Did you know that Nero-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is all about understanding how human beings work? According to Ian McDermott, it’s not about fixing what doesn’t work but by looking at what we know about human behaviour when it’s at its best.
NLP was developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder at The University of California, Santa Cruz.
Gestalt therapy focuses on the here and now, rather than exploring the past, and it was Fritz Perls’ innovation of this approach that caught Bandler and Grinder’s attention.
They were interested in studying high-performing individuals to discover what made them so successful.
Virginia Satir was chosen for the study as she was well-regarded for her exceptional ability to form rapid and strong connections with her patients.
John Grinder was an assistant linguistics professor, and Richard Bandler was a psychology student.
Together, they studied three top therapists: Fritz Perls, the originator of Gestalt therapy; Virginia Satir, a family therapist and Milton Erickson, a hypnotherapist.
Bateson was also exploring the relationship between language and behaviour, which resonated with Bandler and Grinder’s objectives.
By analysing their behaviour and mindset, they created various exercises and techniques that others could model and replicate.
John and Richard lived very close to Gregory Bateson, the British anthropologist.
Bateson was officially a mentor to Bandler and Grinder, and his influence on the early development of NLP was significant.
He is best known for developing the double bind theory of schizophrenia.
Bateson also introduced Bandler and Grinder to the concept of modelling, which they used extensively in their research.
He has written on many topics – biology, cybernetics, anthropology and psychotherapy.
Bateson recognised that the patterns identified by Bandler and Grinder could be applied in various contexts, and this opened up new avenues for research within NLP.
His contribution to NLP was profound,
NLP can help you break bad habits, overcome limiting beliefs, and become more self-confident.
It does this by providing a toolkit of techniques that are designed to help people break free from negative thought patterns and behaviours, and to replace them with more positive ones.
It can also help you manage unexpected life events and challenges.
The techniques used in NLP can help to reduce the impact of past experiences and traumas, and provide individuals with the tools they need to move forward in a positive way.
So if you want to improve your communication skills, achieve your desired outcomes, or deal with difficult people, NLP might be just what you need.
Nero-linguistic programming – or NLP as commonly known – is fundamentally the study of human excellence.
According to Pure NLP, NLP is the study of successful behaviour, and the continued development of strategies and techniques to help others improve their lives.
From these initial models, NLP developed in two complementary directions.
The process of modelling is fundamental to NLP, and it involves identifying the unconscious patterns of behaviour that lead to success in a particular area.
Firstly, as a process to discover the patterns of excellence in any field, and Secondly, as the effective ways of thinking and communicating used by outstanding people.
NLP practitioners can then teach these patterns to others so that they can develop the skills and mindset required to achieve their own success.
These patterns and skills can be used in their own right and also feed back into the modelling process to make it even more powerful.
ITS NLP is one of the leading NLP training schools in the UK, providing a range of courses and certification programmes for individuals and organisations.