NLP is:

“A model of interpersonal communication chiefly concerned with the relationship between successful patterns of behaviour and the subjective experiences (esp. patterns of thought) underlying them and a system of alternative therapy based on this which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional behaviour.Dictionary” Richard Bandler, Oxford English Dictionary

” Richard Bandler, Oxford English 

Behavior, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes all have a structure. They are not random. NLP seeks to model structures that work, and to replicate those structures. NLP also seeks to discover the structures that aren’t working well for a person, so those structures can be altered in order to produce better results. So NLP is a collection of self-development tools that can be applied to create significant positive performance improvements in every area of life.

NLP has application across many fields: business, sports, education, health, relationships, personal growth and development.

NLP holds specific beliefs that form the underpinning of its approach. These beliefs are known as presuppositions (like an axiom in math). These presuppositions are not held as  being “true”, however they often are useful. There are certainly exceptions. As you go through the list, a lot of “but…what ifs” will pop up. As they should: the more the merrier! There is nothing here that is written in stone. Go with it if it works. It often works!!

1. Communication is redundant. You are always communicating. You cannot not communicate.

2. The meaning of your communication is the response that you get. Communication is not about what you intend. It is about creating an experience in, and getting a response from, the listener. If you don’t get a response you like, try it differently. Communication is your responsibility.

3. People respond to their map of reality, not to reality itself. And certainly not your map.NLP is the science of changing these maps (not reality). By changing maps, it’s possible to change people’s experience.

4. The element in a system with the most flexibility will usually be the controlling element.

5. People work perfectly. No one is wrong or broken; it’s simply a matter of finding out how you function now, so that you can effectively change how you function in that context to something more useful or desirable.

6. People always make the best choice available to them at the time. And there may be a wealth of better choices that we haven’t explored yet.

7. Every behavior is useful in some context.

8. Choice is better than no choice.

9. Anyone can do anything that can be done. If one person can do something, it is possible to model it and teach it to anyone else.

10. People already have all the resources they need. What they need is access to these resources at appropriate times and places.

11. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.

12. Anything can be accomplished (by anyone) if you break the task down into small enough chunks.

13. Positive Intent. Behind every behavior is a positive intent.

Axtell Hypnosis Center

Steve Axtell Clinical Hypnotherapist

2801 Youngfield Street
Suite 300
Lakewood, CO 80401
steveaxtell@msn.com