Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP): What It Is, What It Claims, and What the Evidence Says
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a collection of techniques and ideas about communication, behaviour, thinking and personal change. It was developed in California in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
NLP proposes that our thoughts, language, perceptions and learned behavioural patterns are interconnected, and that changing the way we think, communicate and represent experiences internally can influence how we respond to life.
The approach has subsequently been used in areas including personal development, communication training, coaching, sales, leadership and some forms of therapy.
However, there is an important distinction between using particular communication or reflective techniques associated with NLP and claiming that NLP itself is a scientifically established therapeutic model.
What does “Neuro-Linguistic Programming” mean?
The name itself describes three areas:
- Neuro – the way we experience the world through our nervous system and senses.
- Linguistic – the language we use to describe and communicate our experiences.
- Programming – the idea that repeated patterns of thought and behaviour can become learned and habitual.
NLP suggests that people develop internal patterns for interpreting experiences and responding to them. Some NLP practitioners believe these patterns can be identified and changed.
For example, someone who has repeatedly experienced criticism might develop an automatic expectation of rejection. That expectation can influence what they notice, how they interpret other people’s behaviour and how they respond.
The broader principle that experiences can shape learned patterns of thinking and behaviour is consistent with established psychological research. However, some of the specific theories and techniques proposed by NLP have not received strong scientific support.
Why has NLP become controversial?
NLP has attracted considerable popularity because it offers an appealing idea:
If we can change the way we think, communicate and respond, perhaps we can change the way we experience our lives.
There is nothing inherently controversial about helping people examine unhelpful thinking patterns, develop more effective communication or practise new behaviours.
The controversy arises when specific claims made about NLP are presented as scientifically established when the available evidence does not adequately support those claims.
Some NLP literature has made very broad claims about its ability to treat psychological and physical conditions, sometimes suggesting that significant changes can occur extremely quickly.
Those claims require a much higher level of scientific evidence than anecdotal success stories or individual practitioner experience.
NLP and psychotherapy are not the same thing
It is important for anyone considering therapy or coaching to understand the difference between a technique and an evidence-based therapeutic model.
Psychotherapy has developed a substantial scientific literature investigating different approaches for particular psychological difficulties. Approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure-based therapies and some trauma-focused interventions have been extensively researched for specific conditions.
NLP does not have the same level of evidence supporting its broader theoretical claims.
That does not necessarily mean that every exercise, communication technique or reflective practice associated with NLP is useless.
A technique can sometimes be
