What Is NLP? How It Differs From Psychotherapy and What the Evidence Says

What is NLP, and what does psychology say about it? Its core concepts, what research shows, how it differs from psychotherapy and what to weigh before joining.

Your company is sending the sales team on a three-day training course called "Persuasion and Effective Communication with NLP". Or an acquaintance tells you they have earned an "NLP master practitioner" certificate and can cure your fear of lifts in a single session. Books in bookshops titled "Reprogram Your Brain", videos on social media saying "Take Charge of Your Subconscious with NLP"... Faced with such a widespread concept, it is natural to ask: what is NLP, and what does psychology as a science say about it? Is it a psychotherapy method or a personal development movement? In this article we look at where NLP came from, its core concepts, what research has shown about these concepts and what you need to know before attending a training course or session.

What Is NLP? A Brief Definition From a Psychology Perspective

NLP stands for "Neuro-Linguistic Programming". It was developed in the 1970s in California, USA, by Richard Bandler, who worked in mathematics and computing, and the linguist John Grinder. The founders observed the working styles of some therapists who were considered effective at the time, such as the hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, the family therapist Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt therapy, and tried to "model" them and turn this success into techniques anyone could learn.

The three words in its name summarise the method's claim: neuro (the nervous system and perception), linguistic (language) and programming (patterns of thought and behaviour). According to NLP, people perceive the world through their senses, encode this perception in language and act according to learned "programs"; by changing these programs, a person's feelings and behaviour can be transformed quickly.

A possible confusion should also be mentioned here: in technology, the abbreviation "NLP" is also used to mean natural language processing, which deals with computers processing human language. The NLP in this article has nothing to do with that.

NLP's Core Concepts and Claims

Some of the concepts frequently encountered in NLP training are:

• Representational systems: It is claimed that each person predominantly uses a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic (tactile and emotional) perceptual system, and that matching the other person's system in communication increases impact.
• Eye accessing cues: It is suggested that a person's eye movements, for example looking up to the right or down to the left, show which representational system they are using at that moment, and even whether they are telling the truth or lying.
• Building rapport and mirroring: It is said that trust can be built quickly by mirroring the other person's posture, tone of voice and speed of speech.
• Anchoring: It is claimed that a particular emotional state can be associated with a touch, word or gesture and later recalled with this "anchor".
• Reframing: Redefining the meaning of an event or behaviour from a different perspective.
• Fast phobia techniques: It is suggested that phobias can be eliminated in a single session with techniques such as watching the feared memory in the mind like a black-and-white film, from a distance and in reverse.

In addition, NLP training gives a great deal of space to language patterns. Question patterns aimed at opening up a person's generalisations such as "Everyone shuts me out" with questions like "Everyone? Who exactly?", and suggestion patterns intended to steer the other person using indirect and vague language, form the basis of this part.

Some of these concepts resemble ideas that have counterparts in other areas of psychology. However, NLP fits them into its own theoretical framework and often promises very fast and striking results.

How Do NLP Courses and Sessions Work?

NLP is usually taught through tiered certificate programmes: levels such as "practitioner", "master practitioner" and "trainer" are completed over periods ranging from a few days to a few weeks. A background in psychology or health is generally not required to attend these courses.

In Turkey, NLP is widely used especially in corporate training, sales and leadership programmes, personal development seminars and some coaching programmes. There are also practitioners offering services under the name of individual "NLP sessions" for issues such as anxiety, phobias, low self-confidence, quitting smoking or losing weight. These sessions are usually short and rely on applying particular techniques.

Say you work at a bank and are intensely afraid of speaking in front of groups. On the NLP course your workplace sends you on, you learn to summon your "self-assured" feeling before a presentation by pressing your thumb and index finger together. In the training room the technique helps; but at the first big meeting your voice trembles again and your hands sweat. You say to yourself, "I can't even manage this." Yet what you are experiencing may be social anxiety that can be addressed not with a brief technique but through step-by-step work.

What Is NLP According to Psychology? What Does the Science Say?

NLP's core claims have been tested by researchers since the 1980s. The overall picture from this research is as follows:

• The claims about representational systems and eye movements have not been supported in studies. No evidence has been found that people have a dominant perceptual system, or that eye movements reliably reveal a way of thinking or lying.
• Systematic reviews bringing together research on NLP's effectiveness in treating mental health problems have concluded that the evidence is insufficient and of low quality.
• For this reason, many academics and mental health professionals regard NLP as a practice without a scientific basis, or even as pseudoscientific.

On the other hand, some ideas in NLP do have counterparts in psychology, but these ideas do not belong to NLP. For example, the importance of trust and rapport in the therapeutic relationship is one of the most robust findings of psychotherapy research. Reframing, which helps one see an event from a different angle, is reminiscent of cognitive restructuring in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and of similar techniques in family therapy. Anchoring resembles the principle of classical conditioning. In other words, the parts of NLP that seem to work are generally principles borrowed from other fields and researched far more systematically there; the theoretical explanations NLP adds to them have not been scientifically verified.

