The Holistic Centre - Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) may be best described as a body of ideas. What these ideas have in common is the idea that what any human being can do, all human beings can in principle also do. Thus, students of NLP have been able to break planks with a hand or walk on red hot coals after a singles day's study. Advanced practitioners have been able to learn languages in weeks and masters thick textbooks overnight.

In education, 'special needs' pupils have been able to succeed in subjects that might not otherwise attempt and advanced pupils to go as fast as they choose. In sales it means that the desire of the salesperson is what dictates results rather than education, background or conventional experience. All he need do is pay close attention to what has made other successful. In performance, NLP allows an actor to be rather than impersonate. Convincing acting is often not about accent, posture, background or the more obvious characteristics. In relationships then, it is never too late to inject new life and where there is none, reasons can be identified and worked with.

It follows that an NLP therapist can know a patient's problem than simply observe it. Anything psychosomatic is easily dealt with and many practitioners would say there are few ailments that are not. All that is truly required is that the patient wants to get better.

The difference that makes the difference:

Central to all success is 'the difference that makes the difference'. Many teachers do not know why they are masters of their subject and teach wholesale what they themselves learned. Very often the bulk of this is unimportant and some may actually be unhelpful. Once isolated, the essential, what 'makes the difference' can instill mastery in a fraction of the usual time.

In human achievement the inevitable conclusion is that anyone's potential is everyone's potential. We are all geniuses, all high-achievers. In all these fields what a skilled NLP operative can do is identify what matters and what does not.

What is the role of NLP in complementary therapy?

To duplicate excellence, what is required is to identify the 'difference that makes the difference'. What is crucial and what is incidental? What is better left out?
Everyone excels at some things and not at others. Where we are skilled we probably incorporate what makes the difference and where we are not, probably we don't. The same is true of illness. What is it that is making the patient ill? Once we identify this we can work with it. The cause of illness is if you like, 'the difference that fails to make the difference'. Frequently it is not what on first inspection might have been assumed.

Many practitioners will see little to differentiate psychosomatic problems from any others. But the more physical a symptom, the less psychosomatic it seems to be. Some draw a firm line between the two categories. At any given time we all occupy a space in a spectrum from stuck to fully expressed. We may be a millionaire, a great athlete or someone very average. The 'difference that makes the difference' can be effectively applied to helping a star sportsman communicate or a tycoon learn contentment. Just as it can help a depressed person enjoy life or a relationship come to life.

In every case, the crucial ingredient is the desire for change.

Reprinted from 'Small Miracles' Richard Ashworth 2001

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