What is NLP?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) has had many different definitions. Richard Bandler a student with interest in computer and gestalt therapy along with John Grinder, a professor of linguistics, were the original modelers of NLP. Bandler once defined NLP as "an attitude and methodology that leaves behind a trial of techniques." Grinder defined NLP as, "the study of excellence and how to reproduce it."

NLP is not about therapy. NLP is about identifying and recreating excellence. NLP is however, most often thought about in the context of therapy because Bandler and Grinder modeled Milton Erickson, Virginia Satir, Fritz Perls and Gregory Bateson in the original NLP model. Bandler being very interested in human behavior was drawn to how people do what they do (and what motivates people). Erickson, Satir, Perls and Bateson demonstrated excellence in their respective fields of therapy and so they were the natural choice to model for human behavior.

There are NLP models of sales, NLP models of target shooting, golf, wealth and so on.

NLP describes how we do what we do. I define NLP Like this... When you buy a car (or blender) they give you a manual for how to run it right? When you where born into your amazing body, no one gave you a manual. NLP is the manual for how your mind/body works.

NLP blends cognitive and behavioral aspects of how we create behavior. That behavior can be excellence in sports, excellence in sales, excellence in health or excellence in memory.

Excellence in therapy? Yep. That is the original NLP model.

Be amazing,
-Lane