Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol.

19, no 3 (75) September 2016

Removal of PTSD Symptoms in a Client Using Neuro-

Bruce Grimley*vi
*Achieving Lives Ltd.

Abstract
Introduction: Neuro-Linguistic Programming, (NLP) is an eclectic modality and can be
regarded as experiential in many ways. The introduction takes the reader through a very brief
understanding of the history, epistemology and methodology of NLP with the aim of providing a
framework which can be elaborated in the case history.
Objectives: The objective of this paper is to stimulate thinking around the use of a multi-
paradigmatic modality in the context of psychotherapy and to demonstrate how NLP can work in
that context. This section provides one example of an 18 session case history, with discussion, of
how NLP successfully assisted the resolution of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a case
of historical sexual abuse.
Methods: The method used in this paper is that of a single case study. NLP is regarded as
the main theoretical orientation throughout the intervention and the methodology arising from such
a theoretical orientation is discussed.
Results: The results of the psychotherapy intervention are provided by reference to before
and after profiles on the Detailed Assessment of Post-Traumatic Stress, (DAPS, Briere, 2001) and a
15 item feedback form. Results are also provided in the form of statements from the client during
and after therapy. Before and after scores from an on-line personality questionnaire are discussed
as well.
Conclusions: NLP when used by an experienced therapist can be effective in resolving the
symptoms of PTSD.

