The Definition of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming
Many clients ask me if I do NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming. I often find the question interesting as it is not one of the more traditional modalities of psychotherapy that people are exposed to. So this is a simple definition of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
Neuro  refers to the the nervous system (the mind), through which our experience is processed via five sense
- Visual
- Auditory
- Kinesthetic
- Olfactory
- Gustatory
Of course these senses are not unique to NLP, as far as the definition of NLP is concerned, one has a preferred and a primary way for the way they experience the world around them. These senses make the foundation as to how a person codifies the world.
Linguistic refers to language and other nonverbal communication systems through which our neural representations are coded, ordered and given meaning. Â In terms of the definition of NLP, these include:
- Pictures
- Sounds
- Feelings
- Tastes
- Smells
- Words (Self Talk)
These are used as additional support for the neurological way that a person will experience the world around them
Finally, programming  is the ability to discover and utilize the programs that we run (our communication to ourselves and others) in our neurological systems to achieve our specific and desired outcomes. In my opinion, programming is an most unfortunate phrase, but one cannot refer to the definition of NLP without mentioning programming.
Practitioners of a variety of modalities will utilise the above parts of the definition of NLP in order to assist their clients to achieve their therapeutic goals.
