History & Background to NLP

NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, began in the 1970s as a way of exploring how effective people think, communicate and create change.

It developed from a simple but powerful question:

What are excellent people doing that makes them effective?

Rather than focusing only on theory, the early developers of NLP studied people who were recognised for their skill in communication, therapy, learning and change work. They looked for patterns in how these people used language, built rapport, asked questions, shifted perspectives and helped others achieve useful outcomes.

This approach became known as modelling excellence.

The Origins of NLP

NLP was developed in California in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.

Bandler had a background in psychology, mathematics and computer science, and was interested in Gestalt therapy and human change. Grinder was a linguist, with expertise in language and transformational grammar.

Together, they began studying the work of highly effective practitioners to understand what made them successful. Their early work focused on identifying the patterns behind effective communication and change, then finding ways those patterns could be taught and applied by others.

Modelling excellence

One of the foundations of NLP is modelling.

Modelling means studying what someone does well and identifying the underlying patterns that make their success possible.

In NLP, this may include noticing:

• how someone uses language
• how they ask questions
• how they build trust and rapport
• how they organise their thinking
• how they respond to emotion or challenge
• how they help others see new possibilities
• how they achieve consistent results

The purpose of modelling is not simply to copy another person. It is to understand useful patterns clearly enough that others can learn from them and apply them appropriately in different contexts.

Early influences on NLP

NLP was influenced by several established fields and approaches, including linguistics, psychology, psychotherapy, cybernetics, systems thinking, communication theory and studies of human behaviour.

Early influences included the work of:

Fritz Perls, one of the founders of Gestalt therapy, whose work explored awareness, experience and personal responsibility.

Virginia Satir, a pioneering family therapist known for her work in communication, relationships, family systems and human growth.

Milton Erickson, a psychiatrist and hypnotherapist known for his creative use of language, metaphor, indirect suggestion and individualised approaches to change.

Gregory Bateson, an anthropologist, social scientist and systems thinker whose work explored communication, learning, feedback, relationships and patterns within systems.

NLP drew from these and other sources to develop practical models for understanding language, behaviour, communication and change.

The Roots of NLP by Dr Paul Tosey explores this topic further.

NLP, language and communication

Language has always been central to NLP.

John Grinder’s background in linguistics helped shape NLP’s interest in how language reflects and influences thought. NLP explores how people use words to describe experience, create meaning, ask questions, frame possibilities and communicate with others.

This led to early NLP models that focused on the relationship between language, thinking and behaviour.

These models are still widely used today in coaching, training, communication, leadership, education and personal development.

NLP and the mind-body connection

Although NLP was developed before many modern developments in neuroscience, it has always been interested in the relationship between the mind, body, language and behaviour.

NLP explores how people experience the world through their senses, how they interpret that experience, and how this affects emotions, communication and action.

Over time, growing interest in neuroscience, neuroplasticity, embodied cognition, stress responses and belief change has created new ways of discussing ideas that have long been relevant to NLP: how patterns are learned, how responses become automatic, and how people may develop new choices.

It is important to be clear that NLP is not the same as neuroscience. However, many NLP practitioners are interested in how modern understandings of the brain, body and nervous system can inform ethical and effective practice.

NLP and belief change

Beliefs are an important area of interest in NLP because the way people think about themselves, others and the world can influence communication, confidence, behaviour and results.

Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, is one modern writer associated with the relationship between belief, biology and behaviour. His website includes Neuro-Linguistic Programming among a range of belief change and energy psychology modalities, referring to NLP’s interest in how verbal and non-verbal communication can affect the brain and influence responses that may previously have seemed automatic.

This connects with one of NLP’s core ideas: when people become more aware of their patterns, they may have more choice about how they think, communicate and respond.

How NLP has evolved

Since the 1970s, NLP has developed and expanded into many different areas.

It is now used in contexts such as:

• personal development
• coaching and mentoring
• therapy and wellbeing settings
• education and learning
• leadership and management
• business and organisational development
• sport and performance
• healthcare communication
• sales, negotiation and customer service
• training and professional development

As NLP has evolved, different trainers, practitioners and researchers have contributed new models, applications and approaches. This has helped NLP move beyond its early therapeutic influences into wider personal, professional and organisational use.

NLP today

Today, NLP is best understood as a practical field concerned with human experience, communication and change.

It brings together ideas and methods from a range of disciplines and applies them in accessible, practical ways.

At its best, NLP encourages curiosity, precision, ethical practice and respect for the individual. It helps people explore how they think, communicate, learn, respond and create results.

NLP continues to be used by individuals, coaches, trainers, educators, leaders, teams and organisations who are interested in improving communication, increasing awareness and supporting useful change.

In summary

NLP began in the 1970s through the work of Richard Bandler and John Grinder.

Its early development was shaped by modelling excellence and by studying effective practitioners in communication, therapy and change work.

NLP was influenced by fields such as linguistics, Gestalt therapy, family therapy, hypnotherapy, systems thinking and communication theory. It has continued to evolve alongside wider interest in neuroscience, belief change, learning, performance and organisational development.

Today, NLP is used in many settings to help individuals, teams and organisations better understand patterns of thinking, language, behaviour and change.