Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a psychological approach that focuses on understanding the connections between thoughts, language, and behaviour. It explores how individuals perceive the world, communicate with others, and create meaning through their experiences.
NLP techniques aim to identify and change patterns of thought and behavior to achieve specific goals, such as personal growth, improved communication, or overcoming phobias and limiting beliefs.
NLP draws from various disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive psychology, and hypnotherapy, and offers practical tools and strategies for enhancing self-awareness, communication skills, and personal effectiveness.
Using NLP for trauma
I use NLP when a trauma or unprocessed memory, which is the same in terms of a stuck image or scene that is anchored in the subconscious mind by a strong sensory experience so that you never forget. It is the sophisticated way the mind and body connect to make sure you never put yourself in danger again.
As you are not in danger right now, when the session is taking place, we can safely re-frame the scene by overriding the trauma response and at the same time, your feelings of anxiety, fear, terror or whatever word you use is reduced and you feel calm. Your feeling when you think of the experience is changed permanently.
it is almost the same as hypnosis in reverse. The reason why it is so successful is because the past is only an image that you stored at the time. The subconscious mind does not know time. There is no difference between the time when it happened to the time when we are having a session. Therefore re-framing the scene is all that is needed to change your feelings about it permanently.
Disclaimer: I write from my experiences and from my client work in counselling and have no scientific training whatsoever. I am a person centred counsellor specialising in anxiety and trauma within the context of counselling. My work is dependent on the therapeutic relationship and the meeting of two minds. It is a humbling experience and that is all part of the healing process that I witness every day. It is the best job in the world.