the Central London nlp group

Living NLP The newsletter of the Central London NLP Group Issue 3

The Future of NLP: Have we got it wrong?
"Should NLP Trainers give Practitioner certificates to trainees who do not grasp the epistemological level of NLP - that NLP is the modelling of pattern and process and is not content, pattern and process themselves? and are you willing to be active on this response?" - The editors of Living NLP to John Grinder 8th June 1998 In June John Grinder addressed an international audience of over 200 NLPers at Regent's College in London. One of his contentions was that NLP as practised today is not as he and Bandler intended. He maintains that: the quality of training is not being controlled many people in training are not mastering the patterns many NLPers do not realise that NLP is about modelling, about the study of excellence NLP as a discipline is being confused with the study of applications of NLP not all NLPers understand that NLP is an epistemology He believes that if NLP continues in the way that it has, it will disappear as a separate discipline within ten years. He is convinced there is a need for: organisations to control the quality of training l people in training to practise the patterns presented until they've mastered them for it to be understood by trainees that NLP is an epistemology the study of NLP to be kept separate from the study of applications of NLP the main work of NLP practitioners to be modelling If anyone has the right to call us to account, surely it's John, co-creator of NLP. Trainers and organisations within NLP can provide a context within which newcomers to NLP make the right start. And isn't it up to us all to reconsider the way we practise NLP ourselves and the way we represent it to others? Further reading: Patrick E. Merlevede, http://www.ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PatrickM/john2.htm John Grinder: Patterns for the Future Sian Pope, Rapport 40 1996 Interview with Dr. John Grinder at http://www.inspiritive.com.au/grinterv.html
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New for first Tuesdays NLP Fundamentals
Starting from 2nd March the Group is running a series of first-Tuesday sessions called NLP Fundamentals. Twelve monthly workshops will cover most of the skills usually taught on Practitioner trainings. The programme co-ordinator, Niels Thomas, says, "These sessions represent in a 2-hour evening what you get in a weekend of training". If you are a relative newcomer to NLP or want to revise why not come along and find out more? If you are experienced in and are interested in running one of the 12 workshops, and have a Practitioner (or above) certificate, contact Niels on 0207 226 9482.
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Make a date
Coming up on the February/March programme we have Europe's most prolific author of NLP books Joseph O'Connor on Healthy Ageing (16 March). See you there.
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Coaching success
Kim Bonçal was unable to present her session on coaching on January 19th so trainer, actor and coach Michael Neill stood in at the last minute. And what a session! Nearly 50 people enjoyed one of the best, most informative and fun-filled workshops we've had in a long time. Sorry if you missed it, but we'll be sure to invite both Kim and Michael back for future sessions.
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NLP trade mark case closed in UK
Richard Bandler has withdrawn his registration of NLP as a trade mark in the UK. The legal case which Tony Clarkson took on cost him many thousands of pounds and he has achieved a result which will benefit us all in the NLP community - not least training companies. Please send donations to: The NLP Fund, Bongate Mill Farmhouse, Mill Hill, Appleby, Westmorland, Cumbria, CA16 6UR made payable to The NLP Fund.
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Editorial
This issue highlights three topics: John Grinder's address last June to around 200 NLPers, the NLP Group's new website, and the Starting an NLP Practice Group Pack. We value feedback on any of these (and other) topics, to the address at the bottom of the page or via the e-mail response form on the website. Please tell everyone about the website, as anybody who is on-line, anywhere in the world, will be able to down-load Living NLP. We hope this will greatly extend our readership, correspondence and potential contributions, and encourage us to publish Living NLP more frequently. - Isha and Garry
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Disabled access at Regent's College
Access for disabled people is improving at Regent's College, with the addition of three new ramps. One ramp leads from the main building to the "quad" in the middle, and another now bypasses the step in the garden. A third ramp enables independent access to the ground floor toilets in the Ackland Building. Wheelchair access to the main building is through a door situated between the entrance hall and the refectory. But someone has to ask reception to get the door opened. An accessible door at the northwest side of the Tuke Building (where the group meets) is usually unlocked. Keith Armstrong recently found it locked and had a frustrating time riding around the college trying to get it opened. A stair-lift in the main building leads to the refectory. But this is kept locked between uses and so blocks the way for those who need the manual support of that rail. Note that smoking is not allowed inside the college buildings. We'll keep you posted, and welcome your experiences of access at the college.
