USING NLP TECHNIQUES

to produce powerful
change
WITH ANY COUNSELING APPROACH

A STEP-BY-STEP, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND USING

OVER 50 NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES TO PRODUCE
INDIVIDUAL AND RELATIONSHIP CHANGE.

FOR COUNSELORS, THERAPISTS, COACHES,

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, PROGRAM FACILITATORS, AND
CONSULTANTS.

CLYDE M. FELDMAN, PH.D.

CERTIFIED NLP M ASTER PRACTITIONER
LICENSED M ARRIAGE AND FAM ILY THERAPIST
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

TUCSON, AZ,
(520)-326-6060,
E-MAIL: CMFELDMAN@AOL.COM
W EB: COUNSELINGTOOLSTHATW ORK.COM

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 CONTENTS

SECTION 1: HOW NLP W ORKS

* Four Levels Of Encoding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

* Practice Activities For Modalities And Submodalities. . . . . . . . . . . 7
* Determining How A Problem Is Encoded. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
* Practice Activity For Eye Accessing Cues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

SECTION 2: A KEY INGREDIENT IN NLP TECHNIQUES

* Anchoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

SECTION 3: TECHNIQUES FOR INTERRUPTING AND MODIFYING PROBLEM

BELIEFS, EMOTIONS, REACTIONS, AND BEHAVIOR

* Disrupting The Negative Impact Of A Mental Image

Or Internal Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
* Mapping Across.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
* Mapping Across For Shame. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
* Mapping Across For Guilt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
* Mapping Across For Grief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
* Swish.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
* Swish For Negative Self-Image.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
* Compulsion Blowout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
* Last Straw Threshold Pattern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
* Phobia And Trauma Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
* Reframing (Sleight of Mouth Patterns). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
* Reframing Negative Life Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

SECTION 4: TECHNIQUES FOR RESOLVING INTERNAL CONFLICT ISSUES

* Six-Step Reframe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
* Conflict Integration (Visual Squash). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
* Core Transformation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

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SECTION 5: TECHNIQUES FOR ESTABLISHING AND STRENGTHENING
RESOURCEFUL BELIEFS, EMOTIONS, REACTIONS, & BEHAVIOR

* Identifying And Establishing A Resource State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

* Collapsing Anchors (Anchor Integration). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
* Chaining States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
* New Behavior Generator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
* Perspective And Position Shifting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
* Critical Patterns Of Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
* Change Personal History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
* Re-Imprinting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
* Decision Destroyer (Decision Recoding). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
* Updating Negative Messages And Beliefs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
* Resonance Pattern.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
* Creating A Compelling Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
* Bringing Your Positive Past Into Your Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
* Strengthening Positive Self-Qualities.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
* Establishing A Positive Self-Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

SECTION 6: TECHNIQUES FOR POSITIVE MOTIVATION

* Four Strategies For Increasing Positive Motivation. . . . . . . . . . . . 98

SECTION 7: TIME LINE TECHNIQUES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

* Past, Present, And Future-Oriented Problems.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

SECTION 8: APPLYING NLP TECHNIQUES TO ANXIETY/TRAUMA,

SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND DEPRESSION PROBLEMS. . . . . . . . . . 107

SECTION 9: NLP-RELATED BOOK AND ARTICLE REFERENCES. . . . . . . . . . . . 115

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 Clyde M. Feldman, Ph.D.

FOUR LEVELS OF ENCODING

The most fundamental idea that distinguishes NLP from virtually all other counseling
approaches is the idea of "encoding". Encoding refers to exactly how an individual stores
and accesses experiences and information, both positive and negative. These encoded
experiences and information involve memories, future expectations, beliefs and attitudes,
and ongoing mental activity like thinking, talking to yourself, and making mental images.
These are the building blocks or structure that can be uncovered in NLP to identify how a
person uniquely "enacts" or "creates" the problem. Fortunately, the same encoded structure
can be uncovered in NLP to identify how an individual thinks and acts resourcefully. Using
NLP, encoded problem states (beliefs, emotions, reactions) and behavior can be disrupted
and weakened. More resourceful states (beliefs, emotions, reactions) and behavior can be
encoded and strengthened. And already established resources used successfully in one
situation can be applied ("mapped across") to another situation that is problematic.

