Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the study of modelling excellence in human behaviour. It is a highly powerful and versatile discipline that can be applied in practical and instantly effective ways in all areas of human experience.
NLP is concerned with the relationships between how we think (neuro), how we communicate (linguistic) and our patterns of behaviour and emotion (programmes). It enables us to unblock the structures of human communication and human excellence to enable us to manage our lives more effectively and develop some of the most potent tools for change, negotiation and persuasion.

NLP – a brief history

‘The study of human excellence’

NLP was founded in the 1970s by John Grinder, a Professor at UC Santa Cruz, and graduate student Richard Bandler. Having studied some of the world's most effective communicators, they arrived at the conclusion that all behaviour has a structure and, importantly, that by studying these structures it is possible to ‘model’ the way a person does things 'instinctively' and teach other people to do it.

Bandler and Grinder began by modelling outstanding communicators such as Virginia Satir, Milton Erickson, Fritz Pearl and Gregory Bateson. They observed that all these people used highly specific – though mostly unconscious - patterns when communicating. Bandler and Grinder began teaching these patterns to other people, who in turn became effective communicators. NLP was born.

Today, NLP tools and techniques are used by countless people throughout the world to improve performance and build confidence in management and leadership, sales and marketing, personal and lifestyle development, negotiation and conflict resolution. NLP techniques are also extremely effective in the treatment fear, anxiety, addiction and phobias.

Who can benefit from NLP?

Anyone who wants to improve their understanding of human behaviour, communicate more effectively, help others, learn faster and take control of their lives at a fundamental level.

The people who attend our courses come from all walks of life – from those practising or interested in psychology, to business-people, entrepreneurs, coaches, trainers, sports-people, salespeople, carers, teachers and complementary health practitioners. It is our firmly held belief that everyone can benefit from learning NLP skills, no matter what field they are in.

The Four Principles of NLP

1. First, know what you want. In any situation, have a clear outcome of what you want to achieve.
2. Remain aware and alert. Have sufficient sensory awareness of yourself and others to know when you are moving towards or away from your desired outcome.
3. Have the flexibility to be able to keep changing your behaviour until you achieve your outcome.

4. Take action now.

The presuppositions of NLP

NLP is underpinned by a number of presuppositions. These are things that are presupposed to achieve effective communication:

• The meaning of a communication is the response you get
• The map is not the territory
• Language is a secondary representation of experience
• Mind and body are parts of the same cybernetic system and affect each other
• The law of requisite variety - which states that in any cybernetic system the element or person with the widest range of behaviours or choices will control the system
• Behaviour is geared towards adaptation
• Present behaviour represents the very best choice available to a person
  Behaviour is to be evaluated and appreciated or changed as appropriate in the context presented
• People have all the resources they need to make the changes they want
• 'Possible in the world' or 'possible for me' is only a matter of how
• The highest quality information about other people is behavioural
• It is useful to make a distinction between behaviour and self
• There is no such thing as failure; there is only feedback