Answering the question What is NLP?; Neuro-linguistic programming is a study involving psychotherapy. NLP links spoken communication, body movements and facial expressions to determine the message a person is communicating. This study is useful in gauging memories and their influence on an individual’s behavior. Businesses, sports teams, therapists and other practitioners use this study.
It was at the University of California – Santa Cruz where psychologist Dr. John Grinder and undergraduate student Richard Bandler created NLP. Based on the Gestalt theory in psychotherapy, nero-linguisitic programming bridged the relationship between cognitive behavior patterns and communication. This is the core basis of NLP.
Communication is not only spoken word but also expressed through motion, posture, eyes, etc. The underlying principle of NLP is based on an understanding of what a person is communicating. A person experiencing emotional difficulties, for example, may express more in their body positioning than through language.
The practice became part of the self-help craze of the early 1990s. It was touted as a way to access repressed memories and gain control of your emotional, physical and financial life. Such a view may be limiting however as many practitioners argue that the secret of NLP is a dynamic, not static discipline. Behavioral changes take place over time and are complicated by the evolving nature of a person’s personality. A 30-minute infomercial may not due true justice to unlocking the mysteries of human evolution.
A lawsuit in 1997 between Grinder and Bandler determined that the two co-created NLP. This brought to an end a period of contention between the two men. There are several associations throughout the world that train NLP practitioners. With out an overall governing or standards body for the discipline. Caution should be expressed when seeking the advice of an individual engaged in the practice of NLP.
