What Is NLP? A Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Its Techniques and Applications
Updated: Oct 17
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is an approach to communication, personal development and behavioural change that explores how people connect their experiences, language, thoughts and behaviours. Developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, NLP includes techniques such as modelling, anchoring, reframing and the Meta Model. Its concepts are used in coaching, training and communication, although scientific evidence for many of its specific claims and therapeutic benefits remains limited.
What is NLP, and how is it defined?
John Grinder and Carmen Bostic St Clair describe NLP in Whispering in the Wind as a modelling technology concerned with identifying the differences that distinguish exceptional performance from average performance in the same field. The objective of modelling is to make those differences explicit, transferable and learnable. In this approach, NLP seeks to map tacit knowledge, the knowledge people may use without being able to explain it fully—into an explicit model that others can study and practise.
Michael Carroll has also described NLP as a methodology for explicitly mapping and tracking human experience for the purposes of modelling, effective communication and change. These definitions reflect the perspective of NLP practitioners and developers. They describe the aims of the field rather than independently establishing the effectiveness of every NLP technique.
Who founded NLP, and how did it develop?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming emerged in the early 1970s at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Richard Bandler and John Grinder became its best-known co-developers, drawing on observations of therapists and communicators whose work they sought to model.
Their early work focused on three influential figures:
Fritz Perls, associated with Gestalt therapy.
Virginia Satir, known for her work in family therapy.
Milton H. Erickson, a psychiatrist and influential practitioner of medical hypnosis.
Bandler and Grinder published The Structure of Magic, Volume I in 1975, followed by Volume II in 1976. These books explored language, communication and the patterns the authors believed could be modelled from therapeutic practice. Gregory Bateson was another important intellectual influence on the development of NLP. His work on communication, systems and human behaviour influenced the wider environment in which NLP developed.
Other contributors to the development of NLP and its later models include Robert Dilts, Steve Andreas, Connirae Andreas, Judith DeLozier and Frank Pucelik. Their contributions span modelling, communication, change techniques and the development of different NLP approaches. NLP subsequently developed into a collection of models, methods and training approaches. Different schools and practitioners may interpret its principles and techniques differently.
What does Neuro-Linguistic Programming mean?
The name Neuro-Linguistic Programming is commonly explained through three components: neuro, linguistic and programming.
What does “Neuro” mean in NLP?
Neuro refers to the nervous system and the sensory processes through which we experience the world. We receive information through our senses, interpret experiences and respond through thoughts, emotions and behaviour. NLP explores how people represent and organise their experiences, although its particular explanations of these processes should not be confused with a complete scientific account of neuroscience.
What does “Linguistic” mean in NLP?
Linguistic refers to language and the ways people use words and other forms of communication to represent experiences. Language can influence how we describe a situation, explain a problem, communicate our intentions and interpret what others say.
For example, saying “I cannot do this” describes a limitation, whereas asking “What would help me do this?” opens a different line of inquiry. The wording alone does not guarantee a change in ability, but it can influence how we approach a problem.
What does “Programming” mean in NLP?
Programming refers to the patterns of thought and behaviour that NLP practitioners explore and seek to modify. These patterns may include habits, responses to particular situations, learned strategies and ways of interpreting experiences.
The term is a metaphor used within NLP. It does not mean that human beings operate like computers or that every behaviour can be changed through a simple mental programme. Together, these three terms describe NLP’s interest in the relationship between sensory experience, language and patterns of behaviour.
What is the neurological system’s role in NLP?
Within NLP, the nervous system is considered central to the way people experience and respond to the world.
The body receives sensory information, the brain processes and integrates information, and the person responds through perception, thought, emotion and behaviour. Language provides another way to represent experiences and communicate them to others. NLP uses models to explore these relationships. For example, a practitioner may ask a person to describe a difficult experience in more detail, notice the words they use and consider whether a different interpretation or response is possible.
However, NLP’s models are not equivalent to established neurological explanations. The relationship between the brain, language and behaviour is a broad area of scientific research, and individual NLP concepts require their own evidence.
