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NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP)
(Information for Practice)
Page 1 of 7
WHAT IS NLP?
THE ORIGINATORS:
RICHARD BANDLER AND
JOHN GRINDER
NLP originated in the United States in the mid
-1970s when John Grinder, then Assistant Professor of Linguistics at University
of California, Santa Cruz, and Richard Bandler, who was a student of mathematics
and computer science, began to study the work of top therapists. The therapists
they studied, in consummate detail, were Fritz
Perls, a leading exponent of Gestalt
therapy, Virginia Satir, an extraordinarily capable family therapist, and
Milton Erickson, the world-renowned hypnotherapist.
Bandler and Grinder were concerned to know how
their chosen subjects were so good at what they did. What common elements
were hidden in their work with people that enabled such a level of success? This
sort of study, more or less revolutionary at the time, is now more commonplace
and has become known as the Study of Excellence.
The three therapists studied were very
different in personality. However, Grinder and Bandler were able to discern
similar underlying patterns in their therapeutic work. These patterns were
discussed at great length with the British anthropologist and communication
theorist Gregory Bateson, who was living nearby at the time. From these
discussions came the books The Structure of Magic (1975 & 1976, Vols.
1 & 2) and Patterns (1975 & 1977, Vols. 1 & 2). The second
set of books was particularly concerned with explicating the style of Milton
Erickson. There are many videos of Bandler and other pioneers of NLP available
on YouTube.
One thing must be understood - NLP represents
and is a distillation of much that is really a form of Cognitive-Behavioural
Therapy. It is intimately connected to Brief Therapy (many of the techniques
directly cross over) and may usefully be combined into a set of proven
therapeutic tools. A thorough grounding in NLP enables all those concerned with
therapeutic work (or any work that involves dealing with people) to have at their disposal a really powerful set of
rapport-building, influence and change techniques.
NLP techniques are well worth knowing
about and represent a set of powerful tools of interest to anyone who works with
people.
Click on NLP Page 2 button below to continue
this brief survey of NLP.
NLP training options exist with
Osiris College in terms of an Introductory
three day NLP and Brief Therapy (solution focused) course which acts as a
precursor to the Osiris College twelve day (four 3 day Modules) Practitioner
course in NLP & Brief Therapy. See: -
Osiris College:
Introduction to NLP & SFBT course
Osiris College:
NLP & SFBT Practitioner course
NLP is also taught on our Models
of Intervention course and aspects also feature in our Brief
Therapy course.
Click here to return to Child Care courses
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