NLP has identified four levels of encoding that are present in all individuals and can be
used to analyze problems and develop solutions. At the highest and most general level of
encoding are: (1) core beliefs, and (2) meta-programs. At the lowest and most basic level
of encoding are: (3) modalities, and (4) submodalities. The four levels of encoding are
explained below:

CORE BELIEF-LEVEL ENCODING

At the highest level of encoding are the most fundamental and core beliefs people hold about
themselves (e.g., self-esteem, identity, one's capabilities), others (e.g., people's intentions), and
the world (e.g., who can be trusted). These are always operating within people, but are often out
of their awareness. These beliefs are typically formed in childhood or as a result of significant
events in one's life. They are often talked about by clients as their attitudes, expectations, or
understanding about people or events. In NLP, core-level beliefs are identified and changed by
understanding how a person encodes:

1. W hat things mean (judgements, identity).

2. W hat causes or leads to what (cause, effect, expectations).
3. W hat's important (values, identity).
4. W hat's appropriate (rules, right, wrong, "musts", "must not", "shoulds",
should nots").

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 Using NLP Techniques To Produce Pow erful Change With Any Counseling Approach

* Metaphors such as objects, stories, movies, books, or poems may

serve to symbolically represent our core beliefs.

META-PROGRAM LEVEL ENCODING

(Selected Meta-Programs)

At the next highest level of encoding are Meta-Programs which are orientations and
preferences people hold, typically along a continuum between two opposite ends of some
preference. Meta-Programs are akin to personality traits like Introvert-Extrovert or Optimist-
Pessimist which we're commonly familiar with. NLP however, has identified a number of
specific preferences and orientations which may directly contribute to problems clients
experience. NLP helps change a person's Meta-Program to be more flexible and
adaptable, especially when their orientation appears fixed at one extreme. One example
of this are the techniques used to shift and modify the time-orientation Meta-Program below
(see p. 101). Below are six of the most common Meta-Programs with the two end points
of each continuum described. The numbers that appear are the percentages of people that
have that component or that preference.

1. PROACTIVE vs. REACTIVE

Takes the initiative & doesn't like
to wait/feel the need to wait.
Is action-oriented.
Minimal analyzing. Takes risks.
Uses active verbs and direct
language.
May seem impatient. May take
too much of a risk.
W aits for others to initiate or waits
until the situation is right.
Considers, assesses, understands before
acting.
Maximal analyzing. Takes extra caution.
Uses passive verbs: "would, could, might
may".
May resist taking action. May be afraid
to take risks.

2. MOTIVATED TOWARDS vs. MOTIVATED AWAY FROM

Motivated by what to get, gain,
achieve, attain, obtain.
Has trouble recognizing what to
avoid.
Too focused on going for it.
Motivated by what to avoid, get away
from, get rid of, threats
Has trouble seeing goals and what to move
toward.
Can be unmotivated.

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 Using NLP Techniques To Produce Pow erful Change With Any Counseling Approach

PRACTICE ACTIVITIES FOR

MODALITIES AND SUBMODALITIES

1. Activity to Practice Identifying Modality And Submodality Information

Pair up with someone. Ask them to think about a pleasant memory and have
them notice any internal pictures or images (visual) they're making and describe
those. Determine what specific submodality characteristics the images have
(e.g., location, size, color, distance, first person, etc.). Then have them notice
any voices or sounds (auditory) associated with the memory and describe those.
Determine what specific submodality characteristics the voices and sounds have
(e.g., location, tone, volume, etc.). Then have them notice any feelings or
sensations (kinesthetic) associated with the memory and describe those.
Determine what specific submodality characteristics the feelings and sensations
have (e.g., body location, intensity, etc.).

Ask your partner to think about an unpleasant memory and do the same thing
as you did for the pleasant memory above.

Ask your partner to think about someone they know well. Do the same thing you
did for the memories.

2. Activity to Practice Identifying "Driver" Submodalities

In your pairs, ask your partner to think about each of the contrasting things
below. Have them compare and contrast what visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
submodality characteristics and qualities are different between them.