What are NLP presuppositions?
NLP presuppositions are principles or assumptions commonly used by NLP practitioners to guide communication, coaching and personal development. They are intended to encourage flexibility, curiosity and a willingness to explore different perspectives.
They are best understood as working principles within NLP rather than universal scientific facts.
Respect for the other person’s model of the world
People interpret experiences through their own histories, beliefs, expectations and perspectives. Respecting another person’s model of the world means listening to how they understand a situation, even when their interpretation differs from yours.
The meaning of communication is the response you get
This principle encourages communicators to pay attention to how their message is received, not just what they intended to say. If a message is misunderstood, the communicator can clarify it or try another approach rather than assuming that the listener is at fault.
The mind and body affect each other
Thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviour can influence one another. For example, stress may affect breathing and muscle tension, while physical discomfort may influence mood and concentration.
The map is not the territory
People respond partly to their interpretations and representations of events rather than to every detail of reality. Two people may experience the same meeting differently because they notice and interpret different aspects of it.
Every behaviour has a positive intention
This presupposition encourages practitioners to explore what a behaviour may be trying to achieve for the person. It does not mean that every behaviour is beneficial, harmless or consciously motivated by a positive intention.
People do the best they can with the resources available to them
This principle encourages curiosity about the circumstances, knowledge and resources influencing someone’s choices. It does not remove personal responsibility or mean that every decision is the best possible decision.
Behaviour is geared towards adaptation
Behaviours can develop as ways of responding to a particular environment or situation. A response that once seemed useful may become less helpful when circumstances change.
Accept the person; change the behaviour
This principle distinguishes a person’s worth from a particular action. It encourages feedback that addresses behaviour without reducing an individual to a mistake or difficulty.
Behaviour and change must be evaluated in context
A behaviour may have different effects in different settings. A response that is appropriate in one situation may be unhelpful in another.
People have resources they can use or develop
This presupposition encourages practitioners to identify strengths, skills, support and opportunities for learning. It should not be interpreted as meaning that everyone already has every resource needed to overcome every difficulty.
Possibility can be explored through new choices
NLP encourages people to consider alternatives to their current strategies. Exploring a new possibility does not guarantee that it will be achievable, but it may help identify practical next steps.
Flexibility creates more options
The principle of requisite variety is associated with systems thinking and is commonly used in NLP to emphasise the value of having a range of responses available. Greater flexibility may help a person adapt to changing circumstances.
There is no failure, only feedback
This principle encourages people to treat setbacks as opportunities to learn. It does not mean that mistakes have no consequences; it means that reflecting on them may help inform future decisions.
There are no resistant clients, only inflexible communicators
This is an NLP presupposition that encourages practitioners to consider whether their communication approach needs to change. In practice, people may have legitimate reasons to disagree, decline an intervention or set boundaries, and these choices should be respected.
Having choices is better than having no choices
This principle encourages the development of options and personal flexibility. The goal is to expand a person’s ability to respond appropriately rather than insist on one prescribed behaviour.
Change should support the wider system
NLP practitioners sometimes refer to this as ecology: considering the broader consequences of a change for the individual, their relationships and their environment. These presuppositions can provide prompts for reflection and communication. Their usefulness depends on how thoughtfully they are applied, rather than on treating each one as an established law of human behaviour
How does NLP work?
NLP is based on the idea that people develop internal maps of the world through experience. These maps represent how they understand situations and may influence how they respond. NLP practitioners use language, observation, questioning and structured exercises to explore these representations and help people consider alternative responses.
For example, someone who says, “I always fail when I have to speak in public,” may be invited to identify the specific situations in which they have struggled, recognise exceptions and explore what might help them prepare differently.
This approach may encourage reflection and more flexible thinking. However, it is important to distinguish the use of NLP exercises from evidence that NLP can reliably treat psychological disorders.
What are the applications and uses of NLP?
