What is the purpose of NLP patterns? 

What is the purpose of NLP patterns ~ The purpose of NLP is to move people from their present state to a more desired state. Skilled NLP Practitioners have a lot of tools, NLP techniques, and resources in their bag that help people from time to time in accomplishing their desired results easily and quickly. However, many people struggle to understand what are NLP techniques. So, in this article the idea is to offer you an understanding of the NLP techniques, what they are, and how they contribute to your overall success.

The purpose of this article is to apprise you of how NLP opens ways for you to overcome limitations and achieve better results by using the NLP techniques. We will be talking about some of the useful NLP techniques that you can learn as a Coach if you are into coaching or personal change work.

Here’s what you will find in this article:

• What is NLP Techniques

• What is the purpose of NLP patterns

• Importance of NLP Techniques

• Most popular NLP Techniques

• Best advice to practice NLP Techniques

What is the purpose of NLP patterns

NLP techniques are a product of the modeling process in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. They are the factors and reasons behind making NLP the most popular and successful behavioral change framework.

The methodology of NLP has left behind the trail of NLP techniques that bring about change and transformation quickly.

Listed below are a few important points about the NLP techniques: –

• First of all, the NLP techniques are not just quick fixes. What is the purpose of NLP patterns, they are the means of uncovering untapped resources within people and facilitating lasting.  

A lot of people still believe that change has to be a long, hard, and painful process. Therefore, they discredit NLP at a lot of levels. But the truth is that behavioral changes can be as quick as any magical move. NLP has facilitated long-lasting, and quick behavioral changes in a lot of people. And it has been possible because NLP assumes that – ‘people are not broken, so they do not need to be fixed. And that, they have all the resources needed to make any change possible.’

Until NLP happened, none of the other psycho-therapies paid enough attention to how people can use the brain purposefully and systematically to direct their lives in the way they want. Where other psychological domains paid attention to analyzing how the psychological problems got created, the NLP focused on designing ways of deliberately filling the mind with wonderful things, instead of re-living the old painful times.

In a nutshell, the NLP patterns and techniques grew from modeling the strategies used by thousands of people who were successful in transforming their lives in dramatic and positive ways. And therefore, they are not baseless or irrelevant.

• The second point that is worthwhile to highlight is that there is a considerable difference between NLP patterns techniques and NLP methodology. In other words, the NLP techniques are not the same as the NLP methodology.

To elaborate, the methodology of NLP involves modelling, that is detecting and replicating processes and patterns of thinking, emoting, speaking, and behaving. For years, the co-founders and co-developers of NLP have been modelling exemplary and exceptionally successful people like Virginia Satir, Fritz Perl, Milton Erickson, etc and enjoying immediate and powerful results.

They used the NLP methodology to design the NLP patterns/techniques that facilitate structural changes in the attitude and behaviour of people.

Importance of NLP Techniques

 The purpose of the NLP techniques is to take you from confusion, or lack of understanding, to a point where you understand things clearly.

The NLP techniques help you in expanding your current view of the world by drawing on different perspectives. They enable you to evaluate your conditioned and habitual thinking patterns, and emotional responses, to accelerate your success.

For example, the NLP Planning Techniques help in developing a successful plan. NLP stress reduction techniques help in eliminating work-life stress. NLP rapport building techniques help in building and maintaining relationships. NLP Reframing techniques support changing problems into resources. So on and so forth.

The NLP patterns are designed to help you bring out effective change, and lead yourself as well as others to success. They help us diminish or eliminate the negative thoughts, trigger positive thoughts, and accomplish difficult situations with ease.

NLP techniques make people more self-aware, and allow them to use their brains on purpose.

Top 10 NLP techniques

NLP includes numerous techniques and patterns for you to strategically work with your mind and create the most resourceful states.  The idea here is not to make you an expert in NLP techniques by providing entire NLP technique content here, as that will be too much for a person to process, and without a demo/video probably not clear as well.  Learning and mastering NLP patterns will take understanding, practice, and practice.  The idea here is to get you started in terms of what is out there in terms of NLP techniques, so that you can do a deeper dive on each one of them, based on what is your need. The best way to learn NLP techniques is to attend a good NLP Practitioner program, watch the NLP patterns demonstrated by co-founders and co-developers, and good books on NLP techniques written by co-founders and co-developers.

