What Is NLP? A Short, Honest Introduction
“Neuro-Linguistic… what?” It’s a common reaction, and many people who end up loving NLP do so despite the name. Years ago I shared a friendly introduction by NLP trainer Julian Elvé. Here’s my own version, as a Licensed Master Practitioner who trained with NLP co-creator Dr. Richard Bandler.
Breaking down the name
- Neuro refers to the nervous system: how we take in the world through our senses and how that shapes our feelings and reactions.
- Linguistic refers to language: the words we use with others and, just as importantly, with ourselves.
- Programming refers to our habitual patterns, the routines of thinking and responding we run without noticing. Some people prefer the word “patterning.”
The core idea is that if you change those habitual patterns of attention, imagery and language, you can change how you feel and what you do.
Where did NLP come from?
NLP was developed in the early 1970s at the University of California, Santa Cruz, by Richard Bandler, then a student with an interest in mathematics and computing, and John Grinder, a linguistics professor. They were curious about what made certain therapists so effective, and studied the work of family therapist Virginia Satir, Gestalt therapist Fritz Perls and, later, the hypnotherapist Milton Erickson.
Their central idea was modeling: carefully observing how an expert does what they do, describing the structure (the “difference that makes a difference,” a phrase borrowed from anthropologist Gregory Bateson), and then teaching that structure to others.
What does NLP look like in practice?
In sessions, NLP shows up as practical techniques, for example:
- Anchoring: linking a resourceful state, such as calm confidence, to a simple cue.
- Reframing: finding a more useful meaning or perspective on a situation.
- Submodalities: changing how you picture or hear a memory (its size, brightness, distance) to change its emotional impact.
- Language patterns: noticing the words that keep you stuck and finding ones that open up choices.
- Well-formed outcomes: turning vague wishes into clear, motivating goals.
What does the research say?
I think it’s important to be candid. Academic reviews have found that many of NLP’s specific theoretical claims (such as fixed “preferred representational systems”) are poorly supported by research, and that there’s limited high-quality evidence for NLP as a therapy on its own. Many of its practical techniques overlap with well-established approaches such as cognitive and behavioral methods, imagery and coaching. I use NLP as a flexible, practical toolkit within hypnotherapy and coaching, not as a stand-alone cure.
Why I still find it valuable
NLP is curious, respectful and focused on what works for you. It encourages you to notice how you create your experience and gives you hands-on ways to experiment with change. Clients often tell me they enjoy how practical it feels.
If you’d like to find out whether this approach is a good fit for you, I offer a free, no-pressure consultation. Get in touch here and we can talk it through.