NLP techniques are used in a range of settings, particularly communication, coaching, professional development and training.
Business and leadership
NLP-based communication exercises may be used in sales, presentations, negotiation, leadership development, customer relations and teamwork. Their usefulness depends on the technique and the quality of the training.
Coaching and personal development
Some coaches use goal-setting, reframing, reflection and communication exercises to help clients clarify objectives and consider alternative approaches.
Education
NLP-inspired questioning and reflection exercises may be incorporated into teaching or training. Claims that specific NLP models reliably improve learning should be evaluated against educational research.
Sports and performance
Some practitioners use goal-setting, imagery and state-management exercises to support preparation and performance. The evidence for NLP-specific benefits is limited, and established sports psychology methods should be considered separately.
Therapy and wellbeing
NLP is sometimes promoted for anxiety, phobias and other psychological concerns. However, a systematic review found little evidence that NLP interventions improve health-related outcomes, with the available studies limited in number and quality. NLP should not be presented as a proven treatment for mental health disorders.
What are th benefits of NLP
NLP practitioners and training providers commonly describe the following as potential benefits of using NLP techniques:
Greater clarity about goals, values and priorities.
More awareness of habitual thinking and behaviour.
Opportunities to reconsider limiting beliefs.
Improved attention to language and communication.
Practice in public speaking, presentations and interpersonal skills.
Greater awareness of emotional responses and coping strategies.
More flexibility when approaching challenges.
Reflection on personal habits and relationships.
Opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills.
Increased awareness of different perspectives.
These are intended outcomes rather than guaranteed results. The degree to which a person benefits depends on the specific activity, their circumstances and the evidence supporting the method used. NLP-specific claims should not be confused with the benefits of general skills such as active listening, goal-setting or reflective practice.
What is New Code NLP?
New Code NLP is an approach developed by John Grinder, initially with Judith DeLozier and later with Carmen Bostic St Clair. It was designed to address what Grinder viewed as limitations in Classic Code NLP and to emphasise state, unconscious processing and generative change.
New Code NLP places particular emphasis on involving the client in the process of selecting and integrating new behaviours. Its principles include:
The client’s participation: The client is actively involved in the process of identifying desired changes and possible new behaviours.
Unconscious processing: The approach explicitly assigns a role to unconscious processes in selecting or integrating responses. This is a theoretical premise of the model, not a universally established mechanism.
Positive intention: New behaviours are intended to address the function or intention associated with the behaviour being changed.
State and intention: The approach focuses on a person’s state and intention, rather than concentrating exclusively on changing an outward behaviour.
Generative change: The aim is to develop more flexible responses that can be applied beyond a single situation.
What is the New Code NLP change format?
The format described in New Code NLP uses a sequence of steps intended to help a client access a different state and apply it to a desired context.
Identify the context: Clarify the situation in which the client wants a different experience or response, considering it from a third-person perspective.
Associate with the desired context: Explore the situation from the client’s own perspective and identify the relevant experience or response.
Enter a separator state: Use a break state to shift attention away from the immediate issue.
Access a high-performance or “know-nothing” state: Engage in a game or another exercise intended to support a different state.
Return to the target context: The coach guides the client back to the situation and invites them to notice whether a different response is available.
The coach observes the client’s responses throughout the process. In NLP terminology, this may include calibration.
The sequence above summarises a model used within New Code NLP. Its use does not establish that the process reliably produces lasting change, and outcomes should be assessed in context rather than assumed.
Table 1: Difference between Classic NLP and New Code NLP:
What are the main NLP strategies and techniques?
NLP includes a range of models and exercises. The following sections describe techniques commonly associated with NLP and explain their intended uses without assuming that all claims about their effectiveness have been scientifically established.
What is the NLP allergy technique?
The NLP allergy technique is promoted in some NLP training materials as a way of changing responses associated with allergens. Some accounts claim that it can reduce or eliminate symptoms related to pollen, smoke, foods and other substances. These claims should not be treated as proof that the technique cures allergies. Allergies can cause severe and potentially life-threatening reactions, and there is insufficient evidence to establish NLP as an effective allergy treatment. Do not use an NLP exercise in place of medical assessment or prescribed allergy management.
