Nick Kemp' s Blog

Nick Kemp's Provocative Change Works

2010-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

A good introduction

Nick Kemp in the Studio

2009-12-13T10:22:00.001-08:00

Nick Kemp on "What is NLP?"

2009-10-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

NLP or Neuro Linguistic Programming can be described in the following way
Neuro:The way our brains and nervous system work.
Linguistic: The way we communicate, both to others (verbally and non-verbally) and ourselves (out loud and inside our heads).
Programming: A methodical and systematic way of coding our skills and knowledge, and replicating the skills of others.

By being able to communicate to our brains and nervous system in a methodical way, we can replicate the skills of others, and improve the behaviours we already produce in this world.
NLP is based on the proposition that all behaviour has a structure and that the structure can be modelled, learned and changed. NLP is, therefore, the study of patterns in behaviour and what can be calculated from them or as a colleague once said "It's about how you do, what you do."

Nick Kemp's involvement in NLP
I first trained in NLP in the 1990s with Richard Bandler the co creator of NLP. I used many of my NLP insights in corporate work with clients which I offer through Nick Kemp Training (www.nickkemptraining.com) In 2000 I also first started to use my insights from studying the art of language to create the Human Alchemy series of CDs, which are now available on all Amazon sites as well as my own products store online.
In 2004 I began running certificated NLP training courses for the public and in 2005 I set up www.nlpmp3.com as a free online resource for those interested in NLP. On this site I interviewed who I consider to be the very best trainers in NLP, including Richard Bandler, Doug O Brien, Steve Andreas and John LaValle among others. I also made sure that these trainer interviews are from different schools of NLP so that the public are able to hear a genuine variety of viewpoints from an independent perspective.

After writing many articles on NLP, in 2006 I was asked by the BBC to appear weekly on the radio to discuss the use of NLP in curing phobias. This resulted in 26 consecutive weeks of successfully working with numerous phobics and this work inspired me to create my own "Provocative Change Works" approach which was demonstrated in my "Provocative Change Works for Phobias" DVD set. In 2007 I was invited and accepted the position of being on the accreditation and advisory Board of ANLP.

See more at www.nickkemp.com

Nick Kemp on Binge Drinking

2009-10-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT NICK KEMP

"You are totally disarming and beyond formalisation.
There is ease and naturalness about you and you make people relax really quickly.
You got the power man!"

Frank Farrelly, Creator of Provocative Therapy on Nick Kemp, (June 16th 2006)

"Do you know Nick Kemp? - (he is) exceptionally bright, and I have immensely enjoyed communicating...The kind of exchanges that I have been having... are the kind of activities that I think can really advance the field."

Steve Andreas, NLP Author, Trainer, Developer

"Nick Kemp is what a trainer should be."

Doug O Brien - Master Trainer & Hypnotherapist

"I have known Nick Kemp for a number of years as both personal friend and mentor... no one has done more to promote Frank Farrelly and his highly effective treatment modality of "Provocative Therapy" than Nick Kemp. In 2004 when both myself and Nick met Frank Farrelly for the first time, the only readily available material was the classic 1973 book, "Provocative Therapy." Since that meeting, Nick and Frank have become firm friends and there is no doubt the rest of us have benefitted enormously from this unique relationship. Now with numerous audio and DVD training products produced and promoted by Nick Kemp, Frank Farrelly's work is more readily accessible than ever before.
With this is mind, I had the very great pleasure of attending Nick's first "Provocative Change Works" course in Leeds. Having extensively studied Provocative Therapy and seen Frank work one-to-one sessions live with clients on several occasions, I was astonished at the level of expertise demonstrated on the stage. I have no doubt that with his modelling skills, Nick Kemp has managed to "get" the PT model in its entirety. Watching Nick interact with his clients left me in no doubt that he is the very embodiment of Frank's humour, wit, skill and flexibility. I suspect that anyone familiar with Frank Farrelly's style of working will get that spine tingling sense of familiarity when watching Nick work and that the mantle of Frank's ground breaking work has truely found its lineage, and his experience and dedication to detail makes him one of the best trainers and change work therapists in the UK today."

Andrew T Austin
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neurolinguist & Author of "The Rainbow Machine"

"Had to say I saw the 3 minute wonder on channel 4 tonight called 'My Amersham' which you did the music for, and thought it was wonderful, incredibly hypnotic, and was especially impressed with the music, I was stuck to my seat. I googled your name and wanted to send a note of appreciation."

Jonathan Green

"Nick Kemp has modeled two different simple processes which are part of his Provocative Change Works™ set of tools for working with anxiety and other strong emotions that I have found enormously useful in working with clients. He has also modeled the different patterns in Frank Farrelly's Provocative Therapy so that they are easy to learn. In addition, he is everything you might wish for in a colleague - available, creative, eager to discuss ideas and learn as well as teach."

Steve Andreas

"Nick Kemp, what a guy, I mean he's really something else. He helps people get rid of phobias that they've had for 34 years. Well the BBC heard about him and they went and saw what he was doing and... 'We want you on, you know, every week' and stuff like that and said 'Why don't we do a couple and so he did'. This is BBC radio and so he did it. People called in and stuff like this you know. So then they got so excited because the calls... the switchboards just lit up like a Christmas tree you know. So any rate this one gal... he would do this help her get rid of her phobia 'Are you sure you want to get rid of this phobia now'? She was terrified of birds, any kind of birds. Anywhere near her. Any kind of bird for 34 years. And her husband said 'That's all true too'. Everything. She had to go round them etc. He got her. He did the therapy and then walked her outside and they followed her with cameras and stuff like that and they showed the studio audience... and she was feeding the pigeons. And her husband said 'This is surreal, it's unbelievable'. This can't be true, but there it is.