Keywords: post-traumatic stress, neuro-linguistic programming, nlp treatment

vi
Corresponding author: Bruce Grimley, Achieving Lives Ltd. Email: [email protected]
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 Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 19, no 3 (75) September 2016
I. Introduction we have of its benefits.” (Sturt, 2012). However key to
The rather scientific name Neuro-Linguistic understanding NLP is an appreciation of the belief that
Programming, (NLP), has many stories surrounding it. our experience has a stable structure. This appreciation
One version tells us it was a name made up on the spot owes much to the syntactically driven paradigm of the
when Richard Bandler, one of the Co-Founders, was day in linguistics, Transformational Grammar, (TG).
stopped by a police officer and asked what he did, John Grinder, a Co-Founder of NLP says: “The single
(Brown, 2007, p. 173). Another story is that NLP was most pervasive influence in NLP is the paradigm that
coined by Bandler and Grinder in an intentionally was current in linguistics at the time of the creation of
mischievous way, possibly poking fun at its quasi NLP” (Bostic St Clair, & Grinder, 2001, p66)
academic status (Tosey & Mathison, 2009, p. 12). Just as in each alphabet around the world there
Whatever the truth behind the name, what is beyond are a limited number of letters it is also the case that
dispute is NLP, despite predictions by some academics those letters can be arranged to create an almost
that it would die out within a decade because of its lack unlimited set of meanings when they are organised
of scientific rigour and it’s fad / cult like status, (Elich, syntactically and interpreted through lexical meaning,
Thompson, & Miller, 1985), is still very active and semantics and pragmatics. The parallel within NLP is
used in many domains, that we also, as experiencing individuals, have a
Heap in 2008 summarises the current and limited sensory scope in our 3 major senses, Visual,
possibly future trajectory of NLP from a psychological Auditory and Kinaesthetic, (VAK) yet through various
perspective when he says: organising processes we create highly individual
“I believe that the following impressions are mental representations, carving up the external world
also likely to be reliable. in an idiosyncratic way resulting in a personal pattern
1. NLP continues to make no impact on of behaviour and language in various contexts as a
mainstream academic psychology result of experiencing the world through these
2. NLP has made only limited impact on individual patterns. Key to NLP is an appreciation that
mainstream psychotherapy and counselling people act as a result of the relationship with their
3. NLP remains influential amongst private patterning and not as a result of a relationship with the
psychotherapists, including hypnotherapists, to the territory of objective world. It has been argued that TG
extent that they claim to be trained in NLP and ‘use relies too much on syntax and not enough on the
NLP’ in their work. generative meaning making capacity of semantics and
4. NLP training courses abound and NLP now phonology, (Jackendoff, 2002), however other aspects
seems to be most influential in management training, of NLP acknowledge and recognise the individuals
lifestyle coaching, and so on. Particularly with capacity to generate meaning in non-syntactical ways
reference to this, the term ‘growth industry’ appears to through other non-verbal patterns which have been
be apposite.” (Heap, 2008, p. 7) modeled from exemplars, one example being that of
However from the NLP perspective some anchoring, or in psychological terms classical
practitioners fight against this perceived pejorative conditioning. Within NLP there are therefore 2 levels
forecast and point to such academic volumes as “The of information processing sensory (F1) and then
Clinical Effectiveness of Neurolinguistic linguistic (F2) often it is the confusion between these
Programming, (Wake, Gray & Bourke., 2013) and levels which leads to a lack of ecology in a person’s
papers such as “Effects of Neuro-Linguistic life and the reason they find themselves in therapy.
Psychotherapy on psychological difficulties and Continuing to demonstrate the influence of
perceived quality of life” (Stipancic, Renner, Schutz, & TG on NLP Bostic St Clair and Grinder, (2001), point
Dond., 2010). These academic contributions however out that the meaning making characteristics of syntax
seem to be very much the exception which proves the are implicit. A native speaker of English for instance
rule and often are to be found in the psychotherapy and needs little formal education to know the words “Two
counselling sectors. houses” is a valid linguistic representation yet “Two
mouses” is not, and should be “Two mice”. In many
II. What is NLP? similar ways individuals may intuitively “know”
There are as many definitions of NLP as there something is not right for them in a particular context,
are NLP practitioners around the world. Professor Sturt however formally and at the level of language they
makes the telling point; “the very fact that there is no cannot represent what is “not right” and consequently
agreed definition of NLP indicates how little evidence struggle to move forwards in an intelligent way. Bostic
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 Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 19, no 3 (75) September 2016
St Clair and Grinder (2001) say: snake, or angry boss. If the scope of representation was
“These intuitions have a stability and big, in colour, close up and in focus….the NLP
consistency across individuals differing widely in all therapist might ask; “what would happen to the
respects except that they are fluent speakers of the associated feelings if that same mental representation
language in question. Such a characteristic makes this was made small, in black and white, pushed away and
set of intuitions ideal as the basis for modeling-for the seen through opaque glass?
development of explicit representations” (Bostic St It is this emphasis on structure and process