What is anchoring in NLP?
Anchoring refers to associating a stimulus with a particular internal response so that the response may later be recalled or re-experienced when the stimulus occurs. In NLP, an anchor might be a gesture, word, sound, image or other cue associated with an emotional or mental state.
Practitioners commonly describe the following as factors that may influence an anchoring exercise:
Timing: The cue is introduced at a chosen point during the experience.
Intensity: The person attends to the state being associated with the cue.
Repetition: The association may be practised more than once.
Uniqueness: The cue is intended to be distinctive.
State: The exercise focuses on the experience the practitioner wishes to associate with the cue.
NLP practitioners may also describe combining anchors, chaining anchors or collapsing anchors. These terms refer to different ways of organising cues and responses within NLP exercises. Anchoring is commonly used in NLP training for state management and reflection. It should not be assumed to remove the effects of traumatic experiences or reliably change a psychological condition.
What is Clean Language?
Clean Language is a questioning approach developed by counselling psychologist David Grove. It uses carefully structured questions that aim to preserve the person’s own words and metaphors rather than replacing them with the questioner’s assumptions. For example, if a person says, “I feel stuck,” a Clean Language question might explore what “stuck” means to that person and what else they notice about the experience.
The aim is to help the individual examine their own description and discover meanings or possibilities they may not have considered. Clean Language is used in various contexts, including coaching, therapy, education and organisational work. Its use should remain sensitive to the person’s needs, boundaries and circumstances.
What are embedded commands in NLP?
Embedded commands are described in NLP as directives placed within a longer sentence and emphasised through features such as tone, timing or gesture.
For example, a speaker might say, “As you consider the options, take a moment to think about what matters most to you.”
NLP training sometimes presents embedded commands as a way of influencing a listener’s experience or behaviour. However, there is insufficient evidence to support strong claims that such commands reliably bypass conscious awareness or control another person’s thoughts. In professional communication, language should be used transparently and respectfully. A person’s autonomy and ability to disagree should always be respected.
What are matching and mirroring?
Mirroring refers to subtly reflecting aspects of another person’s behaviour, while matching may involve adopting a similar posture, movement or communication pattern after a short delay.
Examples of behaviours that NLP practitioners may discuss include:
Body posture
Hand gestures
Facial expressions
Weight shifts
Breathing patterns
Foot movements
Eye movements
For example, if a seated client leans forward while explaining a concern, a practitioner may naturally adjust their own posture to convey attentiveness. Matching and mirroring should be discreet and respectful rather than exaggerated or imitative.
These techniques are used in NLP to encourage rapport, but they do not guarantee trust or agreement. Genuine listening, respect and clear communication remain essential.
What is the Meta Model in NLP?
The NLP Meta Model is a set of questions designed to clarify the meaning of language, identify missing information and explore broad or ambiguous statements. It was developed in the early NLP work of Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
The Meta Model commonly examines three broad language patterns: distortion, generalisation and deletion.
Distortion involves language that may change or add interpretations to the information being described. Examples discussed in NLP include:
Mind reading
Cause-and-effect assumptions
Complex equivalence
Presuppositions
Performative statements
Generalisation occurs when a particular experience is treated as representative of a wider category. Examples include universal quantifiers, such as “always” or “never,” and modal operators that express necessity or possibility.
Deletion occurs when relevant details are left out of a statement. Examples include nominalisations, unspecified verbs, simple deletions and comparative deletions.
The Meta Model is commonly used to:
Gather information.
Clarify meaning.
Identify limits or assumptions in a statement.
Explore alternative choices.
Ask more specific questions about a person’s experience.
For example, a person might say, “Nobody respects me.” A Meta Model question could be, “Who specifically are you thinking of?” or “What happened that made you feel disrespected?”