- Think of one of your most favorite or most appealing foods vs. least
favorite, or most unappealing foods.
- Think of someone you really like vs. someone you don't.
- Think of favorite time, vacation, event vs. a bad, unhappy one.
- Think of Siberia vs. Brazil.

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 Clyde M. Feldman, Ph.D.

DISRUPTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF

A MENTAL IMAGE OR INTERNAL VOICE

THIS GROUP OF TECHNIQUES IS EFFECTIVE FOR A W IDE RANGE OF NEGATIVE

REACTIONS AND NEGATIVE STATES (i.e., beliefs, attitudes, emotions, reactions, etc.).
SOME EXAMPLES MAY INCLUDE BEING TOO SELF-CRITICAL, TOO DEFENSIVE, TOO
ANXIOUS, OR OVERLY SENSITIVE TO CRITICISM. THE IDEA BEHIND THIS GROUP OF
TECHNIQUES IS TO EXAMINE THE MENTAL PICTURES AND SELF-TALK ASSOCIATED
W ITH THE PROBLEM AND CHANGE THEIR MODALITY AND SUBMODALITY LEVEL
ENCODING IN ORDER TO DISRUPT THEM, INTERRUPT THEM, AND REDUCE THEIR
POTENCY.

FOR EXAMPLE, a client often feels powerless and afraid when she thinks of her former
boyfriend. Her picture of him is large in size, close in, and colorful. By modifying that image
to zoom out and become smaller and dimmer, it has less emotional potency.

FOR INTERNAL PICTURES AND IMAGES:

! Move image to a different location in the visual field.

! Change the image from associated (first person) to dissociated (third person) or
view from hovering above it.

! Change it to a still photo instead of a movie.

! Make the image smaller/bigger, brighter/dimmer, B&W , put a filter on it.

! Move it or zoom it out/in, closer/farther away.

! Change the relative position or size of people and things (e.g. make yourself
100' tall)

! Switch it off or turn it off (like a T.V.).

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 Using NLP Techniques To Produce Pow erful Change With Any Counseling Approach

! Put the picture or movie in a "container" (box, safe, closet) or send it away/put it
away where it cannot escape.

! Place a protective shield or glass wall around you or between you and it.

! Disrupt the image by: (1) seeing it as made of glass, painted on glass (window),
or seen in a mirror and shatter it into a thousand pieces; (2) seeing the image on
the surface of a pond, and throwing a stone in it, or a windstorm or rainstorm;
(3) seeing it as a painting, and water or some other liquid makes it run.

! See the image as film where the projection lamp burns a hole in, or melts,
each frame.

! See the image with a distinct frame around it. Apply a frame that allows the
image to feel more adaptive/neutral such as a large, baroque frame, an old time
oval frame, a colored plastic frame, etc.

! Move eyes side-to-side -OR- in a sideways figure 8 ( 4 ) while focusing on the

image.

! Use the Mapping Across technique (general, for shame, for guilt, and for grief)
(p. 26) to change the submodality characteristics of the problem state to those
associated with a more resourceful or more positive version.

! Use the Visual Swish technique to create an image that's more resourceful using
submodality characteristics to replace the negative image with the more positive
one. (p. 33)

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 Clyde M. Feldman, Ph.D.

PHOBIA AND TRAUMA PROCESS

THE PHOBIA AND TRAUMA PROCESS W AS DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR ANXIETY

PROBLEMS W HERE THERE W AS A SPECIFIC TRIGGERING EVENT OR SITUATION
RATHER THAN FEARS AND ANXIETIES THAT DEVELOPED MORE SLOW LY OVER
TIME. THIS RELATES BEST TO SPECIFIC PHOBIAS (e.g., FEAR OF HEIGHTS, VISITING
THE DOCTOR, FLYING, INSECTS) AND PTSD (e.g., CHILDHOOD ABUSE, NATURAL
DISASTER, COMBAT EXPERIENCE). THE BEST "TARGET" TO USE IS THE FIRST OR
EARLIEST TIME THE CLIENT EXPERIENCED THE FEAR -OR- THE ORIGINAL
TRAUMATIC EVENT W ITH PTSD-RELATED ANXIETY.