The BBC wanted him every single day for the rest of his life but he said 'No, no, no, once a week is ok'. On his website and on mine he talks about (a) having heard about Frank Farrelly (b) Frank Farrelly's still alive and doing workshops and Frank Farrelly is coming to England and where? Finally he finds out down in Bournemouth which is on the south coast and on both those two websites he talks about his experiences of coming to a workshop and he's a big NLPer and has worked with Richard Bandler. So he thinks "I'm going to follow this guy and see what he does". If you're interested in NLP and provocative therapy you want to read his stuff on the internet. What a guy. What a guy. And he's got a heart of 144 carat gold!"

Frank Farrelly about Nick Kemp

"Our day with Nick Kemp was a turning point. The solutions are obvious as we look back on them! But on the day Nick found us confused and stressed and left us clear and focussed. We changed the company name to reflect the range of products we now have and this has immediately helped to communicate to existing and new customers so much better. Nick's direction has meant these changes are felt within the organisation as well. The ideas came from ourselves with his guidance – and this means we have so much more ownership of the process. The follow-up from Nick has also been welcome – checking, tweaking and confirming the original plan as it rolls out. The focus and clarity Nick brought to us has meant increased sales activity as well as a more efficient work pattern to deal with this. From struggling to striding!"

Mal Williamson - Director Engage Now - Nov 2008

"We wanted to help our staff consider that there is more than one response to a given situation, and help them explore a range of possibilities in terms of reactions. Alongside that is the awareness of the power and effect of language to help increase rapport, not only with colleagues, but with our customers.
Feedback from Nick's work was impressive, in the highly regulated world of insurance we do have to operate to a script when talking to customers to meet FSA requirements; however we are now looking at the specific words we use.
Additionally our staff are more aware of their 'state' as a major factor in improving our ability to perform tasks, and how to seek to control this."

Sue Lewis - Operations Manager,
Towergate Partnership Ltd

"As head of a busy community drug service, the most significant element I witnessed in his training for my team that has proved to be important in our work with addicted clients has been without a doubt the powerful insight he provided that profound change is not only possible and desirable - but that it is not a time bound process. We are used to assuming that our work will be slow and painstaking - Nick reminded us of the human potential for swift and dramatic change."

Sian James
Head of Community Drug Treatment Services

"I've been in the retail business for eight years and have had a lot of success until this year, when retail hit a low point. After a major upsizing last year, sales weren't covering overheads and the business couldnt've survived. I brought in the services of Nick Kemp for advise on areas that we could change to get customers back through the doors again.
After a friendly, informal chat over breakfast outside of my shop, Nick suggested loads of things to attract more customers into the shop, like simply adding more colour to the window! This alone increased customer traffic dramatically.
After seeing Nick and implementing just a few of his ideas, within ONE week, the business completely turned around! And to think, i've only implemented about 10% of the ideas so far! Now, it's a case of finding out just how much money the shop can make! Fun times!
If you are looking for a way to increase sales and efficiency in your business, I can whole-heartedly recommend Nick Kemp as a Business Consultant."

Julie Lingard
Aqua Couture (Designer Boutique), Leeds

"Nick is fantastic to have around in various areas. I have worked with Nick on my business skills and training for my staff. If you were looking to find that extra few percent to beat the competition...then here you are."

Ross Allenby - Entrepreneur, Oct 2008

"If you train with Nick then quite simply you will be able to DO this stuff. This is absolutely KEY. It's no good learning from someone who's just spent a bunch of money to obtain a 'title'... Nick is a LIVING DEMONSTRATION of what USING these technologies can do. I'm not just talking about business either - Sure Nick runs a thriving training company...sure he maintains a product 'empire' of some of the best audio/video material out there...sure he secured his own radio series with the BBC...sure he continues to pack out his clinic with people who want a lasting solution to their problems. But it's more than that. Nick is a lovely guy. He's generous, intelligent, mischievous and damn funny. Hear me on this - I meet hundreds of people every year who think it's appropriate to try and maintain a fake "veneer" of 'success' - until they reveal to me secretly that they're barely making rent... Nick Kemp is a man who has done what should be done if you're going to spend money and time to learn this stuff...HE'S USED IT! And you know what's cool? He'll show you how to use it too. Whatever he recommends next - I'd do it!"

James Lavers

"Having worked with Nick Kemp on various projects over several years I am fully aware of the unique skills he possesses, and he was my first port of call when I set about building a telesales team. From the outset his thinking process and training methodology were far superior to any I have encountered in my 14 years of sales. He has the ability to break everything down to a simplistic level. We successfully took 18 people with no experience or discernable skills and within a three day period produced sales staff that have and still are achieving target on a daily basis. Nicks ability to communicate on all levels was truly tested and yet he succeeded. We continue to train new staff with Nick's bespoke training package, whilst continually assessing and updating existing staff's skills. As a company we have never missed a sales target, this has been achieved through consistent input from Nick Kemp. He adds strength to our company and is viewed as a team member by all the staff. I see Nick as part of our continued growth and success and am convinced that without his original input and ideas we would not be where we are today."