The intention is to help the person examine their own statement more closely. The Meta Model is an NLP framework; it should not be treated as a validated diagnostic tool or as proof that a practitioner can uncover hidden truths simply by questioning someone.
What are Meta Programs?
Meta Programs are described in NLP as patterns through which people attend to, organise and interpret information. Different NLP authors and practitioners use different classifications, and there is no single universally accepted list.
Examples commonly discussed include:
Towards vs. away from: Focusing on desired outcomes or on avoiding unwanted outcomes.
Matching vs. mismatching: Emphasising similarities or differences when comparing information.
Internal vs. external frame of reference: Relying more on personal judgement or on external feedback.
Sorting by self vs. others: Giving greater attention to one’s own needs or to the needs and responses of other people.
Possibility vs. necessity: Focusing on available options or on what needs to be done.
Best-case vs. worst-case thinking: Tending to consider favourable or unfavourable possible outcomes.
Big-chunk vs. little-chunk thinking: Preferring broader summaries or more detailed information.
Association vs. dissociation: Experiencing a situation from within one’s own perspective or observing it from a more detached viewpoint.
Within NLP, these patterns are generally considered context-dependent rather than inherently good or bad. A preference that is useful in one situation may be less useful in another. They can provide prompts for discussion, but they should not be used as fixed personality labels or assumed to be validated psychological categories
What is Modelling?
Modelling is a central concept in NLP. It involves observing and analysing the strategies, language and behaviours of a person in an attempt to understand how they perform a particular task.
NLP practitioners aim to identify patterns that can be described and practised by others.
The commonly described goals of modelling include:
Developing strategies intended to improve performance.
Studying ineffective patterns to understand what may need to change.
Understanding how another person approaches a task or situation.
Exploring how a strategy might be adapted to a different context.
Improving awareness of one’s own thinking and learning processes.
Modelling can encourage structured observation and reflection. However, observing a successful person does not automatically reveal the cause of their success, and a strategy that works for one person may not work equally well for another.
What are Neurological Levels?
The NLP logical levels model is associated with Robert Dilts, who developed a framework influenced by Gregory Bateson’s work on levels of learning. It is used in NLP to organise questions about change across different aspects of a person’s life.
The model commonly considers:
Environment: Where and when does the situation occur?
Behaviour: What actions or responses take place?
Capabilities: What skills or strategies are involved?
Beliefs and values: What assumptions or priorities influence the situation?
Identity: How does the person understand their role or sense of self?
Purpose or wider system: How does the situation relate to something larger than the individual?
The exact labels and arrangement can vary between versions of the model. Practitioners use these levels to explore whether a challenge is connected to circumstances, behaviour, skills, beliefs or broader goals. For example, a person who struggles with presentations might explore both practical skills and beliefs about public speaking.
The logical levels model is an NLP framework, not an established map of neurological structures or a universally validated hierarchy of human functioning.
What are pacing and leading?
Pacing refers to acknowledging the other person’s current experience or perspective. Leading refers to inviting the interaction towards a different direction after establishing understanding. For example, a trainer might first acknowledge that a new process feels unfamiliar to a team and then explain how the process could be practised step by step.
NLP practitioners associate pacing and leading with rapport and communication. In practice, the approach is most appropriate when it involves genuine understanding, clear intentions and respect for the other person’s choices. It should not be used to manipulate someone into agreement.
What are Perceptial positions ?
Perceptual positions is an NLP exercise associated with John Grinder and Judith DeLozier. It encourages a person to consider a situation from more than one viewpoint.
The exercise is commonly described through three positions:
First position: Considering the situation from one’s own perspective.
Second position: Imagining how the situation might appear from another person’s perspective.
Third position: Observing the interaction from a more detached viewpoint.
Some versions of the exercise include additional perspectives
Perceptual positions may be used to explore:
Self-awareness and personal assumptions.
Empathy and alternative viewpoints.
A more detached description of a situation.
Different ways of responding to a conflict or relationship challenge.
