Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a highly debated topic in the world of psychology and self-help. Some people view it as a “pseudo-science,” while others argue that it is an effective tool for personal change and helping others make positive changes in their lives. I know that NLP is an amazing, effective, and powerful tool for personal change and success-generating strategies. How do I know? The hundreds and hundreds of happy NLP client success testimonials on my website is good evidence. And I’ve had my own personal successes with NLP. My decades-long spider phobia went “poof” in seconds with NLP 16 years ago, never to return.
The idea that NLP is a pseudo-science is based on the erroneous assumption that it can or should be measured scientifically. It cannot! NLP cannot be measured scientifically in the traditional sense because it is a communication-based approach to personal change, and every communicator and communication is different. This work is at its core a conversation between the NLP practitioner’s conscious mind and the client’s unconscious mind. Every NLP practitioner has a different skill set, level of creativity, and facility with language, and every NLP session is unique. Every client’s level of successful collaboration and understanding is different, as well.
How can you measure the effectiveness of a conversation scientifically? You can’t. The proof of NLP’s effectiveness is in the changes that the client experiences in their behaviors and mindset. NLP is a holistic approach to personal change that recognizes the importance of the mind-body connection.
What kind of changes are we talking about? By working with the client’s unconscious mind, NLP practitioners help their clients make positive changes of all varieties. A partial list, in no particular order: NLP can help people overcome fears, phobias, and turn off unwanted habits. It can also help people improve their relationships, communication skills, sports performance, business performance, remove limiting beliefs, take on resourceful emotions like confidence and motivation and creativity, develop positive self-talk, see themselves successful, accelerate physical healing, sleep improvement, and more and more and more.
NLP is an amazing, effective, and powerful tool for personal change and achieving goals of every variety. While it cannot be measured scientifically, the changes that clients experience speak for themselves. If you are looking to make positive changes in your life, NLP is a valuable tool to consider. It is both effective and versatile.
Copyright© Connie Brannan, CHt. , 2023. All rights reserved.
