NLP is the study of how humans think and experience the world. It was founded by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970's. They were curious to notice that some excellent communicators and therapists were achieving outstanding results and significant changes in their clients. They modelled these individuals and formulated a series of practices and principles which they called NLP. Since the 70's NLP has expanded greatly and is continually being added to and revised.

NLP is not one lone theory, rather a series of attitudes, principles, insights and techniques with the intent of producing excellent behaviour in ourselves and others. NLP techniques enable us to change our thinking, behaviour and beliefs and to remove self-imposed obstacles that stand in our way.

NLP can be used in everyday life as well as specific interventions. An NLP coach will have a range of skills to enable them to understand another persons model of the world, techniques to change throughts, beliefs and behaviours and a precise and insightful use of language to help the client achieve their goals.

On a personal level, studying NLP and gaining Practitioner status has expanded my knowledge so much - the strategies we use to make decisions, the different sensory systems we use to communicate, the impact of language on our thinking, and the way we make and break rapport. This knowledge directly and indirectly influences my coaching and is an invaluable resource to have at my fingertips.

There are a number of Presuppositions of NLP which practitioners subscribe to.

I include some below:

• Respect for other peoples model of the world.

• People are not their behaviours

• Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.

• The most important information about a person is that person's behaviour.

• The map is not the territory. People respond to their map of reality not to reality itself.

• You are in charge of your mind and therefore your results.

• People have all the resources they need to succeed and to achieve their desired outcomes.

• There is no failure, only feedback.

• The meaning of communication is the response you get.

• The law of requisite variety. The system or person with the most flexibility of behaviour will control the system.