Andrew Horner Glister, MD

About Nick Kemp

2009-08-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Nick Kemp has been involved in the field of personal change for thirty years, having studied many forms of communication and personal development, including Hypnosis, Provocative Therapy and Neuro Linguistics, before creating his own Provocative Change Works(tm) approach that he uses in his private practice. His highly acclaimed Human Alchemy (tm) series of CDs attracted international attention and he created the first ever commercial multi sound DTS hypnosis CD. In early 2001 Nick Kemp’s Human Alchemy CDs had already became regarded by many as some of the finest hypnosis products available, and were described by Anglo American Books in the following way -
“We are sent many CDs and audiotapes from therapists for review, but it is truly unusual to come across a product that is as effective and professional as this offering from Nick Kemp. As well as being a useful tool it should be of great interest to those who wish to use the more complex language techniques inherited from Milton Erickson's great work.”
In 2004 Nick Kemp met Frank Farrelly, (creator of Provocative Therapy and influence on the creators of NLP) and began an intensive training to become an approved Provocative Therapy Trainer. He subsequently founded The Association for Provocative Therapy (or AFPT) and released the “Provocative Change Works for Phobias” DVD set which has commentary from Frank Farrelly himself. In 2006 Nick Kemp was a guest for 26 consecutive weeks on BBC Radio curing phobics live on the air using his Provocative Change Works approach. This has been described by Frank Farrelly to a professional colleague in the following way
“You’ll find his work on phobias using PT mixed with NLP and Hypnosis quite a blend and Enlightening!”
Frank Farrelly
In 2008 Nick Kemp was invited to present at the IASH Conference in San Francisco to a “standing room only” audience and he has since also presented his work in New York. In 2009 and 2010 he will be running a series of new trainings in the UK, Europe and USA. His Provocative Change Works approach and creation of the Provocative Icon System (tm) has attracted the attention of many international trainers including Steve Andreas who made the following comment
“Do you know Nick Kemp? – (he is) exceptionally bright, and I have immensely enjoyed communicating...The kind of exchanges that I have been having... are the kind of activities that I think can really advance the field.”
Steve Andreas
NLP Developer, Writer

For Nick Kemp’s official site see www.nickkemp.com
For Nick Kemp’s trainings see www.nickkemptraining.com

Frank Farrelly talks about Nick Kemp

2009-08-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Blog has moved

2009-03-11T01:22:00.001-07:00

and is now HERE - www.nickkemp.com

NLP, Paranoia v real skill development

2009-02-10T02:33:00.000-08:00

When I first began exploring NLP in the 1990s I was taught "The Map is not the territory" and this made perfect sense to me. Years later I began to realise that although this is one of the basic presuppositions of NLP, there were indeed many battles in the commercial business area of NLP over perceived "territory" It always surprised me that field which claimed to promote excellence and building rapport should in many instances be so adverserial with a strong "Us or them factor" where during initial meetings with other NLPers the first question is

"Who did you train with"

Once such NLPers become more well known in their own right, their original trainers (mostly who would not even recognise them or remember their names) would proudly proclaim

"He's one of ours!"

As David Crosby once sang

"paranoia strikes deep. into your heart it will creep. it happens when you're always afraid. step out of line and the man comes to take you away. stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down. its time we stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down. stop, hey, what's that sound? everybody look what's going down."

A professional colleague of mine also made this observation about paranoia among NLPers, comenting that during one training he frequently kept hearing the phrase persona non grata, as a description to individuals who had "fallen from grace" and been cast out of "the circle of trust" (See Meet the Parents for full reference) IMO this kind of attitude and paranoia does little to advance good debate and promote new insights. The internut is full of quite ludicrous comments and postings about whose NLP is best and who trained with whom, totally disregarding the benefits of at times agreeing to disagree!

There are fortunately some "green shoots of optimism)with some independent thinkers who are focussed on advancing new ideas and processes. Most such folks do not have celebrity status and tend to be more maverick at a time when NLP appears to increasingly come under scrutiny from the public at large. I have never considered myself to be part of any club that would have me as a member and am truly grateful to those colleagues who have encouraged my own work and writings.

Such skilled individuals care title about celebrity endorsements and other such nonsense and are more concerned in how they can best use their skills to genuinely help others.

www.nickkemp.com

Investing in quality

2009-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

I have noticed as I have got older my tastes have become more expensive. As a collector of guitars, a truly excellent instrument would usually be at least 2k+ and even 2nd hand this could be three times this amount! Many such instruments are hand built and there is a waiting list for delivery, but there is a massive difference in the sound and playability as these are both investments and musician's tools as opposed to "guitar shaped objects"

When I first started creating the Human Alchemy series of CDs eight years ago, I ensured that the recording and the productionwer of the highest standards and that the CDs were pressed in a CD factory, which meant runs of at least 500 at any one time.

In creating the www.nickkemp.com I also made sure that I used the best web designers and professional photos in all instances. Although NLP purports the pursuit of excellence, in many instances this does not translate with many NLP sites and products very poorly designed. Similarly some trainers don't even use a PA when running groups and sometimes venues are chosen for price rather than comfort and to provide a good learning environment! One company that owned a bed and breakfast actually described the venue as "an international training centre!"

Price also does not guarantee quality and just as there are very expensive guitars poorly made, there can be very expensive NLP trainings and products that are poorly presented or poorly produced. To quote the old adage "Let the buyer beware" and in these economic times its worth really checking any purchases out and lookng beyond the sales pitch...

NLP Book Review on "Get the Life you Want"

2009-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is the link for a review by Steve Andreas on Richard Bandler's "Get the Life you Want" NLP book.
I think it raises some interesting points about NLP, take a look for yourself!

click here

NLP is an excellent set of tools, but in recent times I have personally found that many "non NLP professionals" have been amazed at the manner in which it has been portrayed, often with very little attention to precise language and often in a very confusing way. Steve Andreas certainly in my view provokes some useful discussion in this article which I would recommend anyone interested in NLP to read.