Clair & Grinder 2001, p73). rather than content which characterises the NLP
Even though the stability of the intuitions therapist and was one of the criticisms of Heap who
cited above refers to language, it would be the moot made the point:
claim of NLP practitioners that just as there is structure “However, it becomes clear when you read the
to language there is also a structure to non-verbal early literature that the claims that Bandler and Grinder
experience and through the creation of NLP design make do not simply refer to the particular techniques,
variables we now have a language to map such implicit ploys and styles of the select number of individuals
experience. The first NLP model, or explicit they studied. They are statements about the way human
representation was the “Meta Model” and is formally beings in general behave and think and communicate
laid out in book form; The Structure of Magic, with one another. In other words, they are the kind of
(Bandler & Grinder, 1975). This model primarily was observations and assertions that one would expect to
the result of Bandler researching video tapes and appear in textbooks of human psychology, to be taught
reading transcripts of the work of Fritz Perls and on psychology courses at schools and colleges, to be
observing the work of Virginia Satir and then sharing the subject of research in psychological laboratories at
the skill he developed at University. our universities, and to inform broader theories of
After asking Associate Professor John Grinder social and cognitive psychology.” (Heap, 2008, p. 1)
to observe him running his Gestalt workshops at the The position Heap takes seems very
University of Santa Cruz with Frank Pucelik, Grinder reasonable and it is one of the main drawbacks of the
noticed that there already was a formal linguistic NLP approach that some of the fundamental tenets as
representation which the emerging model could map well as the derived patterns have not been tested in a
onto and that model was TG. rigorous way and findings communicated to the
Along with the Meta Model which is a academic world. This is despite early proponents of
linguistic model based on TG and the Milton model NLP advocating a more scientific writing up of NLP
which is often referred to as the reverse of the Meta practice; “Clearly these practitioners would provide a
Model, being based on the modelling of Milton service to the field by presenting their data in the
Erickson, it is also the non-verbal design variables literature so they may be critically evaluated.”
which make up much of the current NLP practitioner (Einspruch & Forman, 1985)
curriculum. These design variables offer linguistically To use a metaphor, so we can see the wood as
a representation of what is implicit structurally within well as the individual trees, Bostic St Clair and Grinder
human phenomenology and thus provide individuals conveniently tabulate the higher level ordering of every
with the capacity to make meaningful alterations at an single NLP pattern:
unconscious level which changes their experience. 1. “The Meta Model, designed to verbally
They were arrived at inductively during the modeling challenge the mapping between first access to the
process as Bandler and Grinder observed and imitated outside world through our senses (F1), and our
their subjects. Many of these non-verbal design linguistically mediated mental maps (F2).
variables are described in The Structure of Magic ll 2. Operations defined over representational
(Grinder & Bandler 1976) and later NLP volumes. systems and their sub-modalities, for example the
Examples of such design variables are the use of Swish technique.
rapport, multiple perceptual positions, anchoring, 3. Reframing patterns, where representations
framing, time orientation and scope / categorisation of are placed in a different cognitive structure.
sensory representation. 4. Anchoring, where differentiated 1groupings
If a client was therefore afraid in a particular of representations are brought together for purposes of
context the NLP therapist would be more interested in integration. (Note 1 In an email to me, 9th August 2014
how the object of fear was mentally represented John Grinder suggested this should be “differentiated”
contrasted with the actual content….say a spider, rather than in the published version; “undifferentiated”.)
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5. The Milton Model, where representations at an NLP intervention by reference to the above NLP
F1 (first access through our senses to the world) are frame and through reference to other aspects of NLP
shifted by using F2 (linguistically mediated maps) not mentioned in the above introduction. The intention
patterning without the need to map those representations of using this format is to get to the meat of the paper,
into the client’s conscious understanding.” (Bostic St rather than distract the reader with too much of an
Clair & Grinder, 2001, pp. 198–9). introduction as to what NLP is and how it works
So my hypothetical therapeutic example without any reference to live content. Hopefully this
above of changing the visual characteristics of a mental will contextualise the practice of NLP therapy more
representation to see if that elicited a different feeling usefully. I will make use of the personal pronouns “I”
would fall into category 2) above. There is a lot of and “my” during this case study rather than the more
jargon in NLP as in any modality and a glossary to cumbersome, “the author”. This intervention also was
assist comprehension might be useful and can be found framed as a coaching intervention as well as a
at Grimley, (2013). Given the lack of representation in psychotherapeutic one as implicit in the latter is often
the academic literature and the critique of academic stigma and the sense something needs to be fixed, which
psychologists it would be a valid question to ask why is is not a judgement an NLP therapist would make.
NLP still with us, and further how in Austria for Initial sessions
instance has NLP therapy been formally recognised by In my work I make use of the NLP operating
the government as a legitimate modality and in the UK frame of Richard Bolstad, (2002); RESOLVE. This
