NLP was started in the early 1970s by mathematician Richard Bandler and linguist John Grinder. Together they embarked on a quest to uncover the secret of human excellence, a quest that eventually gave birth to the fascinating science of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Much of Bandler and Grinder's early findings were based on studying the work of therapists like Fritz Perls (Gestalt), Virginia Satir (Family) and Milton Erickson (Clinical Hypnosis).

Among the many discoveries made in the field of NLP was the realization that human beings create their own 'map' of the world around them, a map that is so unlike anyone else's that it is truly unique. In other words: we all live in our own reality.

In relation to this discovery, NLP claims that human excellence is closely linked to the ability of understanding the maps of others and communicating with them in a way that is meaningful to their personal sense of reality.

NLP, therefore, has put together a wide-reaching set of principles, attitudes, skills and techniques which shed light on how humans organize their way of thinking, feeling, communicating and behaving.

The way NLP approaches the secret behind human excellence is pragmatic and focuses on 'what works', rather than a theoretical approach. Although the science of NLP makes general assumptions about what accounts for excellence, its techniques do not aim at molding all people into one form, but rather offer help in developing each individual's personal and unique skills.

NLP has designed models and techniques that aim at improving your well-being and success in life, by helping you to:

• clarify your goals and how to achieve them.


• improve your communication skills and ability to influence others.


• recognize your patterns of behavior and make positive changes to them.


• develop behavioural flexibility - the ability to behave in a productive and positive manner in a wide variety of situations.


• develop personal congruence - a state in which all aspects of your personality work in harmony with each other.

The following presuppositions are a framework of basic assumptions NLP makes about the human experience. All NLP techniques and models relate back to these presuppositions on some level:

The Map is not the Territory
Human beings make their own subjective presentation of reality. Their map of the territory (reality) is not the territory itself, but a personalized representation of it. Therefore, learning how to understand other's maps is essential for successful communication.

All Human Behavior is Purposeful
People have a reason for behaving in a certain manner, no matter if the reason is perceived and understood by their conscious mind or other people. By revealing the purpose behind your behavior, NLP deepens your understanding of yourself and gives you new choices.

There is no Failure, only Feedback
People who label themselves or their actions as failures underperform as a result of self-doubt, lack of enthusiasm, anger and fear. NLP regards "failure" as valuable feedback that holds key information about how to adjust your strategy for achieving your goal the next time you try.

If what you do does not work, try something different
Life is a learning process that requires a great deal of adaptation. NLP believes that flexibility is one of the most empowering qualities one can have. People who are able to change their behavior when necessary, are best suited to be successful in life.

People do the best they can
People are as successful in life as their behavioral strategies and beliefs about themselves and others allow them to be. They do the best they can within their experience of reality. If they are underperforming in some areas of their lives it is because they have not yet developed the appropriate strategies and beliefs needed for success.

All the Resources needed are already in the System
Whatever challenges life places in front of us, we already carry all the resources we need in order to be successful, within us. NLP techniques are designed to help people access these resources.

If you can dream it, you can have it
NLP presupposes an inherent creative power lying dormant in all of us, a power that allows us to bring our dreams into manifestation. Mankind has proven again and again that it can achieve greatness in the fields of science, art, sport, etc. All that is required is an idea, a vision, a dream.

NLP techniques are numerous and diverse, each addressing a particular issue of the human experience. The following list gives an overview of some of the techniques PEC uses to help its clients:

Logical Level Alignment
NLP assumes that we experience life on 6 inter-connected levels:

Aligning your logical levels means bringing your mission in life, your sense of identity, your values & beliefs, capabilities, behavior and environment to work together in harmony. This can be very useful, if you want to create focus in your life.

Meta Mirror
This technique allows you to explore a conflict you are having with another person. By stepping into your own shoes and those of the other person you experience the emotions and thoughts of both sides. You also view the conflict from a Meta Position and see it without emotional distortion. The Meta Mirror is designed to help you break through relationship deadlocks and give you a deeper understanding of what the real issue is.

Circle of Excellence
We all have had good and bad times in our lives. The Circle of Excellence technique is designed to gather the energy from the best moments of our lives and focus it on a particular challenge we are faced with. It is a technique that builds confidence and enthusiasm.

Negotiation Reframe
Sometimes different parts of your personality are opposed to each other, for example, the part of you that likes to be easy going versus your serious part that wants to get ahead in life. If these parts are in a hostile relationship with each other, they can cause you emotional tension. As a result you will randomly switch between being too easy going or too serious. The Negotiation Reframe technique aims at resolving the differences between those opposing parts and restoring balance to your personality.