What is NLP?  (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

NLP is a unique set of perspectives on human behavior, and a set of models for communicating clearly and effectively.  The original developers modeled some of the best therapists and communicators in the world, watching and listening to them with different filters until they found ways to categorize human thinking styles and behavior patterns into specific "units." These units could then be very strategically utilized to produce consistent results in different contexts. 

One of the first areas in which the original developers worked was maneuvering these "mental units" in order to produce therapeutic change incredibly quickly.  They applied these classifications of behaviors or "units" to various contexts, producing incredible techniques for alleviating grief, creating motivation, reducing phobias and fears, concentrating on and accomplishing goals, and helping people to feel comfortable during a conversation or public speaking.  While these skills may sound like just a list of techniques, the impact such changes have on people's individual lives is incredible.

One of the most powerful examples you can have of this change happened to Mr. Westenberg during his NLP training. By working with other students, he made strategic changes in his thinking and the sequences of his "mental units." After learning how to be happier, more content with his life and more motivated to achieve his goals and aspirations, he began pursuing a career as a full-time professional therapist, with the intent of sharing the incredible information he learned while studying NLP with others. He went on to obtain two Master's degrees, both aimed at assuring he would be able to share NLP effectively with others. (One as a Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and then another in Education, an M.S.Ed.)

Regarding his NLP training, Mr. Westenberg writes:

"On the third day of a twenty-eight day intensive training in NLP (with NLP Comprehensive in Colorado), the class watched a tape of Richard Bandler (one of the original developers of NLP) working with a woman who had severe panic attacks when people were late.  I mean late for anything - late getting back from lunch, late for a date, late showing up at her house - anything!  It appeared as if Mr. Bandler were almost teasing the woman, and sometimes even making fun of her symptoms.  The "patient" looked quite calm and in no distress, and Mr. Bandler asked her some totally off-the-wall questions.  (I had done psychiatric assessments for almost ten years when I saw the tape.  I KNEW the "right" questions you were supposed to ask to assess someone's phobias and panic attacks, and he had pretty much skipped that whole series of questions!)  He then had her move some pictures around and imagine some things, and then announced she was cured.   The really weird part was the lady didn't even "notice it."  But in her follow up interviews, she told of how the panic attacks just "suddenly disappeared."  She had sort of forgotten them, then almost expected them - but they never came back.  It seemed like a "fluke" thing to me.  I mean, he hadn't really done anything, right?

24-days later, the class watched the tape again.  By that time, I had spent four weeks learning these "simple, yet complicated" ways of watching and categorizing patterns in people's thinking and behavior.  Once you knew HOW to spot the right sequences in people's words and behavior, you could even figure out how they would tend to have little "brain short-circuits" like phobias and "panic from nowhere."  And once you could spot the sequence, you could help them change it, and change their thinking.  And then, BOOM!  Their thinking would change, their feelings would change, and their behavior would change.  Seriously and massively change!  

Watching the tape after the additional training days, the rest of the class and I sat with our jaws dropped.  Mr. Bandler was casually asking incredibly strategic interview questions.  Some of them were asked via jokes, some of them were answered non-verbally.  But every move of his hand, every shift of the images in the patient's "picture world" was absolutely strategic.  And to any graduate of the training, it was a powerful way to encapsulate and capitulate our learning.  I was amazed.  Having seen "talk therapy" done for a decade, I now watched this guy named Bandler literally make getting rid of your phobia and panic attacks an enjoyable and comfortable experience.  All the patient had to do was just sit and relax and describe the difficulty in response to some VERY strategic questions.  You could even laugh during the process, and Lordy, that appealed to me!!!! 

In the training, we also learned how to carefully sequence or "program" our own thinking, and "BOOM!" - our thinking would change, create different feelings, and thus produce different behavior in a huge variety of contexts!  About a hundred of us had it happen to ourselves and each other over and over in the training program.  And it became easy to make those same mental and emotional shifts happen in other people's thinking.  It is done by very simple but extremely carefully "packaged" questions and statements.  All of them are carefully sequenced and strategic.  (Later, in NLP Master Practitioner Training, we learned to also see and hear how incredibly carefully the word emphasis and word sequences are chosen!)"

In any type of therapy, there may be many sessions of "digging" into the problem.  And hopefully, at some point, there is a particular session where things REALLY begin to shift, and the client has some kind of "Ah-ha!" experience, and begins to change.  What NLP does is strategically create these shifts MUCH more quickly.

I find NLP amazing.  I love teaching it to people, and watching them use it to make their lives better, and make life better for the people around them.  And I usually do this without anybody knowing I am being strategic.  Every conversation becomes an opportunity to support people on their goals or help them solve their problems, and it hardly takes any effort - well, once you master the distinctions and techniques involved!

Most recently, I went to dinner with some dear friends, and one of them described how he had a new job, and was having trouble sleeping at night, because he was "rehearsing" his job at night in his dreams. He just wanted to be good at his new job. He was losing sleep, and concerned because he was getting to the point where he was tired when he would go to work. Two weeks later, I had dinner with the same friends, and the man who was previously losing sleep smiled at me and said, "Did you 'Do something' when we had dinner last time?" I smiled a Cheshire cat grin and said, 'Why do you ask?' He laughed and said he went home and slept well that night, and every night since. What I had done was a very small yet simple "NLP technique" while we were all chatting during dinner. I utilized a salt shaker as an anchor, and literally moved it around the table a few times, and finished the "technique" in less than five minutes, without ever mentioning that I was "doing anything."

For me, this is the true beauty of NLP - helping people make their lives better, silently, strategically and constantly - most often without them ever knowing I did anything to help. ALWAYS the direction of change is directed by the client! I am very careful to test changes that I offer with the client, to make sure they are a good fit for the person and their life.

I get a similar yet greatly expanded opportunity for "Silent service and support" when I work with The Radiance Technique®, which is not only much easier to utilize and apply, but also much, much easier to learn!"

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