is recognised and accredited indirectly by the stands for:
government, (Professional Standards Authority, PSA)  Resourceful state of the practitioner
through inclusion in the voluntary register of the  Establish rapport
United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, (UKCP).  Specify the outcome
PhD research of the Author discovered, using  Open up the client’s model of the world
a grounded theory approach that the success of NLP  Lead the client to their desired state
and NLP therapy is predicted by a synthesis of popular  Verify the change
variables fitting into the acronym P.E.A.S. NLP is:
 Ecological exit
P. “Process oriented, Pragmatic, Positive, This was a good time for me to take on a new
Playful, Phenomenological, eliciting Patterns, and
client. I did not have a high case load and during the
Practicing within the Presuppositions of NLP.
free chemistry check which took place at my home
E. Eclectic, Experimental, Experiential, with
from where I practice, my client seemed very keen to
a focus on obtaining Elegance in all
work with me. He had been recommended by his
practitioners do. Doctor to seek a psychologist from the Directory of
A. Focused on Application rather than
Chartered Psychologists and he liked my online profile
theorising, however evidence for the effectiveness of
as well as my telephone manner on initial enquiry. I
such application is mainly Anecdotal.
concluded my own State was very resourceful in the
S. Systemic in orientation with a strong
context of this client and invited him to a first session
emphasis on Sales in the market place for ideas and after he said he would like to work with me.
utility.” (Grimley, 2015, p. 250).
Rapport was established in the opening
To summarise, NLP is the study of the
sessions through observation and listening. A key part
structure of subjective experience. The methodology of
of NLP therapy and especially when using the Milton
NLP is behavioural modeling and the first 3 exemplar
Model, (the third of NLP’s models), is to appreciate
models were counsellors/psychotherapists. NLP design your client experiences their world indirectly through
variables elicited from these modeling projects are
their own unique mental representation of the world.
regarded as not only being instrumental in the context
To exert leverage and lead them away from
of excellent psychotherapy, but also are regarded as
the source of their dissatisfaction, which is that
providing a framework for the structure of human
representation, the NLP therapists needs to have a deep
experience and have thus been used in other contexts appreciation of the structure of that representation
such as business, education, negotiation, sports and
which NLP therapists refer to as “map of the world”
personal development to name a few.
after Korzybski, (1994). In NLP, rapport is obtained
Case Study. Introduction through matching and pacing, so a lot of these early
Throughout this case study I would like to
sessions involved me verbally matching my client’s
show the reader what made this intervention uniquely ongoing experience.
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 Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 19, no 3 (75) September 2016
One consequence of matching and pacing are very similar to Personality in psychology however
verbally as well as non-verbally is the therapist himself they are regarded as situational and may vary within
begins to appreciate intuitively the structure of the person and across context.
clients map of the world and this experience can The only characteristic which was not fulfilled
generate both useful and relevant questions which can in order to allow a full diagnosis of PTSD was Psycho-
open that map of the world up more which can have the Social Impairment. When discussing the results of this
effect of providing greater choice for the client. There alongside the Alter-Ego Meta-Program profile, David
is a double dynamic at work here. Initially the client and I co-developed a working hypothesis that he was
has expectations, (a predictor of outcome). The more using his exceptional ability to think (as demonstrated
the NLP therapist accurately matches and paces the formally by a preference for thinking over feeling) to
clients ongoing experience the greater those present himself as socially intact, despite all of the
expectations, as the client recognises the therapist is other symptoms of PTSD such as re-experiencing,
truly present and is feeding back accurately their map avoidance, hyper-arousal being present. DAPS also
of the world. This builds trust and as trust builds the brought to the fore David was abusing substances
client feels more confident in exploring their map of regularly, a common sequelae to sexual abuse and
the world without judgement and in total confidence. It PTSD which I normalised by sharing a DAPS profile
is for this reason it is important the NLP therapists of similar type to David from the technical manual
checks their own state before taking on a new client. During the initial sessions, despite developing
Unless the therapist can be truly present and focused an appreciation for David’s map of the world, I became
upon their client, rather than any pressing matter of curious as to why his symptoms seemed to be
their own, this process cannot unfold. significant at this particular stage of his life. I
Seeing the world through your client’s map of discovered that he had a child who was autistic and
the world is known in NLP as adopting the 2 nd also his wife had significant mental health issues
perceptual position. As I began to experience the world herself and was struggling to effectively manage. This
through David’s map of the world I sensed a sharp meant David not only had to do a full time job, but also
divide between his ability to think and his ability to then needed to attend to housework and parenting
feel. Professionally he was a software developer and when he was quite tired. Continual reference to his
presented as exceptionally logical and rational. I sensed wife seemed to be significant and I pointed out I could