For example, before a difficult conversation, someone might consider what they want to communicate, what the other person might be concerned about and what an impartial observer might notice. The exercise can encourage perspective-taking, but imagining another person’s viewpoint does not mean that we know what they actually think. Asking them directly remains important.
What is the fast phobia technique?
The fast phobia technique is an NLP method intended to change a person’s response to a feared situation through guided imagery and changes in how the experience is mentally represented. Some versions involve imagining a feared event from a detached perspective, changing features of the mental image and reviewing the event in a structured way.
NLP training materials may describe this as a way of reducing fear. However, claims that the technique is a quick or reliable cure for phobias or trauma are not established by strong clinical evidence. The systematic review of NLP and health outcomes found insufficient evidence to support broad claims of therapeutic effectiveness.
People experiencing persistent or severe phobias should consider evidence-based professional treatment. Trauma-related exercises should be approached with appropriate care and should not be undertaken in ways that cause unnecessary distress.
What is reframing in NLP?
Reframing involves considering a situation from a different perspective or changing the meaning assigned to it. It is used in NLP and other approaches to communication and personal development. For example, someone who says, “I made a mistake, so I am incapable,” might explore the alternative interpretation, “I made a mistake, and I can identify what I need to learn.”
The purpose is not to deny the problem or force a positive interpretation. It is to examine whether a different perspective could provide more useful choices.
NLP commonly describes two types of reframing:
Content reframing: Changing the interpretation of a particular behaviour or event.
Context reframing : Considering whether a behaviour might have a different meaning or use in another context.
The six-step reframing is another NLP technique associated with exploring the possible function or intention behind a behaviour and identifying alternative responses. These techniques are intended to support reflection and flexibility. They do not establish that every unwanted behaviour has a positive intention or that reframing alone can treat medical or psychological conditions.
What is sensory acuity in NLP?
Sensory acuity refers to paying close attention to observable details in an interaction, such as changes in facial expression, posture, breathing and voice. For example, a practitioner may notice that a person’s voice becomes quieter or their posture changes while discussing a particular topic.
Within NLP, sensory acuity is often used alongside calibration. The practitioner aims to describe what they observe rather than immediately assume what the other person is thinking or feeling. The practice can encourage attentiveness and help identify moments when clarification may be useful. However, observable changes do not provide direct access to another person’s internal state. The context and the person’s own explanation matter.
What are submodalities in NLP?
Submodalities refer to the qualities of sensory representations as described within NLP. These may include the size, brightness or distance of an imagined image; the volume or location of an imagined sound; or the intensity and location of a remembered sensation.
NLP commonly discusses several sensory modalities:
Visual: Seeing or imagining images.
Auditory: Hearing sounds or internal speech.
Kinesthetic: Experiencing bodily sensations and feelings.
Olfactory: Smell.
Gustatory: Taste.
For example, a person may remember an event as a vivid image or as a vague, distant scene. NLP exercises sometimes invite people to change the qualities of these mental representations and observe whether their subjective experience changes. Such exercises are part of NLP practice. Their effects should not be assumed to be universal or equivalent to a clinically established treatment.
What is the NLP Swish Pattern?
The Swish Pattern is an NLP exercise intended to help a person replace an unwanted response or mental pattern with a preferred one.A typical version involves identifying a cue associated with the unwanted response, imagining a preferred response and mentally transitioning from one representation to the other. The term “swish” refers to the rapid transition used in the exercise.
Practitioners may use the technique to explore habits, reactions or performance-related goals.
The Swish Pattern is an NLP technique, and its effectiveness should not be assumed for every behaviour or psychological concern. It is not a substitute for appropriate treatment where a person has a clinical condition.
What is Timeline Therapy
Time Line Therapy (TLT) is an approach developed by Tad James in the 1980s and associated with NLP and hypnosis. It uses a metaphorical representation of time and memory to help people reflect on past experiences, present concerns and future goals.
Practitioners describe the process as a way to work with unwanted emotions and limiting decisions associated with past events.
