Neuro-Linguistic Programming Therapy

Neuro-linguistic programming has been applied to achieve personal development or work-related goals, including increasing productivity and moving forward in one’s career.

It has also been used in the treatment of mental health issues such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fears and phobias
• Poor self-esteem
• Weight management
• Substance misuse
• Stress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Most studies addressing the effectiveness of NLP in treating these issues have been small in scale and have had mixed results.

Based on their sensory experiences, people develop their own preferred representational system (PRS) or unique way of viewing the world. Therapists may employ NLP techniques to identify their client’s specific PRS and adjust their communication style and therapeutic goals accordingly.

Some common NLP techniques include but are not limited to:

• Anchoring: Associating an external or internal trigger with a healthier response until it becomes automatic
• Belief changing: Replacing negative thoughts or beliefs that prevent the client from achieving their desires
• Reframing: Putting a situation in a different context to elicit an adaptive reaction instead of following the same maladaptive behavioral patterns
• Visualization: Forming a mental image of something the client wants
• Visual-kinesthetic dissociation: Guiding the client in reliving trauma by evoking an imaginative out-of-body experience

Neuro-linguistic programming is intended to help clients understand their own minds and how they come to think and behave the way they do. With the aid of NLP techniques, clients can learn to manage their moods and emotions and "reprogram" the way they process information. At the same time, NLP is designed to help clients see why they have been successful in the past and determine how they can most easily and efficiently repeat that success in other areas of their lives. NLP therapists believe that their clients have the answers to their problems within themselves; it is simply a matter of helping them draw out those answers.

Therapists who practice NLP often start by building a rapport with their client, mirroring the client’s verbal and nonverbal behavior to create empathy and connection. They will gather information about the client’s objectives and identify problem areas to work on. Along the way, they may correct any language that leads to negative thinking and faulty communication. NLP-based therapy will conclude with a plan for how the client can continue to integrate the positive behavioral changes into their daily life.

NLP therapy can be short-term or long-term, depending on the individual and the extent of the problem.

An NLP therapist is a licensed mental health professional, social worker, or therapist with additional training in NLP interventions and techniques through workshops and mentorship programs. In addition to checking credentials and experience, you should feel safe and comfortable working with any NLP therapist you choose.

You might ask a prospective NLP therapist such questions as:

• How often have you dealt with problems such as mine before?
• How do you know whether a patient is a good candidate for NLP?
• How does NLP work?
• What is a typical plan of treatment, and how long is a typical course of therapy?
• How do you measure progress?