Neuro-linguistic programming is a world-wide spread method that may be used for inner transformation. It is results-oriented and some of its elements are used in coaching, counselling, psychotherapy, trainings, communication, management and business communication, teaching, sales and negotiation.

As a system, NLP originated in United States back in the 70’s, with John Grinder and Richard Bandler studying how some of the best psychotherapists of the time succeeded in helping their clients manage change.

Today, as a complex method, NLP is about how to work with yourself in order to understand your interiority, what supports you and what limits you and how you may operate the required changes that will allow you to obtain the desired results.

Some of the most important elements of NLP perspective include:

• The Representational Modalities and their Submodalities
• Working on both Conscious and Subconscious level for obtaining change
• The Content & Process frames within the psychological work toward change
• The concept of Parts, as psychological functional “nuclei” that may hold different values, beliefs and behaviours
• The assumption of a fundamental orientation of human actions toward goals
• The importance of a certain type of language in guiding ourselves or others toward successful change
• The assumption that people are resourceful beings, and hence they are capable of transformation, growth and excellence, including the idea that excellence can be modelled, to some extent.

Neuro-linguistic programming is based on modern system theory, linguistics, neuropsychology and psychology and describes the fundamental processes of how humans

• conceive themselves and their environment,
• process that information in a specific manner,
• base actions on it,
• communicate accordingly,
• and learn how to change themselves.

Humans differ in the way they experience themselves, specific situations, other people, their relationships, their work and their everyday life. Depending on how we conceive ourselves and our environment and how we think evaluate our feelings about it can lead to the same situation perceived as pleasant and soothing for some and difficult and onerous for others.

Based on studies and models about the human perception and information processing, NLP makes us aware about the factors that guide our experiences and how we create experiences ourselves. This is the foundation of numerous action models developed in the last decades.

NLP introduces effective approaches to goal- and solution-oriented changes

NLP is, in the area of cognitive and behavioural science, the discipline that has explicitly and comprehensively devoted itself to the study of the human subjectivity. The knowledge gained in NLP offers efficient and flexible approaches to goal- and solution-oriented changes for individuals as well as groups and organisations. Like any other scientific discipline, NLP is continuously developing through further research.

NLP-trainings convey a greater awareness about the processes that control our own experiences. They offer an extended use of our five senses as well as the ability to formulate our personal objectives and achieve these while considering external factors.

The knowledge gained worldwide in the last decades has given professional communicators – regardless their content-based orientation – the ability to:

• refine their understanding of interpersonal communication processes
• adapt easier to the individual ‘reality’ of their counterpart, independently from the methodological and content-related focus of their own work
• increase their flexibility in dealing with people from different origins
• enhance their flexibility to cope with challenges posed by a world that is continuously changing

Note on the authorship:

The information originates from the official NLP guide of the GANLP – German Association for Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

People study NLP for various reasons – they want to solve some personal problems, increase performance, consolidate and empower their relationships and enhance different aspects of their business life.

The NLP trainings include different levels.

All members acknowledge the current curricula of the EANLP. Based on this, the EANLP member associations award not only their own seal and final certificate but also an EANLP-seal which stands for the mutual and international acknowledgement of the training. Each training coach can obtain these at the respective national association.

Next you can find the curricula of the EANLP as PDF-downloads:

NLP – Basic (PDF)
NLP-practitioner, EANLP (PDF)
NLP – master, EANLP (PDF)
Trainer, EANLP (PDF)
Coach, EANLP (PDF)

The European standards of training require a minimum of 18 days training for each level.