1. Therapist Search and Information on Psychotherapy
  2. Psychotherapy
  3. Psychotherapy: Different schools, methods and techniques
  4. Humanistic psychotherapy
  5. Neurolinguistic Programming

Neurolinguistic Programming

In the 1970s, language researcher Richard Bandler and computer scientist John Grinder investigated different treatment which are considered useful in psychotherapy and combined these with their methods with their own ideas.

Impressed by the effectiveness of the therapies of Virginia Satir (1916-1988) (family therapy), Milton Erickson (hypnotherapy) and Fritz Perls (Gestalt therapy), NLP uses learning and behavioral therapy as well as psychoanalysis, bioenergetics and hypnosis.

The name "Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)" indicated the basic components of treatment: 'Neuro' stands for the totality of internal and external processes of perception. 'Linguistic' refers to the verbal perception with which people form their individual models. 'Programming' refers to the process of organising perception and meaning.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) deals with the structure of subjective experience - how a person perceives the world and how they organize perception. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) does not strive to be a theory, it has the status of a model with aims towards usefulness. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) offers tools with which everyone can meaningfully organise and reorganise their subjective experiences to define and ensure a positive result in behaviour.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is effective in achieving personal goals by maintaining certain core values rather than by following NLP techniques exactly. Some of these core values are:

  • Any behavior has a positive intent. It is appropriate in this moment and will not be stopped until a better one is found.
  • People have all the skills to achieve their goals.
  • There are options in every problem situation.

Neuro-linguistic programming is a short-term therapy method.