What are the presuppositions of Neuro linguistic psychology and how can we benefit from them today? Neuro linguistic psychology is a highly-used and understood psychology. The presuppositions are easy to use, follow, and understand. They are the absolute most basic of concepts we work with when we use the techniques available through NLP. It is from these simple paradigms that we structure the rest of the field and techniques. It's often said one should stick to the basics, although it's rarely heeded. Often, a person will learn the basics first, and in the course of learning the more obscure details, forget or ignore the basic concepts which brought them the finer details in the first place. It is my aim to bring about a more closely-defined understanding of the presuppositions. In the remainder of this article, I will discuss the presuppositions and how they can most effectively be utilized in your practice with clients.

1.) We are always communicating.

There once was a time, when I was a child, when I was unhappy with my mother. She would not give me what I wanted, and I was going to get it any way possible. I stopped talking to her, then I stopped looking at her. My thinking, as a child, was that I would not communicate, and therefore my parent would suffer a loss. It wasn't until years later I realized I used these tactics to communicate my anger and frustration at not having received what I wanted. Even in lack of communication there is communication. To choose to not communicate with a person sends them a message. It may even send a group of people a message. Communication with our clients is essential to a successful relationship and effective goal-reaching strategies. To have open communication in our relationships with our clients is to teach them the value of communication. Each person must define the value and best possible methods of their communication. To look not only at what we are communicating, but how, is essential in the field and processes of NLP.

2.) The meaning of the communication is the response that you get.

The meaning of the communication may be positive or negative; good or bad. If we receive a positive result and action, then the meaning was a positive interaction; as with negative. Ultimately, the speaker must always look to the listener to define the outcome of what was communicated. It is the listener and the way they are receiving the communication, and how it may fit in their particular map of reality, that a speaker should concern themself with. A listener may not receive the message as you have intended to send it out. It is at this point the responsibility falls upon the speaker to clarify and exercise requisite variety. The speaker may choose to try something new while in the course of communication. In NLP, we aim to have the best positive results we may achieve.

3.) People respond to their map of reality, not to reality itself.

An example of this paradigm might be when people are put into any given situation it is natural to have a response, whether good or bad; positive or negative. The way a person may view today's situation and respond may be a result of a past situation. Many times, a person who has had an experience outside their normal realm of life existence develops a pattern of behavior around that situation. If the same person were suddenly thrust back into that situation, you may find them behaving much the same as they had before. Many people have created life-long patterns and habits that may once have been very beneficial, but might not be at the present time. It is at these times of odd or unreasonable response that one-time learning and mapping of our realities can be seen. Once we map our realities, we begin to respond to them in the manner in which we have deemed the things we have mapped. The way we perceive the world around us becomes our truth, while the reality may not be the same. Then, our maps represent not actual realities, but our personal views or perceptions of the reality. At this point, we need to stand back and re-map our realities.

4.) Requisite Variety: The element in a system with the most flexibility will usually be the controlling element.

I once had a client who was wonderful; compliant in every manner, yet unresponsive to the program. I continually approached them with a very authoritative technique. Given the personal history and my experiences with this client, I fully expected them to have a complying response. However, I received something rather different - a non-receptive reaction. It was at this point I decided to change my methods and attempt a permissive approach. I found this modification in my behavior to break through the communication barriers and set my client on a road to achieving the desired goal. It wasn't until I had achieved and found variety and flexibility within my technique that I was able to best affect, influence, and help my client.

5.) People always make the best choice available to them.

There have been times when I looked around and wondered why people in my life made the choices they did. I frequently cannot see their perspective on life, or understand how they are reacting to life. There are many times these decisions and choices, once discussed, are brought to light and then I can begin to understand how a person made their decision. However, there are other times when obstacles to a client's realizations or their perspectives of life emerge. When this occurs, it is essential to enable the client to realize, accept, and motivate toward the best possible outcome. Although a client may have a positive intent, they may be exhibiting a negative behavior. It is at these times we need help clients define and understand their individual secondary gains. When clients begin to explore and elevate the negative behavioral and thought habit patterns in their lives, they begin to see great change.

6.) Every behavior is useful in some context.

Every person has behaviors that are considered less then desirable. A person can learn from every behavior ever exhibited, while all behaviors could also be improved upon or enhanced. It is a goal in the field of NLP to enhance the natural excellence of a person. It is my personal belief that this can extend to every aspect of a person's being.

7.) Experience has a structure. Chunking. Anything can be accomplished if we break it down into small enough pieces.

When a person goes off to college to obtain a degree, they choose a field and begin their studies. A student learns a basic concept, builds upon it, and takes many individual courses of study, enabling the student to achieve the desired degree. In the same manner college a student sets out to complete a degree -- pacing and chunking -- a person should view and attempt to obtain their expected goals. More clients today need to be taught the benefits of pacing and chunking. Weight management clients I have reviewed these concepts with have been extremely receptive and successful with applying these concepts.

8.) People already have most of the resources they need.

I’ve heard people say, 'A therapist can only tell you what you've told them," and I believe it's true. All of my clients have told me exactly what they need and how they hope to achieve it. I have found, by them giving me the information I need, they are also discovering the tools and skills they need to locate within themselves. This process of discovering is a mutual experience shared by the therapist and client.

9.) There is no failure, only feedback.

There are times when we need accept what has occurred or is occurring in our lives. When we begin to accept and understand the feedback we get, and learn to adjust appropriately, we begin to achieve the desired success. It's important that clients understand and realize their desired feedback is achievable and obtainable. You may consider discussing with clients the variety of feedback they get and can achieve. Suggesting ways of obtaining new or more positive feedback may benefit the client and help them to realize new skills.

10.) If what you're doing doesn't work, try something else.

This is the most basic of NLP and common sense concepts presented to us today. Simple, yet I find many people have difficulty applying this to life tasks. Often I have watched a person struggle through a situation, taking the same approach time after time. This leads them down a terrible path of predetermined failure where they find little or no reward. A client may need a nudge in the right direction, or even overt redirection. It is beneficial that every client know and understand the need to allow, and even at times create, change in their life.