Neuro- Linguistic Programming (NLP)

What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), as its name suggests refers to neurology - the functioning of the body’s nervous system. This includes other physical aspects of the body such as how we store mental and sensory information and how this creates our unique experience, or ‘map of reality’.  We use this map to find our way in the world, and this map often shows us the ‘quality’ of our lives.

The linguistic part of NLP refers to our use of language and words, and other systems we use to give us meaning.  It also refers to other ways in which we communicate, such as gestures and sounds.  The way we talk to others and the way we talk to ourselves, using words that have particular meaning for us can have an effect upon us in a positive or negative way. We can be enabled or limited by the use of words.

The programming aspect of NLP suggests the habits, patterns and grooves we find ourselves in. These may serve us well or may not be useful to us at all.  These patterns are our individual ways of behaving and most of these are automatic.

When we put these three aspects of our life together, it forms our personal and subjective experience.  NLP works within these areas.

NLP is based on the fact that we create our experience by the way we see, what we hear, and what we feel and other sensory aspects of our mind and body.  In NLP we call this ‘thinking’ so you may sometimes see NLP described as the way we think.  Our thinking can often terrorise us or energize us. When we have a specific problem we can explore our thinking and find the key to solving a problem.

How does NLP therapy work?

NLP focuses on how you create and maintain your own map of reality.  Our brain constantly makes meanings of things that happen, or things we are thinking of.  What we see, hear and feel form a circuit of thoughts, and patterns in thinking and some unhelpful habits can be formed. This circuit can be, if chosen, re-organised and re-routed to serve us better, and we can respond both in thinking and behaving in a different way to our experience. This can have a positive physiological effect on the body too.

By reinforcing certain helpful beliefs and using our neurology, our language and our physiology we can create alternative meanings and revise our map of our reality for physical and psychological health and well-being.

What happens in an NLP session?

NLP involves using the mind and the body. The use of NLP in medical care requires the therapist to consider the whole person (physical, psychological, mental, emotional, social and spiritual).  The therapist listens very carefully to what you say and how you say it.  They will also observe your movements quite closely since these often give clues to how you think.  Having this information enables the therapist to design a suitable intervention.

The aim of therapy is to develop choices.  The possibility of something positive emerging from challenging circumstances or illness can be appealing to many people. Facing challenges and creating renewal is part of our function as human beings.  With useful beliefs in place we can begin to explore possibilities and embark on a journey towards change. 

What can NLP be used for?

Its applications are wide ranging. NLP in medical and health care focuses on the imbalance within the mind-body system.  The mind is constantly working with millions of bits of information coming from inside and outside of us.  Much of this information is filtered by your unconscious mind.  When imbalance occurs this gives rise to symptoms of distress and dis - ease.  These symptoms express themselves in the body cells and the mind.  You and your therapist will work together to make the desired changes.

Number and length of appointments:

Individual appointments are an hour long. You may need a course of up to three treatments.

For a pdf factsheet please click  here.