Overview of Core NLP Techniques

Since its inception in the 1970s, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has evolved to include a wide range of techniques—many of which are adaptations of foundational methods developed by NLP co-creators Richard Bandler and John Grinder.

By studying influential therapists like Virginia Satir, Fritz Perls, and Milton Erickson, Bandler and Grinder created early frameworks such as the Meta Model and the Milton Model. These were primarily language-based tools designed to promote therapeutic change. Their work was also influenced by thinkers like Alfred Korzybski, Gregory Bateson, and Paul Watzlawick.

As NLP developed, new strategies emerged, and today, practitioners use a broad spectrum of tools for change and personal development.

Key NLP Techniques and Patterns

• Reframing
  Shifting how a person interprets a situation to change their emotional or behavioral response.
• Modeling Excellence
  Identifying and replicating the mindset, behaviors, and strategies of successful individuals.
• Using Metaphors for Transformation
  Metaphors offer an indirect path to embed suggestions, unlock creativity, and shift perception.
• Eye Accessing Cues
  Observing eye movements to gain insight into thought processes and enhance communication.
• Representational Systems
  Recognizing how people use their senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to think and communicate.
• Building Rapport
  Creating connection and trust through mirroring, pacing, and matching verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Pattern Interrupts
  Breaking habitual mental or behavioral loops to enable change.
• State Elicitation and Anchoring
  Accessing desired emotional states and linking them to specific triggers to recall them at will.
• Well-Formed Outcomes
  Structuring goals in a way that makes them achievable, clear, and motivating.
• Changing Meaning to Shift Behavior
  Altering the interpretation of an event or belief to create behavioral change.

Advanced NLP Techniques

• Six-Step Reframe
  A structured process for resolving internal conflicts and eliminating unhelpful behaviors.
• Sleight of Mouth Patterns (Robert Dilts)
  Conversational reframing techniques to influence beliefs and challenge limiting thoughts.
• Mind Lines (Michael Hall)
  An expansion of Sleight of Mouth aimed at precise linguistic intervention to shift mindsets.
• Anchoring
  Creating associations between emotional states and specific stimuli or actions.
• Circle of Excellence
  A method to collect empowering states and mentally ‘step into’ them when needed.
• Triple Positioning
  Viewing a situation from multiple perspectives—self, other, and observer—to resolve conflicts or misunderstandings.
• Visual Squash
  Integrating conflicting parts of the self for inner alignment and resolution.
• Submodality Shifts
  Adjusting the qualities of internal experiences (like size, brightness, or sound) to change how they are felt.
• Mapping Across
  Transferring submodalities from one experience to another to influence internal reactions.
• Swish Pattern
  A fast and effective way to redirect undesired thoughts or behaviors toward positive outcomes.
• Time Line Techniques
  Working with a person’s internal sense of time to release negative emotions and create empowering beliefs about the future.
• Association/Dissociation
  Techniques to either step into or distance oneself from an experience, depending on the desired emotional effect.
• Fast Phobia Cure
  A method to rapidly and safely eliminate irrational fears, made popular by Tony Robbins.
• Mental Rehearsal Patterns
  Visualization techniques to prepare for successful future performance.
• New Behavior Generator
  Mentally practicing new skills or behaviors until they feel natural and ready for real-world use.
• Future Pacing
  Testing changes by imagining oneself using new strategies in future situations to ensure long-term success.