Neuro Linguistic Programming: The Art of Change


In the Beginning...

In the early 1970's, a linguist, John Grinder, and a mathematician, Richard Bandler, were studying individuals who were excellent communicators and technicians of personal change.

"What is the difference between somebody who is merely competent and somebody who excels at the same skill?" was the question asked by Grinder and Bandler. The answers produced NLP: The Science of Excellence...The Art of Change.

What is NLP?

Science Digest said that NLP 'could be the most important synthesis of knowledge about human communications to emerge since the sixties.'

Time Magazine announced that 'NLP has untapped potential for treating individual problems.'

Training & Development Journal reported that NLP 'offers the potential for making changes without the usual agony that accompanies these phenomena' and that it 'allows for increasing options, flexibility, creativity and therefore greater freedom of action than most of us know.'

Best-selling author and motivational speaker Anthony Robbins said that NLP is 'an incredibly effective and enjoyable way to access more of the true potential of your brain.'

What does NLP mean?

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming and encompasses the three most influential components involved in producing human experience: neurology, language and patterning.A key element of NLP is that we form our unique internal mental maps of the world as a product of the way we filter our experience of the world around us. Everyone does this differently; therefore everybody's map or view of the world in their mind's eye is different and is highly influenced by their own filters, beliefs, values and experiences.

Neuro: Each individual has established their own unique mental filtering system for processing the millions of bits of data being absorbed through the senses. Our first mental map of the world is constituted of internal images, sounds, tactile awareness, internal sensations, tastes and smells that form as result of the neurological filtering process. The first mental map is called 'First Access' in NLP.

Linguistic: We assign personal meaning to the information being received from the world outside. We form our second mental map by assigning language to the internal images, sounds and feelings, tastes and smells, thus forming everyday conscious awareness. The second mental map is called the Linguistic Map.

Programming: The repeating patterns or programmes of behaviour a person exhibits as a result of neurological filtering processes and their use of language, which has been influenced by our experience of the world. This filtering system is highly unique to each individual. These patterns (or habits) run over and over again unless they are interrupted or redirected, just like a track on a CD being switched to continuous play.



A phobia is a good example of how the brain works. A particular situation or trigger (heights, spiders, and so on) produces a particularly strong physical response (sweaty palms, fast breathing, panic, etc). The brain learns quickly and thereafter, every time the person is presented with the same stimulus, their body knows to have the same response. The amazing thing is, people with phobias NEVER forget to have this response. This is the perfect one-time learning strategy!

Just as this automatic patterning works to our disadvantage in a phobia, it works to our advantage when we tie our shoelaces, drive a car, or do a million other things without having to think.

So NLP is the exploration of HOW each individual experiences their own unique set of patterns. With NLP we can identify which patterns resource and serve us. Then we can choose to add new patterns to our behaviour and be more productive in those situations where we have under performed in the past. If we understand how we are the way we are, we can create choice about how we would like to be in the future.

NLP in Therapy

People experience life-changing events during NLP Therapy. NLP Therapy is about action: it's dynamic and energetic; making the changes you want to make happen right now. Everyone has all the resources they need to make positive changes in their life, and NLP techniques are used as a tool to facilitate these changes.

New patterns of behaviour are established and the NLP techniques learned can be used in other situations. NLP Therapy also tends to be fast, typically resolving issues in several brief sessions, which makes it very cost effective and much cheaper than traditional therapies.

NLP techniques provide new ways of dealing with fears and phobias, emotional problems such as low self-esteem, anxiety, lack of confidence, destructive relationship patterns and bereavement.

NLP combined with hypnosis is very effective in the area of weight control and many other healthier lifestyle choices, such as stress reduction. When we struggle with problems we feel the affects of stress, especially when the problems are longstanding. Addressing the problem reduces the level of stress so therefore not only do we feel better emotionally, we feel physically better too.

Elite regularly welcomes clients from the UK and other parts of Europe who travel to Spain specifically to undertake a dedicated course of treatment. We invite such clients to contact us either by phone or email; we will be happy to phone you back and discuss the various treatment options possible, which can include everything from regular weekend / midweek visits to longer stays of between 5 and 21 days as appropriate.

Click here for a list of relevant airlines flying into Malaga, and also a few hotel options. We look forward to meeting you.

In addition to seeing clients at the clinic, Martin and Marion undertake private, home visits, both in Spain and internationally, subject to availability and negotiation.

To arrange a free, initial consultation, or for further information, please contact Elite on 951 31 15 91, or click here to e-mail us.