Diversity of clients in private practice

2009-02-04T07:30:00.001-08:00

In running a private practice I see a huge diversity of different clients. As I have mentioned previously there is a whole world f difference working in this way than in NLP and similar workshops where any demo subjects have bought into the approach, by having paid to be on the event.
I have seen all manner of people from celebrities, to millionaires, international sports stars and people of all ages from 10 - 70. Its a fascinating line of work and its great to have a job that is of real benefit to other people, often whom arrive with real problems.

www.nickkemp.com

Gerard Kemp Passes

2009-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

Gerard Kemp, who died on January 6 aged 79, was a dogged and energetic Daily Telegraph reporter sent to some of the most dramatic troublespots during the Seventies.

Tall and burly, with the genial manner suggestive of a police sergeant, Gerry Kemp was ever ready to respond to a late night phone call by racing to an explosion in London or flying to the latest foreign crisis. He covered the sectarian strife in Northern Ireland and reported from Australia, Mexico and Nairobi. But his most dramatic dispatches concerned the explosion of violence in Jordan as King Hussein moved to crush Palestinian militants in September 1970.

On arriving in Amman, Kemp reported the blowing up of three hijacked airliners on the ground at the former RAF base of Dawson's field, minutes after the hostages on board had been evacuated. He was confined in the InterContinental Hotel for almost a week as it was engulfed in the battle raging between Jordanian troops, Syrian commandos and Palestinians. The water was cut off and Jordanian troops, manning a heavy machine gun on the roof, periodically came down to demand beer, while guests tried to cheer themselves up by calling out: "Waiter, there's a bullet in my soup."

Kemp stayed to report on King Hussein's ultimate triumph and the nervous re-emergence of civilians as order was slowly restored.

The son of a graphic artist, Gerard Kemp was born at Wolverhampton on February 27 1929 and went to St Chad's College, before joining the Army for national service. He started as a proofreader at the Walsall Times for £3 a week. On learning of a job going on the Daily Herald he did not inform his parents until he got it because they disapproved of the paper.

Moving to the Daily Mail, he started to interview showbusiness figures, though his encounter with Elizabeth Taylor in Rome, when she was making Cleopatra, came to an immediate close after he asked her to compare her various husbands. As a member of the paper's "Newsnight" team he demonstrated a sure talent for investigative work before leaving to become chief reporter on The Sunday Telegraph's "Close-Up" team, digging out material on illegal immigration, Mafia involvement in British casino gambling and the losing battle to restrict imports of pornography after Denmark lifted its ban.

Kemp was in Belfast on Bloody Sunday, covered the growing Loyalist reaction, and sat in on an IRA "court martial" at which two youths faced being kneecapped for robbing a shop. As civil unrest spread in England he had what he called "the Trot slot", reporting on extreme left-wing elements working to disrupt trades unions, constituency associations and other elements of "the capitalist society".

His ability to react to sudden events was demonstrated when he was the one reporter allowed down to the platform of the Moorgate Tube crash in 1975 which killed 43 people. "It was like a scene in a wartime film," he wrote in his pooled dispatch: "a horrible mess of mangled limbs and twisted iron, as rescuers worked in extreme temperatures to cut the passengers free."

Among his notable foreign stories was the trial in 1976 of the British Army Para-turned-mercenary Costas Georgiou, known as "Colonel Callan", executed for war crimes in Angola. He also covered an Organisation of African Unity summit in Kampala. On arriving at the airport he overheard security men praising Buick cars because they could fit three men in a boot. His big story there came when General Gowon of Nigeria was told that he had been ousted in a coup.

As the British economy slowed, the Telegraph started to grumble about his large Telexing costs and expenses, and he moved on to the Sunday Express, where he worked for another 10 years but without feeling that he received the same reporting opportunities.

Gerry Kemp loved black pudding, William Hazlitt and amateur musical productions. His two marriages, the first of which produced two sons and daughter, ended in divorce. He retained his sense of humour during his last years, which were spent in a wheelchair after a fall.

Daily Telegraph obiturary

He will be missed by many, including this son

Jerry Schatzberg and Bob Dylan

2009-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

Jerry Schatzberg took some of the greatest all time Bob Dylan photos from the mid 1960s including the famous Blonde on Blonde album cover. He recently ran an exhibition in London showing his work, when he met with Dylan during the Highway 61 sessions.

I first started listening to Dylan in the mid 1970s and even saw him live during this period

www.nickkemp.com

Snowed off

2009-02-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

A day indoors, due to weather considerations

So, an opportunity to write, play guitar and generally have a catch up day, wile staying in the warm

www.nickkemp.com

NLP and developing genuine skills

2009-02-01T02:54:00.000-08:00

When I first came across NLP in the 1990s I attended an event that had literally hundreds of attendees. There was a fair amount of "whooping", but fortunately also some good teaching, so we left with a basic awareness of NLP. We were not IMO 'practitioners" as indicated on our certificates, but certainly had some useful skills.

People attend NLP events for a variety of reasons and sometimes they can fall into the trap of believing that a few weeks training will equip them to leave the day job and set up a lucrative private practice. This rarely manifests for a number of reasons including the fact that in most instances the practitioner does not have the business skills to attract clients as well as not having the skills to properly work with client conditions.

