling the work of Perls and Satir into amongst other things “the meta model” – a language model still at the core of NLP today.

So the concept of modelling and the study of excellence began. With a key discovery being made… that whilst we do indeed experience the world subjectively, how we code, interpret and think about something affects how we experience it!

Bandler and Grinder went on to model Milton Erickson a medical hypnotist and developed another language model (Milton model) and NLP began to grow and evolve with further innovators creating new tools and techniques.

Perhaps one of the most generative of innovators has been Robert Dilts. He was a student at the university at the same time as Bandler and one of the first to get involved in their work. He has created numerous change patterns and with NLP continually evolving who is to say where it will go next…

My Coaching and Training Offer

As Professional Coach, I blend the application of NLP with a range of applied psychology

Practicing NLP since 2002 and Training ANLP Certified NLP Practitioners in Cornwall since 2009,  I am the ANLP Regional Ambassador for Cornwall and their envoy for Ocean and Environment.

I am also the certifying Trainer on NLP Master Practitioner and NLP Trainer Training programmes for Pegasus NLP in the New Forest since 2007.

If you wish to train to practice NLP yourself and you are seeking more information about my ANLP certified NLP Programmes, please visit the NLP Training Link

mBIT extends our NLP Practice…

The field of NLP is growing and developing fast, please visit the mBraining link to find out about mBIT a methodology which has emerged from the world of NLP.  mBraining is an applied neuroscience offering a fresh approach to creating generative wisdom more about mBIT can be discovered HERE.  As an mBIT Trainer and mBIT Master Coach I am passionate about applying and sharing this modality.