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NLP Group website launched
The new NLP Group website went live on 3rd November last year. You can find it at: http://www.nlpgroup.freeserve.co.uk/ As well as publicising the activities of the Group, the site provides a contact point and information centre both for members of the Group and for the NLP community in general. One section, About the Group, details who we are, what we do, and where and when we meet. A map is included so you can find us easily. The NLP Group Programme of events is also published in full on the website. This allows us to give you up-to-date information about any last-minute changes. You'll also find this issue of Living NLP at the site, along with past issues, so if you missed one you can catch up on all the old news. The section entitled What is NLP? is for anyone wanting background information on Neuro-Linguistic Programming. A large part of the website is devoted to The Communications Centre. It includes an E-mail response form you can use to get in touch with us if you want more information about the Group, or about NLP, or if you want to give us feedback on the website or on the Group. You also can sign or read our guest book. We are hoping that the new Open Forum on NLP will develop into an ongoing discourse on NLP-related subjects (and especially those of a topical or controversial nature) [Note: this section of the website was removed due to lack of response]. There's also the Notice Board where you can post information or requests. We'd like the website to be as interactive as possible. If there's something you'd like to see added to the site, let us know. Or if you want to post a notice or write an article, or if you just want to arrange to set up reciprocal links with your website, send us an e-mail at: webmaster@nlpgroup.freeserve.co.uk.
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NLP website watch
Association for NLP http://www.anlp.org Representing NLP in the UK	The Developing Company http://www.devco.demon.co.uk/ NLP, Grovian metaphor and more	Richard Bandler http://www.nlp-dhe.com/ NLP & Design Human Engineering
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Committee update
The Group's committee members generally share out jobs and assist each other as appropriate. The committee members currently are: Adrian Hope-Lewis, the NLP Group contact and the group's main advertising and publicity person. Do contact him if you have any publicity ideas, on 0797-0639522, e-mail: ajishere@hotmail.com. David Kenna You might have seen David hosting Tuesday meetings for several months last year. Ron Knight Ron is particularly assisting with publicity. David Lincoln has hosted a number of Tuesday evening meetings recently and is assisting with publicity. He is fresh back from a USA hypnosis course with Helen Erickson. Michael Lovelace ensures that Tuesday evening door-money gets into the Group's bank account, and has been assisting in getting the programme out. Alan Slater has been the Group's treasurer since its inception. Jacqueline Stevens continues to serve on the committee after several months of helping get the programme out. She is a UKCP-accredited hypnotherapist and has facilitated a number of sessions for the group. Niels Thomas co-ordinates the Group's programme and books rooms at Regent's College
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NLP Trainer Training
By Ian McLaren, Rapport Magazine's Events Diary Coordinator NLP trainer training is more about being qualified as a trainer than learning more about NLP, although the people running the course (who should be Master Trainers) will use a lot of NLP concepts. The emphasis in the curriculum varies. Some companies are clear (and happy) that they are training potential competitors, others aim to give extra skills to trainers in other fields. The current ITS course is aimed at 'trainers, consultants and coaches' [and requires Master Practitioner certification as do all the trainings highlighted on this page - Eds]. If you want to be able to issue Practitioner certificates that are recognised by ANLP, you will need to be certificated by the recognised bodies. These are all US based: Society of NLP First Institute of NLP & DHE/Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Richard Bandler) DLAI NLP University/DeLozier and Associates International (Judith DeLozier) American Board of NLP Advanced Neuro-Dynamics/American Board of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Tad James) INLPTA Advanced Behavioural Modelling/International NLP Trainers Association (Wyatt Woodsmall) In the UK, only the companies listed below appear to train to recognised standards. ITS, Marlin, John Seymour Associates and others offer Coaching and Training skills courses, but not dedicated NLP Trainer Training. Excellence for All (INLPTA) Manchester - Summer Intensive; Winter Extensive 19 days (Peter McNab). There is an INLPTA Master Trainer course in Europe most years (by invitation) McKenna Breen (Society of NLP) London - Intensive March 7 days (Richard Bandler) Realisation at Stenhouse (American Board of NLP) York - Summer Extensive 16 days (John Overdurf & Julie Silverthorn) Sensory Systems Training (Society of NLP, but DBM only) Lake District - Intensive Developmental Behavioural Modelling trainer training; Aug-Sep 15 days in each of two years (John McWhirter) Some of the overseas NLP Trainers Courses: Advanced Neuro-Dynamics (American Board of NLP) Costa Mesa CA - August (Master Trainer also available) (Tad James) First Institute of NLP & DHE (Society of NLP) San Francisco CA (Richard Bandler) - Master Trainer is by personal recommendation only. Neuro-Energetics (American Board of NLP) Acalpulco, Mexico - January- February (17 days) (John Overdurf & Julie Silverthorn) NLP Connection (not known) Northern California - 2 weeks in February and August. The Art of Presenting (Christina Hall) leading to Trainer qualifications. NLP University (DLAI) Santa Cruz CA - Summer Intensive (27 days) (Robert Dilts & Judith Delozier) Performance Enhancement Ltd (INLPTA) Washington DC - August (Master Trainer also available) (Wyatt Woodsmall) AND 001 808 596 7765 Excellence for All 01625 610403 First Institute 001 415 955 0541 ITS 0208 442 4133 McKenna Breen 0208 340 8089 Neuro-Energetics 001 717 2938803 NLP Connection 001 408 425 3614 NLP University 001 408 336 3457 Performance Enhancement 01489 889000 Sensory Systems 0141 424 4177