One UK NLP training company claimed to have trained 50,000 practitioners and yet few individuals earn a sustainable income from NLP. Those who do make it beyond the "happy clappy" NLP online forums, establish their own reputations by creating new products and materials rather than attempting a karaoke version of imitating the trainer they first trained with! Many such skilled individuals take what they have learned from their original trainings and added their own insights to produce something truly useful for others.

I noticed that in recent years some people have begun to talk about "qualifying in NLP" and "graduating in NLP" as if NLP were an academic subject, which of course it is not! The NLP set of tools was created by the co creators modelling some of the best therapists who were around in the 1970s. Those who in my experience earn a reasonable living from using NLP skills tend to apply these skills in a specific niche. Unfortunately NLP has no real regulation and from the public's perception it can be regarded as a bit "new age" especially with some of the crazy comments online. The NLP skill set can produce some excellent results in learning and dealing with therapeutic issues, when practitioners learned their craft and put in the "fly time" to develop their own discrimination and professional skills.

www.nickkemp.com

John Martyn passes

2009-01-29T06:27:00.000-08:00

John Martyn passed today. He will be greatly missed by many and was a major music influence for me. I saw him live just a few months ago and he was fantastic!

I first saw him in the 1970s and here is a clip from that era

Watch C4 Tomorrow at 7.55pm

2009-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow at 7.55pm "My Amersham" is being shown on C4.

I supplied the music for this excellent film short

NLP, moving pictures and marketing

2009-01-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

In NLP we often talk about the impact of moving pictures and how these are quite different to still pictures. It occured to me a while ago that it would make sense for me to add video clips on my private practice website to illustrate some of the many conditions I have treated.

A bunch of them can be found here

http://www.nickkemp.com/videos.php?video=id10

Eliciting client information

2009-01-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest mistakes made by NLP Practitioners and therapists is to engage in client sessions, without first eliciting appropriate information. In NLP we call this "mindreading" and of course this kind of oversight usually results in not producing a useful outcome for the client.

As well as talking to all clients prior to any agreed sessions, I also request the completion of a full set of client notes. This ensures that I obtain proper and appropriate information that allow me to determine "how the client is creating and maintaining" the problem. Key questions to ask any clients are

"What do you want?"

"How will you know when you have it?"

Obsessions and “mindreading” in group communications

2009-01-25T03:23:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I wrote an article for an online NLP newsletter titled “Into the Internut”. I felt compelled to write about my own experiences after experiencing online cyber stalking. In the article I pointed out how often people would frequently fall into the habit of “mindreading” in their communications, where a person is certain that they actually know what the other person thinks!
This kind of behavior produces all manner of miscommunications and altercations between individuals. The controversial article written in 2004 referenced a number of NLP newsgroups and received a huge response from individuals complaining that I was in some way making fun of this particular group of people and that I should certainly be reprimanded for having such (and even worse, voicing such) views! Many other individuals thought the article very funny and I received a number of e-mails congratulating me on writing about this subject. I also confess that I was (and will continue to engage in) making fun of this type of nonsense which is not only embarrassing but also creates a dreadful impression of the field of NLP as a whole.

Many people who know me from running NLP workshops don’t realize that I have a history of running international events as far back in time as 1982 and have taught many different forms of personal development which resulted in creating the Human Alchemy series of CDs and later The Art of Good Fortune workshops. As well as my public events I have for years run private invitation only events for more advanced students I work with. This experience has made me very aware of group dynamics and those individuals who prize status and “belonging to a club” above all other issues.

In 2004 I began to realize that becoming more in the public spotlight attracts all manner of attention, some productive, some less so. I had heard of celebrity stalking (and I would in no way describe myself as, nor would want to be “a celebrity) but didn’t yet fully realize how obsessed some people could be with other people’s behaviour. On one NLP newsgroup I actually had a couple of individuals enthusiastically post up to 200 negative posts each month, totally certain that I had a series of online alias’s and fully determined to reveal any and all supposed imagined wrongdoings. One of the main characters (such people are always anonymous, so “characters” is an appropriate term in this context) had a series of previous fixations with Scientology and Christianity and the other character chose to name himself after a popular brand of clothing! Both were convinced that if number of individuals used the same internet connection, all such communications must of course be one single person. Of course there is little point in even discussing such matters when people are so totally convinced of their own beliefs…

I later found out that such obsessive behavior is common for those people whose whole lives literally revolve around “a virtual cyber existence”. With the advent of the internet age this can and often is a 24 hour a day preoccupation. Interestingly I have seen clients in private practice who also exhibit exact such behaviours with many becoming quite paranoid in their imaginings about what they believe others “are doing” which fills their every waking moment.
Many posters online will obsess about what “they imagine” is taking place on newsgroups and forums and will frequently polarise into a “pack like mentality” where any challenging of the status quo or party line is met with a great deal of aggression and negativity. On one NLP forum hysterically the owner of the site added a “thumbs up, thumbs down” facility so in the great Roman tradition the pack could make their views plain without reverting to any actual discussion.

Such behaviour is also wonderfully described by my good friend Andrew T Austin as “whooping” The same Austin also coined the immortal term to describe this group as “happy clappers” Many such people then become “seminar junkies” spending as much time as possible (financially and time wise) in attending endless self improvement workshops to the extent that their whole world becomes centred on interacting with people who reinforce the group mindset. These individuals often become disconnected from everyday living and quite “Walter Mitty” like in their interactions with others, often hugely exaggerating their experiences in life in an attempt to impress others.

