Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Frequently Asked Questions
by Chris Collingwood NLP Trainer
1. What is NLP?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a new discipline with the expressed function of developing and teaching models of excellence in expertise and expert performance. The process of creating models of expertise is called modelling. See the articles on What is NLP? And NLP Modelling on this site.
NLP studies the patterns of language and behaviour that provide a framework for human communication and leverage for developing excellence. A distinction is made between how someone thinks and communicates and what they communicate and for NLP, the story (what) is just a carrier for the patterns (how). When communication patterns are identified, they can be enhanced, thereby improving the quality of a person’s experience and performance.
NLP patterns are often described and written in the form of processes for people to use to upgrade their thinking and increase the choices they have in their behaviour. When a pattern is written as a format or recipe, the format should not be thought of as a pattern in its own right. Each format is a limited example of one or more patterns applied to a specific situation. Students of NLP need to be aware of the patterns and should be taught to create their own examples with reference to the individual with whom they are conversing and the context of that conversation. A format written in business language will not serve in a different context and therapeutic phrasing is not appropriate for business.
2. Is NLP a type of psychotherapy?
No it is not. There are NLP models applied to personal change by some clinical psychologists and counsellors in their work. Some of the early expert models whose patterns of excellence became the first products of NLP were psychotherapists. The first models of NLP patterns were created from the communication and change patterns identified through the modelling process. Some people involved with NLP have confused the product of NLP modelling (processes and formats) with NLP itself and they belief NLP to be an approach to therapy. Unfortunately some of the people teaching NLP do not have this important distinction.
3.What are some of the areas that NLP models have been applied to?
In addition to psychotherapy, NLP models have been developed and applied to interpersonal communication, coaching, management consulting, negotiation, other conflict resolution, strategic planning, derivatives trading, sports performance including golf coaching, teaching and learning, presentation skills training, acting training, music, interviewing skills, parenting and personal development.
4. What is the relationship between NLP and psychology?
The intellectual antecedents for NLP are primarily from the cognitive sciences. Cognitive Science is a multi-disciplinary body of knowledge and includes the fields of cognitive psychology, anthropology, cognitive philosophy, artificial intelligence and linguistics. With it’s emphasis on creating practical models of expertise by studying exceptional performers rather than the average, NLP focuses on individual excellence, not statistically generated populations . Historically, psychology has taken a quantitative approach to research using statistics as its measure. NLP is a qualitative approach. When modelling an expert the measure of success is whether the modeller can achieve a similar result in the same context in a similar time frame as the expert being modelled. Once the patterns have been recognised and made explicit further testing of the model occurs through excluding one element at a time and finding out whether there is any change in the results during performance of the skill.
5. Who started NLP?
NLP was originally created by Dr. John Grinder an assistant professor of Linguistics at the University of California Santa Cruz and Richard Bandler a fourth year psychology student at the same university.
6. Who controls NLP?
Like any other discipline, nobody owns or controls NLP. There have been attempts by various people to set up associations to administer standards for training. This has resulted in a multiplicity of associations each with their own ideas and none with any authority. See the article on this site on NLP associations. There is not even any agreement among NLP trainers, training organisations and associations about what content is part of the field of NLP and what is not! Co-originator of NLP John Grinder and his partner have produced criteria for what they consider to be appropriate material to be accepted as a part of the field. We recommend trainers of NLP to read Grinder and Bostic St Clair’s book Whipering in the Wind (2001).
7. Qualifications in NLP
Originally, before Bandler and Grinder lost control of NLP, the following NLP certifications were created. Practitioner of NLP, Master Practitioner of NLP and Trainer of NLP. Each certification program involved about 20 days of training.
After Grinder and Bandler separated their business interests, some trainers introduced the new certification categories of Master Trainer of NLP, and Master Trainer Elite. Some trainers have added the category of Advanced Master Practitioner and others NLP Modeller.
Over the years the length of training for various ‘levels’ of NLP certifications has become variable. There was the introduction of the 18 day practitioner, 16 day practitioner, 12 day practitioner, 7 day practitioner and this year (2007) in Australia one NLP trainer had introduced a 3 day practitioner of NLP certification program!
Some of the purveyors of 7 day and shorter programs include distance learning materials for home study to cover material that would normally be delivered in live sessions. Home study is not suitable for NLP where used instead of live training. It could serve as an adjunct to study in a group, but only to expand on material learned and practiced with real people. As NLP studies patterns of subjective, not statistical experience, students need exposure to many different people through supervised practical exercises during training. Otherwise, they will be deprived of examples of different responses to a variety of patterns and will not be equipped to work with a range of individuals in the wider community.
We were so concerned about the slippage in the exposure and training of students in NLP patterning that 3 years ago we accredited a formal post-graduate qualification in NLP – the Graduate Certificate in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. This is 40 days of training, requires that the prospective student have a degree or advanced diploma and includes formal assessment.
8. Who can call themselves an NLP Trainer?
As there is no regulation of NLP, there is nothing to stop anybody calling themselves a practitioner, master practitioner or trainer of NLP and there are commercial users of NLP who take advantage of this.
9. If considering NLP training what can you do?
We recommend that you research the background of any NLP trainer thoroughly before you consider training with them. We also recommend finding someone with a direct connection to Grinder or Bandler, as errors and misconceptions are likely to be amplified with each generational remove. If you cannot find anyone trained by Grinder or Bandler, the next best option would be a trainer at one remove from them. Another worthwhile criterion is experience. We continue to deepen our appreciation of the subject as we train it, so a trainer with more than 10 years experience probably has an edge over a newcomer.
If a trainer or organisation claims that their programs are accredited ask accredited by whom? Then follow up the credentials of the “whom”. If they say their programs meet international standards ask whose international standards specifically and follow up that answer, too.
Training in NLP can be a wonderful life changing experience. Do your research, ask questions and make sure that the NLP training you receive fulfils the promise of the field – developing and furthering your excellence in your chosen endeavours and in the quality of your life choices.