he clearly was in touch with his feeling side, which in only represent his state of affairs as he presented them
NLP is represented Kinaesthetically, however this was to me, agreeing that I too would be exhausted if this
highly introverted to the extent I felt he was not fully were the case. However I had no way of checking the
aware and the possibility for me arose, to use validity of such data without his wife present. After a
psychodynamic language, was David was few sessions, his wife, Alice agreed to become
compartmentalising much of his feeling self in order involved in the sessions and provide us both with her
to retain a keen sense of logic and thus functioning in map of the world.
the world. The significance of this from an NLP
To test this intuition and indeed whether perspective is that what informs many of the NLP
David did have PTSD which he had been diagnosed Presuppositions, which are the operating assumptions
with through his doctor, I resorted to some psychology and the closest NLP has to a theory, is a reliance on
and asked David to fill out the Detailed Assessment of systems theory to explain our phenomenological
Post-traumatic Stress (DAPS, Briere, 2001), Alter-Ego, representation of the world. Not only is there a
an online personality questionnaire, (Grimley, 2010), systemic inter-relation between unconscious and
and an online stress questionnaire, (Grimley, 2009). conscious mind, the quality of which determines the
Alter-Ego brought in another NLP aspect to this quality of life, but there are also systemic inter-
intervention as it is a measure of which Meta-Program relations between ourselves and others. In order to
the client is currently favouring in the context under understand and model out such a system one needs
consideration. In NLP a Meta-Program is effectively a access to all parts. It is for this reason I believed it
pattern running at a deeper neuro-logical level and thus important to invite Alice to our sessions with the full
a pattern which is responsible for a greater range of agreement of David.
experience contrasted with lower level patterns such as Mid-Sessions
a simple anchoring of response in a particular context Once I had established rapport and trust it was
or a favourite cognitive frame. Meta-Programs in NLP time to address the index event. David said he had been
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sexually abused and was experiencing flashbacks of the framing it this way I would increase the expectancy of
experience. He felt through sharing his experience with a positive outcome and thus increase engagement in
Alice, who had also been sexually abused, he therapy and eventually a successful result.
strengthened their relationship, however he felt she The NLP pattern I chose for this intervention
lacked energy to such an extent he was losing the was “change personal history” rather than the V/KD.
motivation to support her. This pattern is credited to Grinder and Bandler by Dilts
We agreed a guided exploration of how he and DeLozier, (2000, p. 159). There were many
currently represented his past experiences would be reasons for this, however the key reason was David did
useful and at this stage it was very important to not have a clear representation of the abuse happening,
emphasise 2 points. Firstly what was creating David’s his memory of it was very implicit. I needed to remind
symptoms was not the sexual abuse, but rather how he him he could not use the contents of this therapy
was representing it. This did not exonerate the sexual session as evidence he had been abused and also the
abuse, however it created a cognitive frame which danger of co-constructing false memories. Indeed even
allowed David the realisation that he could change his though David had been diagnosed as having PTSD by
experience by changing his representation. In other his doctor, a key outcome he wanted from therapy was
words it provided him with the opportunity to take to actually surface these implicit memories which he
control of his experience if he accepted this frame. “felt” were there and were responsible for his PTSD.
The second point was about working together After anchoring David into a resourceful state
with valid information. Often clients, in my experience, and agreeing with him he can re-enter this state at any
will begin to talk about “red herrings” to avoid facing time during the session at will, we made use of the
the patterns of experience which emerged from an NLP design variable of time and started walking back
index event. This is not useful as the relevant down the time line through 30’s and 20’s noting any
patterning in such cases is left unaltered and the incident of notice and making comments on them. We
symptoms remain. In the NLP pattern Visual- also lightly anchored the symptoms of PTSD that had
Kinaesthetic Dissociation, (V/KD), Gray and Liotta, been caused by the index event and at each incident of
(2012) talk about how important in the context of notice I asked David if this was the index event that
PTSD, reconsolidation of long term memory is as a was primarily responsible for the PTSD symptoms.
mechanism for change compared to that of extinction, During this time the NLP variables of perceptual
which to date is the treatment of choice, yet unreliable positioning, re-framing, anchoring and others were
and subject to relapse. They say this is because the used, so David could come off the time line and look at
extinction protocol works through creating new himself and other people from what NLP calls the 3 rd
associations, yet leaves the old ones intact as perceptual position, seeing the systemic interplay
demonstrated by spontaneous recovery of trauma between him and others.
association. Reconsolidation however works by This perspective was useful in that it often
accessing, (emphasis mine), the trauma memory and by generated more productive frames for David to create
doing so making it more labile and during that time of and then associate into when he stepped back on to the
lability re-framing the memory, effectively updating it. time line to continue his journey into the past. In NLP
