'People are not broken, they work perfectly'
NLP presupposition

Neuro linguistic programming (NLP) was developed from three therapeutic experts of very different disciplines. Virginia Satir of family systems, Fritz Perls of Gestalt therapy and Milton H.Erickson of Ericksonian hypnosis. It's co-founders, Dr John Grinder, a linguist and Richard Bandler, a patterning expert, both had excellent modelling skills which partly explains the effectiveness of the NLP models.

Very simply, NLP describes a communication and human functioning model. How we use and make meaning of language, the effect this has on our experience of our lives, the roles we play and how we operate are highlighted. We all make 'maps' of how we experience the world and 'programmes' of our behaviour. Dealing with the world indirectly through our maps and programmes, we operate at a different logical level. That is, our programmes guide our reactions and behaviour rather than dealing with the world directly.

By allowing the individual to become aware of their relevant programmes,
the opportunity to change the way they experience the world by changing their programmes is demonstrated. This is done through simple, practical mind tools which can be easily adopted by the individual to instigate desired changes. NLP thus encourages independence from the therapist, as the individual continues making positive changes through various NLP techniques learnt from the therapist.

NLP has several understandings and attitudes (presuppositions) about human functioning, one of which is shown below the title above. These presuppositions distinguish NLP from other models of psychology and they are all true except when someone is suffering from neurological brain damage. The following are a few of the presuppositions used in NLP:

• The meaning of your communication is the response you get
• Choice is better than no choice
• People already have all the resources they need
• There is no such thing as failure, only feedback
• People respond to their map of reality

NLP has revolutionised the way we work with people through simple, effective tools learnt by the individual and used by him/her in everyday life. It is a brief therapy and one which often boasts amazingly quick results from previously thought useless situations.

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