Such people desperately want to belong to any club that will have them as a member and yearn for an imagined improved status in life. The rise of Facebook and other such social networking sites is another indication of people wanting to “belong” to a group of some sort. Another example of “wanting to belong” is the obsession with qualifications and there are even examples of such people fabricating qualifications where they hugely exaggerate their own skill level and experience in life, to almost comical effect. I sat in a workshop once where such an example was of a trainer making ever more exaggerated claims to the audience including claiming to have trained an entire Olympic team of athletes!

This kind of behaviour also often results in claiming and/or owning other people’s experiences, and claiming other people’s experiences to the extent of actually telling other people’s life stories claiming them as their own! This kind of behaviour produces a kind of urban folk law that that then forms the basis of a group belief that forms the basis for entry to “the club” that would admit them as a member. These groups are especially prevalent on the World Wide Web and it’s not uncommon for individuals to spend hundreds of hours defending the group’s beliefs in a manner often reminiscent of the “Emperor’s New Clothes” story, where every action is spun to have some greater meaning and where personality worship eclipses personal discrimination. Such obsessions are commonplace in cults where the leader can literally do no wrong in the eyes of followers!

There are fortunately some excellent NLP Trainers and Practitioners and I count myself very lucky to know and co train with many of them. These individuals all have a good sense of humour, an interest in continued learning and development and a real creative ability. Many quietly go about their business running smaller numbered skills based trainings.

Just a few Sunday thoughts...

www.nickkemp.com

A great quote

2009-01-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

I especially like this quote

"There comes a time in every man's life when he must roll up his sleeves, raise the black flag, and commence cutting throats."

H. L. Mencken

Barristers, NLP and use of language

2009-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of watching the BBC series "Barristers" which is proving quite fascinating as it demonstrates how use of language, tonality and strategic thinking are crucial in communication. Next week I am discussing running a series of trainings for a very established legal concern working with fee earners. I have always been interested in the legal arena and how well constructed arguments can be made.

I have noticed that although many people may have "attended NLP trainings", few people then actually really embrace and integrate the linguistic skills fully to be able to demonstrate a true capability in this area. I am frequently amazed by the amount of generalisations made in online interactions and how often individuals can begin a discussion without really checking for such "genera LIES ations"

I am similarly surprised by how some NLPers and even trainers don't really pay attention to their use of modal operators in communications and in recent times was on the receiving end of a series of e-mails from an individual who kept suggesting that I "need to do..." which in this instance was especially well received!
Skilled communicators have a true grasp of how to use these linguistic elements and are constantly developing these skills.

www.nickkemp.com

Excellence in NLP Online?

2009-01-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

NLP has often been described as modelling excellence. This may be true for some areas of life but certainly on the internet there is IMO scant evidence for this suggestion...

Most websites for Practitioners and training concerns are dreadfully designed with poor or no photos, links that don't work and are frequently little more than a series of adverts all displaying exact same testimonials proclaiming them to be "Master of XYZ!" Common mistakes include not using a professional designer and not checking the final copy before the site is launched.

In a recent business training for NLP, I showed the delegates a series of NLP websites that were well placed on Google to see what trhey thought. They were very surprised at the poor content and design elements, which were often very unclear and misleading. Worse still were many of the online forums which in many instances become little more than a mutual congradulation facility!

In designing www.nickkemp.com I employed a professional photographer and web designer to ensure that the site is easy to navigate and easy to find on the net. Running a website, like any business is an ongoing activity which requires a real investment in both time and money.

Best Album of all time?

2009-01-18T01:24:00.001-08:00

I first bought Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks on vinyl back in 1974 when it was released and and 24 years later I still consider it one of the all time great musical releases.

Each song tells a great story and as with many great albums including Neil Young's Tonight's the Night (also from a similar period) it seems that a tortured artist often produces his or her best work.

www.nickkemp.com

And the 14th day was a day of rest!

2009-01-17T00:35:00.000-08:00

After running trainings and seeing clients non stop for 14 days, today is a day of rest! January 2009 has started with a bang and although I'm not running the standard NLP trainings, I have far more going on and for me far more interesting projects which will take me all over the globe.

I am also refining and focussing on tuning up the Provocative Change Works approach material. A recent day's training on working in therapy was very useful in helping me clarify the key elements of this approach and throughout 2009 I will be teaching this to the public for the first time.

However this weekend is work free (apart from blogging) and time to try out a new VHT and Egnater power and pre amp combination in the studio. These are literally the best units for getting great guitar sounds and rare as hell to obtain!

www.nickkemp.com

Inspirations

2009-01-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

Today I have the great fortune to have a guitar lesson with one of the world's greatest guitar players, Martin Simpson. Even better I got to listen to some demos of his new CD, which are absolutely amazing.
I have noticed that many of the best trainers I have come across are also musicians and can't help but wonder if this is a pattern...

www.nickkemp.com

Business applications day with NLP

2009-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today was interesting as I discovered that I was running an entire day's NLP in business training with 5 minutes notice! Fortunately I have extensive material from working in the corporate sector, so I could easily sequence a day's material to suit the group.

This was a very good group who had already completed NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner trainings. We explored identifying and creating expectational sets, the power of marketing on the internet and the use of language in sales.

www.nickkemp.com

How to choose an NLP Practitioner or Hypnotherapist

2009-01-09T02:24:00.000-08:00

I often get asked for advice on how to best choose an NLP Practitioner or Hypnotherapist.

This article discusses the various aspects of this and this article is simply a personal view based on my observations and feedback from seeing hundreds of clients each year in my private practice.