Just as extinction has reliable characteristics so does this is termed 1st perceptual position when one fully
reconsolidation, Gray and Liotta tell us, these are; experiences the world through one’s own senses and
“complete elimination of the target memory, resistance one’s own map of the world. It transpired that these
to spontaneous recovery, lack of net gain in new frames discovered in this session were very useful
reacquisition learning, and lack of contextual renewal” when the change personal history pattern was used
(Gray & Liotta, p. 8). again during future sessions. This was because the new
I wanted to emphasise these two points to frames gave David the resources and therefore the
David before we began working on the index event to confidence to explore deeper than he had ever explored
assist him frame the experience as one he does have before. For instance in an instance with his mother
control over and one that will result in a complete when he got incredibly angry as a result of some
resolution of symptoms if successful. Also to comments she made, he found in the 3rd perceptual
encourage him to be honest with me and work with the position it was most useful to have a Plexiglass shield
deep patterning, which though painful to re-experience, which allowed him to respond to the content of his
would by such re-experiencing render such a memory mother’s communication but shielded him from the
labile and more amenable to change. I believed by force of her emotion.
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During later sessions David explored at the continue to see me, however she said she would prefer
age of 6 a house and many different rooms which to see a CBT therapist through the National Health
were triggers for specific events and specific types Service, pointing out it was probably not wise of her to
of abuse. Often he would simply represent what was have missed 6 sessions of therapy with me to look after
going on somatically with jerks, twitches, catatonia their daughter. I believe as David was my client, Alice
and catalepsy, commenting occasionally as he felt had never had my full attention as her presence was
able to and responding to questions. One question he secondary to the resolution of David’s symptoms.
found most useful, given he had been educated in Consequently I believe I did not build and maintain the
earlier sessions as to the constructivist philosophy of levels of trust I had with David with Alice and this is
NLP, was “and what would you like to do with these something I could have done better I believe, had I
experiences?” been able to re-live the intervention.
On some occasions he made himself much
larger and expressed verbally what he wished to say to III. Results
the perpetrator. On other occasions he found it useful On our final session David reported being
to re-frame the experience commenting on how as a 6 very happy with the outcome. He said the police had
year old this was not his fault and others were to been around to talk to his mother about the report he
blame. It was during these times and these sessions the had filed over a year ago, and while understanding that
new resources discovered on the time line down to 6, like the legal system needed evidence in order to move
the Plexiglass shield, were most useful in working with forward, felt if this was not forthcoming in further
these labile memories to make something else of them. enquiries which David now felt comfortable to conduct,
Closing sessions then he was happy to draw a line underneath this.
As the reader might imagine a lot of content David interpreted this visit by the police as a
from the 18 sessions has been omitted from this paper form of synchronicity, in a positive way. He confirmed
to save space. But hopefully to date a slight sense of that he was no longer getting flashbacks nor intrusive
how an NLP therapist might work experientially with a thinking and his bearing during wrap up sessions and
client has been gleaned. ratings on the exit questionnaire suggested that this
Towards the closing sessions a sense that the state of affairs was both valid and continuing. He felt
initial therapeutic outcome of understanding more fully even though he retained a very high Thinking profile
the nature of the implicit abuse memories had been on Alter-Ego he now could access his feeling side
forthcoming as well as a diminution of PTSD much more readily and not fear what he might find
symptoms and there was a sense we now needed what there. He pointed out he could now use his feeling side
NLP calls a new “Well-formed Outcome” (WFO). This to associate into new plans and goals involving music
was felt strongly by both me and David. composition and was excited in experiencing and
I pointed out I was concerned about Alice and exploring this new process. He said he would keep me
in order for her to regain the energy needed to function on his books, however felt he did not need regular
effectively, and increase David’s motivation to assist sessions anymore. I said that would be fine.
her, would need considerable expertise possibly from a Even though David continued to take soft
team of professionals. A Beck Depression inventory, drugs to help him relax he said his consumption was
(Beck, Steer, & Brown,1996). administration returned much less now and he recognised the need to continue
a diagnosis of moderate depression (24) and I this trend in the future, understanding that with the
suspected elements of Bi-Polar as well were present for appropriate mental representations he could naturally
Alice. Often Alice’s thinking processes appeared so produce all the feelings that were necessary for his
disorganised I suggested symptoms of schizophrenia, personal development and contentment.
however I re-iterated I suspected she would need a David’s satisfaction is represented in his exit
referral from her Doctor to a multidiscipline team of questionnaire, (see figure 1). The before and after
possibly Clinical Psychologist/Psychiatrist, Social profiles on DAPS also support his verbal account of
Worker, and Therapist. David had wanted Alice to cessation of the main PTSD symptoms, (see figure 2).