THIS TECHNIQUE CAN ALSO BE USEFUL FOR SOME SOCIAL PHOBIAS W HERE
THERE W AS A SPECIFIC TRIGGERING EVENT (e.g., PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENT). FOR
GAD, OCD, AND PANIC OTHER TECHNIQUES SUCH AS RESOURCE ANCHORING,
COLLAPSING ANCHORS, CHAINING STATES, SW ISH, CHANGE PERSONAL HISTORY,
AND RE-IMPRINT W ILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE AT CREATING NEW , MORE
RESOURCEFUL MENTAL IMAGES AND SELF-TALK AND AT SHIFTING ANXIOUS
THINKING AND LIMITING BELIEFS.

THIS TECHNIQUE W ORKS IN TW O W AYS: (1) TO HELP THE CLIENT DETACH OR

"DISSOCIATE" SUFFICIENTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL ANXIOUS EVENT OR MEMORY
IN ORDER TO PROCESS IT W ITHOUT TRIGGERING THE USUAL ANXIETY REACTION,
AND (2) TO DISRUPT OR "BREAK UP" HOW THE EVENT OR MEMORY IS STORED.

STEP 1: (If phobia-related anxiety say): "Most people learned to be anxious or fearful
in a single situation that was actually dangerous or seemed potentially
dangerous to you at that time. The fact that you did 'one trial learning' is proof
that your brain can learn really fast. That ability will also make it easy for you
to learn a new response."

(For all other anxieties say): "The part of you that has learned to protect
yourself by making you anxious is an important and valuable part and we
want to keep its ability to protect you in situations that are truly dangerous.
W e just need to update its information and refine its ability to know when and
how much caution is needed."

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 Using NLP Techniques To Produce Pow erful Change With Any Counseling Approach

STEP 2: Have client practice being in a relaxed, calm, and secure state. Anchor it
(see anchoring p. 18).

STEP 3: Say, "Imagine you can see a T.V. or movie-type screen in front of you at a
distance that allows you to continue to feel calm and safe (sitting in the
middle of a movie theater has traditionally been used). You'll be able to
control what is shown or projected on the screen by using the remote
controls (being able to control the movie projector has traditionally been
used). You can Invite one or more people there that care about and support
you if you'd like. Lets try things out by projecting onto the screen a B&W still
picture or snapshot of you the way you are today."

STEP 4: Have the client identify a traumatic, fearful, anxious, or phobic past event,
ideally, the first time it occurred -or- the worst time it occurred. Have the
client reinforce a detached, observer viewing position (third person) by
saying "It works best when you can be a detached observer viewing things
on the screen. One way to do this is to imagine you can float out of your body
to a position behind you [up to the projection booth] where you can see the
screen and also see the other 'You' watching the screen, too. Or you may
have another idea for doing this like moving the screen farther away or being
in a protective clear room, etc....whatever works best for you." W hen they've
arraigned things to their liking say, "Feeling that calm, detached feeling, I
want you to project or see a still B&W picture of you shortly BEFORE the
event occurred (happened)....let me know when you have that....ok blank the
screen or clear the screen, or let go of that image."

STEP 5: Say, "Now I want you to project or see a still B&W picture of you AFTER the
event was over and you survived it (got through it)....let me know when you
have that....ok blank the screen or clear the screen, or let go of that image."

STEP 6: Say, "In a minute, I'm going to ask you to run or watch a B&W movie of the
whole event, starting with the first picture, all the way through to the last
picture when it was over and you got through it. You'll be watching the
younger you go through that event, as you stay back here...calm and
detached...watching it as an outside observer, not part of it anymore...not in
it anymore...almost as if it happened to someone else. Let yourself look at
that event through new eyes and learn new learnings, realizing that s/he did

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 Clyde M. Feldman, Ph.D.