It is also worth explaining why such rigorous research is needed to find out whether a method works. When people believe something will help them, they may genuinely feel better in the short term; this is called the expectancy effect. In addition, many difficulties fluctuate naturally over time, and people usually seek help at their lowest point, so later improvement may be credited to the method. Research that uses control groups and has results assessed by independent people allows us to separate out these factors and see a method's own specific contribution. NLP's claims have largely not been supported in tests of this kind.

There is often a great distance between a technique feeling good in a training room and it creating lasting change in real life.

In short, the honest answer psychology can give to the question "What is NLP?" is this: a personal development approach that combines memorable language with well-packaged techniques, but whose core claims have not stood up to scientific testing. This answer does not mean that everyone who has attended NLP training has gained nothing; but it does show that it should not be seen as a treatment to turn to for a mental health problem.

Why Is NLP Still So Popular?

It may seem surprising that NLP remains widespread despite scientific criticism. There are several reasons for this:

• The promise of a quick fix: The idea of change in a few hours instead of a process lasting weeks or months is very appealing.
• A sense of control: The message "You can program your brain" is a powerful source of hope for someone who feels helpless.
• Impressive delivery: NLP training is usually delivered by energetic, charismatic and self-assured trainers, in an atmosphere reminiscent of a stage show.
• Personal testimonies: The stories of participants who say "My phobia went away" are persuasive. However, it is not possible to draw general conclusions from these stories without separating out factors such as expectancy, group atmosphere and spontaneous improvement.
• Some genuinely useful skills: Skills such as listening carefully, trying to understand the other person's point of view and setting clear goals are useful anyway; but their value does not come from NLP's own theory.

What to Consider Before an NLP Course or Session

If you are interested in NLP, it is important to keep in mind the difference between experiencing it as a personal interest or communication skills training and using it to treat a mental health problem. The following situations call for caution:

• The title "NLP therapist": This title does not mean training in psychology or psychotherapy. Ask what basic training the practitioner has received.
• Claims to treat mental health disorders: The promise that conditions such as panic disorder, trauma, depression or obsessions will be resolved in a few NLP sessions is not supported by scientific findings.
• Talk of "programming the subconscious": Expressions like this are attractive from a marketing point of view but have no scientific basis.
• Endless new certificate levels: Rising costs driven by the expectation that the next level will solve everything.
• Advice to stop treatment: Be wary of any approach that suggests you stop psychotherapy or the treatment your doctor has recommended.
• Ethical concerns: In some sales training, NLP techniques are presented as a way of steering the other person without their awareness. Using communication skills for manipulation is problematic both ethically and for relationships.

Similar concerns apply to the coaching field; we covered this topic in our article on the difference between a life coach and a psychologist.

Evidence-Based Alternatives: How Are These Problems Addressed in Therapy?

People often come to NLP with real and important needs: to get rid of a fear, to be more self-confident, to cope with anxiety, to give up bad habits. For each of these needs there are approaches supported by research.

For phobias and anxiety, gradual exposure work based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is among the methods whose effectiveness is well established. The person faces the situation they fear in small steps planned together with their therapist, and experiences the fear diminishing over time. You can find out how phobias develop and what can be done in our article what is a phobia.

With self-confidence and communication problems, the work focuses on the person's negative beliefs about themselves, the automatic thoughts that kick in in social situations and avoidance behaviours. Where needed, communication skills are rehearsed in the session through role play.

With habits such as smoking, overeating or procrastination, the situations in which the behaviour is triggered, what it gives the person in the short term and what could be put in its place are examined. Change happens not through a single moment of "programming", but through a process of repeated small steps in which setbacks are also accepted as normal.

What these approaches have in common is that they do not rely on a single technique, that they begin with an individual assessment, and that progress is reviewed regularly. You can find the principles of CBT in detail in our article what is cognitive behavioural therapy. This kind of work, addressing anxiety and fears, can be carried out within anxiety and panic support.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

Attending an NLP course to develop your communication skills is a personal choice. However, it is advisable to see a mental health professional in the following situations:

• If fear or anxiety is markedly restricting your work, your relationships or your daily life,
• If panic attacks, intense unhappiness or sleep problems have lasted for weeks,
• If you feel more helpless after quick fixes you have tried before,
• If traumatic experiences from the past are affecting your present.

If you have thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, call 112 (emergency services) without delay or go to the nearest emergency department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does learning NLP contribute to personal development?

Some participants say they gained skills they found useful in NLP training, in areas such as listening, asking questions or setting goals. However, the value of these skills comes not from NLP's own theory but from general principles of communication; NLP's core claims have not been scientifically verified.

Can a phobia be cured in a single session with NLP?

The promise that a phobia will disappear in a single session is not supported by scientific findings. The methods with well-established effectiveness for phobias are based on gradual, planned exposure. Although some people make progress in a short time, this varies from person to person.

My workplace is sending me on an NLP course. Should I go?

Attending a communication course is not harmful and can provide some practical skills. What matters is evaluating the claims made on the course with a critical eye and using what you learn not to steer others without their awareness, but to understand one another better.

Are NLP and hypnosis the same thing?

No, but they are related. NLP's founders were influenced by the hypnotherapist Milton Erickson's use of language, and some NLP techniques include elements of hypnotic suggestion. Hypnosis itself, however, is a different practice with its own separate research literature.

• #neuro-linguistic programming
• #personal development
• #evidence-based therapy
• #psychotherapy

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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