If you are searching for what is the purpose of NLP patterns. Listed below are some of the most popular NLP techniques:

NLP Swish Technique

The Swish Pattern is used to replace the present undesirable behaviour with a different desired behaviour. It replaces something you don’t want to do with something you do want to do. And thus, when your thoughts and feelings result in problematic and limiting states, you can use the Swish NLP technique to create behavioural changes and achieve more resourceful states.

A lot of NLP practitioners and coaches have used the Swish technique successfully to give direction to the consciousness and wire it neurologically. By telling the brain “This not That” they redirect their brain to go somewhere more useful and more productive.

Swish is undoubtedly one of the most powerful NLP techniques that allow you to set up generative change in how you think, feel and act, and leave nothing to chance or random outcomes. It is a tool for exchanging memories with a pleasant memory. The pattern has proven effective in eliminating unwanted habits, removing negative images, and replacing them with positive images.

Six Step Reframing

Often, the way you think, speak, and behave becomes habitual and drops out of our conscious awareness. And over time, a lot of our beliefs, emotions, and behaviours begin to operate at the unconscious levels. Sometimes these thoughts operate against our betterment. To change such unresourceful behaviours, you can use the technique of six step reframing.

The NLP technique of Six Step Reframing can be used for any habit or behaviour change. It is a gentle technique that will either provide you a solution with respect to the behaviour, or it will give you enough information to know what to do next.

Perceptual Positions

Perceptual positions allow you to step into somebody else’s shoes, and see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel. Thus, the NLP technique of Perceptual positions allows you to get a much better impression of the reality.  If you are looking for what is the purpose of NLP patterns for relationship coaching, then perceptual positions is an idea NLP technique for that.

This technique is of immense use when the way you look at reality significantly differs from how the others look at that reality.  This is a very useful technique for relationship coaching and relationship counseling/therapy where two people are involved.

Circle of Excellence

 The NLP technique of Circle of excellence provides marvelous resources to achieve mastery or excellence in any task. It is an effective state change exercise that supports you fully in becoming more centered and balanced as a human being, and to get into useful states to get a desirable behaviour.

The thoughts and feelings that you hold in your head affect whether you operate from a center of strength or from a vacuum of weakness. So, this NLP technique allows you to build your state of excellence and operate from it whenever you want.

Change Personal History NLP Pattern

The Change Personal History Pattern enables the client to use bad memories as resources, for learnings, and for moving into the future with a positive attitude and faith.

It offers a way to recode the past in such a way that it no longer serves as a reference for destructive feelings, or for defining yourself in negative ways, etc.

Reframing

The reframing technique provides a technique of changing problems into resources. It puts behaviour or a perspective in a different frame, transforming its meaning.

The key premise upon which the reframing process is based is that all experiences, emotions, and states occur within some frame of reference that govern and control the thoughts, feelings, behaviour, and responses.

Consequently, in reframing, what you first view as a problem becomes the basis for a resource.

NLP Fast Phobia Cure

The NLP Fast Phobia Cure allows you to re-experience a trauma or phobia without experiencing the actual content of the event or having to face the trigger that normally sets off the associated behavioural response.

When the co-founders of NLP Richard Bandler and John Grinder developed the Phobia Cure in 1976, they used to call it the V-K Dissociation process. Because the process eliminates the kinesthetic feelings from the visual stimulus that triggers the unconscious phobic response.

Some people also call this technique as ‘the rewind technique’

Releasing negative emotions

The NLP technique releasing negative emotions and limiting decisions involves removing the negative emotions you may be holding on to. For example, this technique is used to release limiting emotions like fear, guilt, anger, sadness, grief, etc.

With this technique, you can change your feelings about anything in your life. As a matter of fact, no other technique has ever gotten so close to removing negative emotions as quickly as this technique.

Anchoring

Anchoring is one of the most popular and most widely used NLP techniques. It is used for inducing a specific state, or a certain frame of mind. If you are looking for What is the purpose of NLP patterns for managing the state of a person, then NLP anchoring technique is the idea technique for that.

