There’s A Big Problem with Learning NLP

When I first started buying NLP books some twenty five years ago, I was so excited: Here were these two guys who were setting the world on fire with their ideas. I loved it. I wanted to do the same, so I bought every NLP book I could lay my hands on;

But even though I understood the ideas, and could talk for hours about the subject, I still couldn’t do it. Not like my two “Hero’s” could. So I kept buying the books...

 

To get a real benefit from NLP takes Practice!

In the end, I got frustrated with my lack of progress, and finally realized I’d have to go on an NLP training course:

I booked in for a Two Day Introduction to NLP... And although a little nervous when it started,

The fact is; it was fantastic...

I learnt so much in such a short time, and I was doing NLP!!!

 

But most NLP Courses don’t give you enough...

It wasn’t long after completing my two-day intro I realized that I didn’t have the confidence to use the skills in the same way we used them in the training room...

The fact is I didn’t have enough time to get really good at using NLP...

But now 22 years on: I know for myself as a training provider, the design of NLP training courses, even 25 day long courses, simply doesn’t have enough time to practice all of the NLP skills up to the level of expert:

 

And believe it or not, some people find it difficult to practice NLP on their own...

The Conclusion I drew from my own experience was that: The books are fascinating but they don’t give you any practice, and even the great NLP videos, which are captivating to watch, still don’t give you the practice you need...

 

And so I put together a Solution!!!

After returning back to work, after a week of master practitioner training, I had the inspiration to create a prototype ‘practice tool’ using my computer:

Based on the same key principles that make NLP effective, I reasoned that my practice tool could be an effective alternative -

I copied the same structure as the exercises used by many NLP training organizations, and created an interactive environment for practicing the NLP skills that I wanted to practice...

 

Making it simple to learn

By simulating a training room, a trainee gets to interact with a virtual trainer and a virtual client...

In this 3D world it isn’t like learning from a computer at all. You get drawn in...

After my initial success, I rewrote the software to make it more effective, and decided to give it a name: NLP Coach!

 

This is how I Practiced my NLP skills using NLP Coach:

I set up simple exercises to practice the Meta Model, since this was the area that needed most work:

I researched the Meta Model inside and out, and created a definitive set of exercises for practicing -

What I noticed after a little time, was a huge increase in my own abilities to Use the Meta Model...

But to be honest: I believe my experience was due partly to the research I’d done - and partly to the actual practice I’ve had with NLP Coach... But then

 

Other people have tried NLP Coach and loved it

Whilst assisting on a training course, I lent it out to a woman who I thought would find it useful...

Apparently the very next evening she comfortably handled a previously ‘uncomfortable situation’ with her husband, and everything ended out just as she wanted -

“The Exercises work brilliantly...” she told me Next thing I know, I’m being e-mailed by NLP Trainer Bob Bodenhammer: He’d seen NLP Coach, seemed impressed and thought I should contact Dr Michael Hall...

 

Dr Michael Hall - NLP Trainer and creator of the field of Neuro-Semantics thought it was 'Very Useful...'

He told me I should publish...