REFRAMING NEGATIVE LIFE EVENTS

THIS TECHNIQUE IS USED W HEN A PERSON HA S EX PERIENCED M ULTIPLE

NEGA TIV E LIFE EV ENTS OR REGRETS, OFTEN W ITH A N UNDERLYING THEM E OR
PA TTERN, THA T THEY TYPICA LLY A TTRIBUTE TO THEIR OW N FA ILURES,
M ISTA KES, OR BA D LUCK. EX A M PLES M IGHT INCLUDE GETTING FIRED
REPEA TEDLY, FA ILING TO FOLLOW THROUGH, EV ERY SUCCESS BEING FOLLOW ED
BY A FA ILURE, OR RE-DOING THE SA M E BA D RELA TIONSHIP PA TTERN.

STEP 1 : Ident if y t he set of negat ive lif e event s, experiences, or regret s and t he
underlying t hem e or pat t ern if one is apparent .

STEP 2 : Have t hem review each (set of ) negat ive event , experience, or regret by
answ ering and processing t he f our quest ions below . Creat e an im aginary
Tim e Line spat ially in t he room and have t hem process t heir answ ers
w hile eit her: (1 ) sit t ing or st anding OFF t he Tim e line, or (2 ) sit t ing or
st anding ON t he Tim e Line at t he point t hat represent " NOW " .

A) W hat is a w orse sit uat ion, out com e, or behavior t hat could
have happened, but didn' t ? A nchor t his st at e of t hankf ulness
and grat it ude t hat w hat occurred w as only as bad as it w as
(see anchoring p. 1 8 ).

B) W hat w as y our (or ot her peoples' ) posit ive int ent ion and
purpose behind t he negat ive event or experience? W hat were
you trying to get, to have, to feel, or accomplish -or- trying to
protect yourself from? A nchor t his st at e of underst anding.

C) W hat posit ive t hings ult im at ely cam e out of t he negat iv e ev ent
or experience in som e direct or indirect chain of ev ent s?
Perhaps som e posit ive t hings w ould not have com e about
w it hout t he occurrence of t his seem ingly negat iv e ev ent or
experience. A nchor t his st at e of underst anding.

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 Clyde M. Feldman, Ph.D.

FOUR STRATEGIES FOR

INCREASING POSITIVE MOTIVATION

HELPING SOMEONE INCREASE THEIR POSITIVE MOTIVATION INVOLVES FOUR

STRATEGIES. THEY ARE:

STRATEGY #1:

MOTIVATED"TOWARDS" (Not Motivated Away From)

This strategy (as well as Meta-Program) emphasizes identifying and focusing on what you
will have, get, or achieve as a result of doing and how satisfying that will feel. This can
be anchored with clear mental pictures and self-talk about the positive outcomes and
feelings than can come from doing what you need to (see anchoring p. 18). In contrast, you
want to avoid using the motivated "Away From" strategy which is focused on what negative
consequences we will be able to avoid if we do what we need to and how bad it needs to get
before we take action.

STRATEGY #2:

INTERNAL "INVITATIONS" (Not Internal "Orders")

This strategy emphasizes creating an internal dialogue using a more pleasant, enticing voice
tone and offering invitations of "It will be nice to...", "It will be useful to...", "It would be good
for me to...", "I do want to...". In contrast, you want to avoid using an internal dialogue of
orders like "I/YOU HAVE TO", I/YOU SHOULD", I/YOU MUST", I/YOU BETTER" often leads
us to be oppositional and resistant and even more internally conflicted (i.e., I should but I
don't want to).

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 Using NLP Techniques To Produce Pow erful Change With Any Counseling Approach

STRATEGY #3:

IMAGE OF THE COMPLETED TASK (Not Image of the Task)

This strategy emphasizes creating mental pictures and movies of having successfully
completed or finished the task (e.g., the reports are done) and tying those images to how
you'll feel and what you'll gain from having completed it. In contrast, you want to avoid using
mental images and pictures of you involved in the beginning or middle of doing the task.
These are often less motivating and focus on everything involved in having to do the task.

STRATEGY #4:

CHUNKING DOWN (Not Chunking Up)

This strategy emphasizes viewing and approaching a task as a series of smaller, separate,
sequential steps, where each step is more approachable and manageable and can be tied
to its own separate sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. In contrast, you want to avoid
seeing the entire task as a large, looming entity to be accomplished. This often feels
overwhelming and punishing before we even begin it.

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