In anchoring, you associate an internal response with some stimulus or trigger. Consequently, the stimuli then call forth the specific states of mind very quickly.  You can consider learning collapsing anchor technique as well.

Belief Change 

NLP belief change technique is widely used when someone wants to get rid of limiting belief.

Best Advice for certified coaches to practice NLP patterns

NLP is known for its tools and techniques.

It is wise to remember that even though the techniques are powerful, they will not work unless you take a proper NLP training program. So, join an NLP Practitioner training program that will educate you on how the techniques work. Classroom-based program or an Instructor led online NLP training in the digital era.

When you attend NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner training, you get hands-on practice on spotting those thinking and behavioral patterns which consistently produce undesired results for people. And you will become competent in helping people change their undesired unfavorable behavioral responses.

On a side note, we recommend you to join an NLP program where the focus is on methodology, practice, and not just on showing NLP techniques by the trainer.

There are many NLP trainers who claim to teach original NLP, yet they spend time on team building games, breaking boards, walking on glass, etc. They do not cover the NLP patterns or techniques in detail. In contrast, when you attend an NLP trainer with the best NLP Trainer in India or elsewhere they will ensure that you get a worthwhile return from attending the NLP trainings. Learning and practicing basic NLP methodology, Models, leading into NLP techniques is exactly what happens during best NLP training program.

Listed below are some important points you should remember when using the NLP patterns with clients: 

Focus on what the client wants

In other words, obtain the client’s outcome at the beginning of the consultation, and remain focused on it. For this, understand the problem clearly and identify the client’s current state first. Then only choose and apply the selected NLP technique and tools. Do not enhance, feed or support the problem state in any way possible. Remember, the focus is always on finding the solution.

Do this so that the consultation goes smoothly, and you  support the client in the best possible manner

Utilize the NLP skills appropriately

Use rapport, questioning techniques, calibration, and sensory acuity along with a toolbox of different techniques to support the client’s change. And continue to make unique observations throughout the application of the NLP technique. Notice all the responses you get, take them as feedback, keep adjusting your actions to the feedback, and persist until you reach your outcomes.

Maintain your best state of mind for every situation

In other words, establish your most productive frame of mind and maintain it throughout the consultation. For this, before you begin any consultation session, prepare yourself. Focus your attention on accessing and operating from your best states, and set an intention to achieve the client’s outcomes.

Remember, if what you are doing does not seem to be working, then be flexible and do anything else!

Suspend our own pre-determined judgments of what should be

Connect with the client through your senses. Respect the client’s map of the world, and work with the client’s perception of reality to facilitate the change. Ensure that your emotions and opinion do not corrupt the client’s reality.

Most importantly, allow the client to use their inherent resources and abilities to find their own solution.

Focus on the process, not the content 

All NLP techniques aim at focusing on the mental process, and not the mental content. So, whenever you coach with NLP patterns, take a more objective view of the client’s world. You must do so because it ensures that you are working with the client and for the client. Also, when you do not focus on the process and not on the content, you can help the client in uncovering the inherent resources and abilities, and  finding their own solutions.

Summary – Purpose of NLP patterns

NLP is one of the most powerful vehicles for personal change anybody has ever known.

There are several NLP techniques that are focused on helping people move forward to achieve their short term and longer-term goals in life. They help people achieve what they want to accomplish in their career, business, life, and relationships.

The NLP techniques help you in reconnecting with yourself, creating confidence, developing a grip on emotions, changing unwanted behaviour, building lasting relationships, managing career, and so much more. They help you find your brilliance.

Best NLP trainings meet and exceed the industry standards of NLP training. They cover a variety of techniques, models, and tools from Classic NLP (created by co-founders and of NLP Richard Bandler, John Grinder, Frank Pucelik, Judith DeLozier, Robert Dilts, David Gordon, Tad James, Leslie Cameron, Steve Andreas, Christina Hall etc ), and extending into Meta NLP (developed by Dr. L. Michael Hall )

Further, you will get ample opportunities to learn, practice, and reinforce the useful NLP skills and impactful techniques to various life situations.  All these techniques are part of our ICF approved coach program in India.

Should you be interested in enrolling in our flagship NLP training workshops, feel free to write to us at info@nlpcoach.in