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 Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 19, no 3 (75) September 2016
Figure 1. Exit form measuring satisfaction with service

IV. Conclusions useful. We did some work which in NLP is called sub-
As can be seen from figure 2 below David modality work to make the abuse images, the sounds
was symptom free after therapy. What was most and associated feelings smaller and weaker and began
gratifying was the belief that this state of affairs was to work more on another Meta-Program dimension
sustainable even in the challenging context of surfaced by Alter Ego, (see figure 3). This was David’s
supporting both his wife and autistic child whilst lack of towards orientation. As we began to work on
needing to excel in a demanding full time job. This is what was exciting about composing and producing
supported by his response to item 15 on the exit music and performing we were able to co-create a
questionnaire, (figure 1). As an NLP therapist I was compelling future which David was motivated to move
most pleased that the items around utility on the exit towards. The questionnaires were administered as
form seemed to be the ones which attracted the marks appropriate, and with the therapy sessions lasting
of 10. Not only was the outcome sustainable but it was between 8th April 2016 and 30th September 2016 there
also relevant to his needs, (item 6) and the outcome was plenty of time in the finishing sessions to learn
was fully achieved, (item 9). from the psychometrics and adjust therapy accordingly.
One interesting blip was a rise in the PDST What is also interesting to note is that
score. This scale measures Peritraumatic distress, throughout this therapy when one looks at the shape of
which is the amount of distress experienced at the time the Alter Ego profile, apart from the slight move to a
of the index event. This is relevant because high “Towards” orientation and a “Feeling” orientation
measures on this scale are related to a greater severity David’s profile is remarkably similar. Having
of PTSD symptoms. Discussing this paradoxical blip experienced such a change vis a vis PTSD, such
David recognised that now he had understood more similarity of Meta Program profile over time indicates
fully what he had gone through, indeed he could see it a stability and it may be a useful research project to
as horrible, however dwelling on this and representing explore further the claims that these Meta Programs are
the sensory scope in an enlarged way was probably not as changeable as NLP practitioners think they are.

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Figure 2. Before and after intervention DAPS profile.
8th April 2016 and 9th July 2016

The intention of presenting this case study is concerning the utility of NLP as a modality and
to stimulate thinking around the use of NLP in the ultimately generate some good quality empirical
context of psychotherapy and through creating such research to test some of the claims of NLP therapists
visibility in an open and transparent way hopefully and the patterning they make use of in their
generate further narratives in the academic world professional work.

Figure 3. Before and after intervention ALTER EGO profile

45
 Journal of Experiential Psychotherapy, vol. 19, no 3 (75) September 2016

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