Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Where does NLP come from?

At the start: "modeling" what works

NLP was formalized in California in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, one coming from computer science and mathematics, the other from linguistics.

Their starting approach was original, and it explains everything that followed.

Rather than building a theory of the mind, they set out to model: closely observing practitioners known to be highly effective, breaking down what they did — their words, their pacing, how they directed attention — and drawing out procedures other people could reproduce.

Among the practitioners they observed was Milton Erickson, the father of modern hypnosis (Institut Repère).

That's what explains the direct kinship between NLP and hypnosis: several NLP tools are formalizations of what Erickson did intuitively (see our Ericksonian Hypnosis page).

As for the name, often thought obscure

• Programming refers to the repetitive patterns we've learned and replay automatically.
• Neuro to the way we perceive through our senses.
• Linguistic to the role of language in how we organize experience.

What the science says

The evidence for NLP as a therapeutic method is weak

Literature reviews that have looked into the question mostly conclude there's a lack of solid data (Psychology Today).

That's not a minor detail: it means no one can seriously claim that "NLP treats" anything.

Some of its founding claims have even been disproven.

The most famous: the idea that eye movements reveal a person's "preferred sensory system" — visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. This hypothesis has been tested, and it didn't hold up.

So why do we use it?

Because the theory and the toolbox need to be told apart.

The explanations NLP gives for its own workings are shaky; some of its tools, on the other hand, remain extremely useful.

For a simple reason: they overlap with principles validated elsewhere. Precise goal-setting is a fundamental of motivation psychology. Stepping back from a memory and shifting perspective sit at the heart of cognitive approaches. Anchoring is a form of associative learning, known for more than a century.

Our position, then: NLP is a pragmatic toolbox, to be used for what it does well (structuring a goal, unblocking a situation, making a state accessible…) and nothing more. Not a therapy, not an explanation of the human psyche, not a universal key. We use it to support an accompaniment, never as a stand-alone method you need to believe in.

How we actually use it

In practice, you won't come see us "to do NLP."

You'll come for a goal: rebuilding confidence, preparing for a deadline, breaking out of a situation that keeps going in circles… and we'll draw on whichever tools fit, whether they come from hypnosis, coaching, or NLP.

These tools work particularly well alongside hypnosis, which isn't surprising given their shared origin: an anchor installed under hypnosis holds better, and a well-formed goal gives a session a clear direction instead of a vague wish.

You'll find them mainly in our life coaching work (see our Life Coaching page), professional coaching (see our Professional Coaching page), and in work on self-confidence (see our Self-Confidence page) or performance preparation (see our Performance page).

Three honest warnings

• NLP is not a therapy, and an NLP practitioner is not a health professional. Let's be precise about our framework: in Quebec, psychotherapy is a reserved act, restricted to psychologists, physicians, and holders of a psychotherapist's permit. We are not physicians, psychologists, or psychotherapists; our services fall under helping relationships and well-being, and we make no diagnosis. If your situation calls for a health professional, we'll tell you from the first contact — Info-Santé 811 is also available at any time for guidance.
• The title "NLP practitioner" isn't regulated.
  Certifications vary enormously: a few days for some, several hundred hours for others. Ask about the school, the length, the content.
• Be wary of promises of manipulation.
  Part of the NLP industry sells "persuasion," sales, or seduction techniques. Aside from the fact that the effectiveness of these promises is greatly overstated, that's not how we use it: we use these tools to help you get what you want, not to influence other people.