Common aims include:
Reflecting on difficult emotions associated with past experiences.
Examining beliefs or decisions that may be limiting current choices.
Identifying lessons or resources that could inform future goals.
Some training materials claim that TLT can produce rapid, lasting transformation or eliminate painful emotions. These outcomes should not be presented as established clinical facts; strong independent evidence for such claims is lacking. People experiencing significant emotional distress or trauma should seek appropriately qualified professional support.
What is Visual Kinaesthetic Dissociation?
Visual Kinaesthetic Dissociation (VKD), sometimes called the Rewind technique in NLP-related settings, involves reviewing a distressing memory through guided imagery from a more detached visual perspective. In some versions, the person imagines watching the event from a distance or from the perspective of an observer rather than experiencing it from within the scene.
The intended aim is to help the person relate to the memory differently and reduce distress. However, claims that VKD reliably treats trauma or phobias should be distinguished from evidence-based treatments that have been evaluated in clinical research. The method should not be assumed to be suitable for everyone, and trauma-related work requires appropriate care.
What is the Walt Disney Strategy in NLP?
The Walt Disney Strategy is an NLP exercise associated with Todd Epstein and Robert Dilts. It is based on the idea of separating three ways of thinking about an idea:
Dreamer: Imagining possibilities and generating ideas.
Realist: Considering how the idea could be implemented.
Critic: Examining limitations, risks and areas that need improvement.
The exercise is intended to help people move between creative thinking, practical planning and critical evaluation rather than trying to do all three at once. For example, someone developing a new project might first generate possibilities without judging them, then plan the resources and steps required, and finally examine risks or assumptions that need to be addressed.
This strategy can serve as a structured brainstorming exercise. Its association with Walt Disney is part of the model’s origin story and should not be taken as proof that the exact process has been independently established as his personal working method. There are many additional models and techniques associated with NLP. Their usefulness depends on the goal, the way the exercise is applied and the evidence supporting the intended outcome.
What is the overall purpose of NLP?
NLP brings together models and techniques intended to explore communication, subjective experience, patterns of behaviour and personal change. Its history reflects an interest in studying how people communicate and how strategies associated with successful performance might be described and learned.
Some NLP exercises encourage useful practices, such as asking clearer questions, reflecting on assumptions, considering different perspectives and setting goals. However, the effectiveness of these practices should be assessed individually rather than assuming that every NLP technique is effective because it belongs to the same field.
A systematic review by Sturt and colleagues examined the available experimental research on NLP and health outcomes. The review found little evidence supporting its effectiveness for health-related outcomes and highlighted limitations in the quantity and quality of the research.
This does not mean that every activity associated with NLP is necessarily unhelpful. It means that its claims should be evaluated carefully, particularly when they concern the treatment of psychological or medical conditions.
Conclusion
Neuro-Linguistic Programming developed in the 1970s through the work of Richard Bandler, John Grinder and other early contributors. It explores the relationships between language, subjective experience, communication and behaviour through a collection of models and techniques. From anchoring and reframing to the Meta Model, sensory acuity and perceptual positions, NLP offers structured ways to examine how people describe experiences and consider alternative responses.
Its techniques are used in coaching, training and professional development, although the scientific evidence supporting NLP as a distinct therapeutic approach remains limited. Understanding this distinction allows us to explore its ideas critically and use communication practices responsibly.
You may not be able to control everything that happens in the world, but you can reflect on how you respond, seek new perspectives and choose your next steps.
"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,
not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
- Socrates.
This article on 'What is NLP?' has been contributed by Rucha Lidbide, a psychology student at the Savitribai Phule Pune University. She is part of the Global Internship Research Program (GIRP), which is under the leadership and guidance of Anil Thomas. GIRP is an Umang Foundation Trust initiative to encourage young adults across our globe to showcase their research skills in psychology and to present it in creative content expression.
She is interested in the field of I/O psychology, specifically ergonomics. In the future she wishes to explore opportunities that involve research.