Many clients come to me having previously seen other practitioners and therapists without "success", and come to me saying that, in their opinion, I am their "last hope", which whilst flattering is not necessarily a useful, or indeed accurate, belief for the client to hold!

Although the non-main stream or "allied" professions are becoming more regulated in recent (and coming) years, there is still the frustrating experience of those who judge the entire profession by their contact with those less than able practitioners. This then means that some members of the public have a non representative experience which reflects on and impacts upon all subsequent professionals in that particular field. Reassuringly, this is the same for all professions everywhere, not just NLP Practitioners and Hypnotherapists, so we are not alone in this! In the best interests of everyone, it is important to be able to demonstrate an ability to practice effectively and in a manner which is in line with appropriate professional and public expectations.

I'll start this article by discussing qualifications and experience. For those reading this that want a simple check list on what to look out for when choosing a practitioner or hypnotherapist, skip to "A check list for deciding who to see"

Qualification and Experience
Anyone can call themselves a Hypnotherapist or NLP Practitioner and there are no agreed uniform standards for training. In the world of NLP there are numerous diverse schools of training, many of which can be very territorial in their views as to what constitutes "proper professional training" This means that NLP Practitioners come in all shapes and sizes!

An "NLP Practitioner" can have received as little as just seven days training which, in my opinion, although this can be a useful introduction to NLP, such a short training certainly does not equip such an individual to begin working with paying clients. It's also useful to remind ourselves that certifications in NLP are only really recognized by the body or school that provides the certifications. Many NLP trainers may have an excellent understanding of NLP skills, but have never actually run a private practice and applied NLP in this situation and therefore simply are not in my opinion equipped to train other individuals to work in this way.

Some NLP trainings may also have very large groups and any "certification" is essentially a record of attendance and little else. Some NLP training schools will literally allow students to write any testimonial that they want or provide an exact word for word testimonial for each and every student that pays to attend a course. Certifications also can become relabeled as "qualifications" which can also be misleading for the public and some NLP practitioners enthusiastically list endless certifications to impress potential clients

The rest of this article can be found at

http://www.nickkemp.com/how-to-choose-an-nlp-practitioner-or-hypnotherapist.php

Pre NLP, Frank Farrelly in 1972

2009-01-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

I spent a large part of today looking at archive material from Frank Farrelly, including the original written manuscript of "Provocative Therapy" Among the material is a newspaper article from 1972, showing just how far ahead of his time Frank was and why the creators of NLP had him firmly on their radar!

www.nickkemp.com

Cold, cold, cold...

2009-01-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

The weather reminded me of this Loudon song

Business applications with NLP

2009-01-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Next weekend I am running a day on the use of NLP in buiness. I have noticed that in the last 5 years many people taking NLP courses can have wholly unrealistic beliefs (often encouraged by the trainers) that they can attend an NLP training to then subsequently pack in the day job to become "an NLPer!"

The reality is that few people who train in NLP earn a good living from it and a lot of the time is that they have not developed "good business sense". Last year I met someone who had quit the corporate sector to attend endless NLP courses which a view to becomng a life coach and within 5 minutes it was clear to me that this person was seriously deluded and had not paid attantion to basic business considerations. Worse still they had dreadful rapport building skills and often came over as quite aggressive in their communications.

In the era of the credit crunch there has never been a more important time to clearly flag up the reasons for customers to come to your business as opposed to your competitors. Here are some basic questions to consider

What do you have to offer customers that is going to get you on their radar?

What makes you stand out from the competition?

How many different ways can people hear about your business?

Many NLPers (and of course others)often forget to ask these and other basic questions!

However the NLP skill set has much to offer business, when properly applied. Any sales or marketing person would benefit greatly from developing a greater awareness of language and state control and my own experience of running trainings for businesses is that this element is often missing...

www.nickkemptraining.com

Old NLP Tapes

2009-01-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend I started a process of backing up old NLP cassette tapes onto hard drives in the studio. Some of these date back to the late 1970s and the quality is at best variable...

One particular set of live tapes from one the household names in NLP has so much tape hiss that I am amazed that it was ever released as a commercial product. I always wondered that is NLP was the study of excellence, why so many websites and products were of such terible quality, when with a little bit of care, they could be so much better!

Interestingly IMO the most useful material is not old RB stuff, but rather from other trainers from the Santa Cruz ensemble and of course it will be much easier to listen to on an ipod that on cassette!

www.nickkemp.com

Busiest month to date

2009-01-03T04:33:00.001-08:00

I just checked my diary nd Jan 2009 is now offcially the busiest month ever, with record requests for private sessions. Its good to see that all the hard work in building delivery systems so people can hear about my practice is working so well. This Sunday I will discussing some of my approaches for building a successful business at the one day Business Applications event in Leeds UK

Some people are surprised that I don't see any people for stopping smoking or for weight loss issues, instead working mostly with psychological issues.

www.nickkemp.com

Its 2009, so far, so good!

2009-01-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Blimey, 2008 passed in a flash and now its 2009, supposedly the year of the credit crunch. My prediction that NLP courses will be on the wane is proving to be correct as people hold on more to their money.
Its going to be a very different year with lots of new net based projects and new collaborations with really skilled individuals whom I have wanted to work with for a number of years. One of these will be the "Stories from the Outside Inn" project with Doug O Brien which will launch in a few months time!

www.nickkemp.com

2009, just a step away and time for new plans

2008-12-30T01:28:00.000-08:00

As 2008 is fast coming to a close I'm focussing on 2009 which is full of exciting new possibilities, including a host of overseas Provocative Change Works workshops. I currently have no plans to run standard NLP trainings and am instead focussing on presenting my own work which I use to really good effect in private practice.