Ian McLaren is a business coach, INLPTA NLP trainer and author	Contents

Training Report
My Experiences on a Trainer Training Course - by Ian McLaren I studied with Excellence for All in the summer of 1997 in Manchester, at one of the university halls of residence. There were 15 of us in the group, with two tutors (Peter MacNab and Frank Daniels). We spent 15 days learning new material and, after a gap, another four days making presentations and being assessed. There were two early shocks - firstly that we would not be taught any new NLP techniques; secondly that we were expected to know all of the ones on the INLPTA syllabus - a 200 page manual and a list of sources that we were expected to be completely familiar with. We spent the first four days learning about learning and the kinds of information that we should put into a session. Then we had to produce and give our first presentations, which were minutely dissected by the tutors and the rest of the group. We spent six days on stage work and interactions- getting volunteers, doing demonstrations and answering questions. After another day of making presentations there were sessions on designing courses, marketing and running an NLP training company. A fully designed course and business plan had to be submitted. Then back to Manchester for four days of testing - a verbal test of the NLP syllabus, two presentations (one at Master Practitioner level), a demonstration, facilitating an exercise without notice as to which one it would be (and with deliberately recalcitrant 'students'), answering open frame questions - and a party and presentation to finish with. The effort required to get through this course was orders of magnitude higher than for my Practitioner or Master Practitioner. The qualification is certainly a professional one. Excellence for All Tel: 01706 600 886 e-mail: excellenceforall.demon.co.uk
Why not tell us about your experience with a training company?	Contents

Starting and running a practice group
"There are not very many places in the world where the spirit of NLP is creating what you are creating here" - Judith DeLozier at the NLP Group, April 1993 Thanks to responses to our Issue 2 article, you can now get a comprehensive Starting an NLP Practice Group Pack. We will send this to anybody who requests it in return for a donation to the Group. Please make cheques/postal orders out to The Central London NLP Group. We intend that the pack will include: Twenty Questions for those thinking of setting up an NLP Practice Group by Richard Selby-Boothroyd. Richard set up the High Wycombe practice group in 1993 and ran it for 2 years. The group gained 70 members. The Most Successful Practice Group in the World? by James Lawley and Penny Tompkins, published as The NLP Group: A Practice and Support Network in Anchorpoint, Sept 1995. James and Penny were founders of the London NLP Group, which has been based variously at Paddington, Liverpool Street, Bayswater and Regent's College. Penny and James are leaders in this field and the wealth and variety of practice groups around today is largely owing to their inspiration. They devised and hosted 3 national NLP Practice Group conferences, have led innumerable practice sessions and served on the Group committee from 1991 to 1997. The London NLP Group has had more than 500 members over the years. Several Practice Group News articles from 1994/5 issues of Rapport. Encouraging Contribution in Organising the NLP Group: A Task Orientated Approach produced by Paul Thomas. Paul ran both the Liverpool Street and Bayswater groups' programmes single-handedly for a year or so, co-ordinated the first two months' of programmes at Regent's College, and served on all the NLP Group committees. Notes for Proposers of Practice Sessions by Garry Knight and Marysia Kurowski. Garry and Marysia ('Isha') served on NLP Group committees for 2/3 years, each led many practice sessions and have attended the Group since 1993/4. They network extensively and have a good idea of what most NLPers want from a practice session. Putting Together a Practice Session by Marysia Kurowski, suitable for use by groups seeking session-leaders who facilitate practice and exercises rather than just speakers. Marysia ('Isha') co-ordinated the programme at Regents College for a year and coordinated the 1995 NLP in the Community conference. All this plus samples of practice group programmes and other useful items we've gathered together. Thanks to the following for responding to our requests and helping us put the pack together: Nick Driscoll, Ken Duckett, Jilly Shaul, Penny Tompkins, James Lawley, Richard Selby-Boothroyd, Andy Smith and Paul Thomas. And thank you also to Francesc whose letters prompted all this. [If you'd like more details, or to download the pack from this website, click here]
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Dalston Youth Project
The award-winning Dalston Youth Project needs volunteer mentors to help young people who are at risk of being excluded from school. The project provides mentors and after-school support for these young people. Two of the three after-school tutors are developing and practising NLP in Education during the after-school sessions. Mentors with NLP interests could closely support the Young Peoples' development. If interested please call Caitlin Walker on 0208 525 9696.
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Children's NLP Group
We received an e-mail via the Group website asking if we knew of any children's NLP groups in or around the London area. We thought that this was a great idea, but didn't know of any existing group. If you know of one or are thinking of starting one, or if you know of someone who is, perhaps you'd let us know and we'll pass the information on to our correspondent.
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Submitting articles
We welcome articles about the Group and about the NLP community. If you want to contribute to Living NLP, you can send your article by e-mail, in plain text format, Rich Text Format, MS Word (2, 6, 95 or 97) format, Lotus WordPro format, or Windows WordPad format. Alternatively, you can e-mail it in plain text or HTML format to: editor@nlpgroup.freeserve.co.uk.
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