My background in NLP has been very useful in exploring Frank Farrelly and Milton Erickson's approaches and I realised when I attended the IASH convention, just how far I have moved from the straight ahead NLP approach!

I just added a section on my central site on how to choose a practitioner which I am quite pleased with!

See http://www.nickkemp.com/how-to-choose-an-nlp-practitioner-or-hypnotherapist.php

Online updates

2008-12-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

Most people fail to realise that maintaining websites and blogs is an ongoing activity and can take up a fair amount of time. I run 10 sites and each of them requires a great deal of maintainance, which means a lot of copy writing!
The central site www.nickkemp.com which details all my private work and the sister site www.nickkemptraining.com has my training schedule for the UK, USA and Europe. These have the most updates, but the Provocative Therapy sites including http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com also require ongoing updates to keep them current.
The www.nlpmp3.com site has regular updates of products and interviews and attracts a great deal of traffic. This site is a resource for NLP and associated fields and is deliberately non territorial, so people can get a rounded view of different trainer takes. Today I'll be writing another 2000 words for my main site and updating blogs

Clear out

2008-12-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today is a clear out day and I am quite frankly amazed by the amount of old NLP material I have accumulated over te years and literally scores of old manuals from events dating back to the 1990s

Perhaps a mass burning will be planned later tonight?

LOL

NLP Research and Recognition Project

2008-12-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

When I was in San Francisco at the IASH conference I heard a lot more about the NLP Research and Recognition project that IMO is a genuine attempt to promote NLP on a professional basis across the globe!

Check the NLP Research and Recognition site out here

http://nlprandr.org/

Obsession and Mindreading

2008-12-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Today I have begun writing an article on obsession and mindreading in the context of group and individual behaviours. I am using examples from my own experience which I have not commented on to date as well as other examples.

Many of these examples come from within the world of NLP, which may come as somewhat of a surprise to new NLPers and certainly to "happy clappers" Its interesting to explore some of the obsessive patterns and the personality worship than occurs in these situations

A great DVD - Stranger then Fiction

2008-12-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

I absolutely loved this movie and fully recommend it

Bye bye 2008, hello to 2009

2008-12-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

2008 has been an extremely busy year and I have had the opportunity to spend tme with some truly great trainers, including my good friend Frank Farrelly and Doug O Brien. I have also had regular contact with Andrew T Austin and Steve Andreas, both hugely talented individuals who bring genuine inovation at a time when many standards in NLP have descended into territorial nonsense and quite ludicrous mindreading (I am constantly amused by the nonsense and fabrications in newsgroups online, which are IMO a dreadful advert for NLP!)

One of the great benefits of hosting other trainers and running www.nlpmp3.com is that I get to mix with trainers of all types and views as well as running a busy private practice and numerous corporate trainings. I am also fortunate to have both Anglo American Books and Crownhouse Publishing promoting my products internationally and CDs still sell really well across all Amazon and other online sites.

In 2009 I am running more public events than ever and many are overseas. One of the highlights will be co training with Frank Farrelly as well as running a series of events in the USA and Europe. There will also be new audio and video products released in Europe and the USA as well as new online projects, to be announced early 2009. Thanks to everyone who has bought products online, attended workshops and fedback on many published articles.

Have a Very Cool Yule

Regards

Nick Kemp

Two more client days for 2008

2008-12-18T00:18:00.000-08:00

There are just two client days left in 2008 and these are really full on days with barely a break for a cup of tea. This is an extremely busy time of year and already the diary is pretty full for Jan 2009, with client sessions starting on Jan 5th!
When Doug O Brien was over recently he was surprised by how many people I see with anxiety issues and that I don't see smokers at all!
The workshops I am running in 2009 will for the first time unveil some of the approaches I use in private practice, but have not yet taught. Many of these are far more advanced than the straight ahead NLP techniques and form key elements of the Provocative Change Works tool set.

www.nickkemp.com

Most Memorable moments in 2008

2008-12-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some memorable events for 2009!

Best workshop experience - Steve Andreas at IASH SF USA

Funniest moment - Frank Farrelly talking about seeing 24 TV series in the PT workshop

Best case of change history - "The amnesia of Paul Fresh Brain M..."

Best book - "Not quite what I was planning"

Best concert - Nick Cave in Manchester

Most exciting new project - Stories from the Outside Inn with Doug O Brien

Provocative Approaches and misconceptions

2008-12-14T01:59:00.000-08:00

When I first encountered Frank Farrelly, I was aware that both Bandler and Grinder the creators of NLP, had studied him, but IMO only got a part of what he does. Similarly many NLPers are also too bound up in techniques to appreciate and understand the different facets of Provocative Therapy, to the extent that some think its just about humour and others think its about simply being rude! Even a longstanding associate of Richard Bandler commented that it was about being rude, totally missing the essence of this approach!

Provocative Therapy requires the therapist to respond only to what they see and hear in front of themselves at that exact moment. Many NLPers struggle with this as they work in a very predictive manner which requires extensive mind reading! There are also no certifications in Provocative Therapy, which means people can't proclaim themselves as Master X or Advanced Therapy Y, or other such quite daft titles, which frequently betray any real skill development...

Since May 2008, I have literally spent hundreds of hours talking to and watching Frank Farrelly in action. Many of these have been in a one to one situation and I am constantly amazed by the multi layered approach he has created and crucially how powerful this is when working with clients. There is more to becoming a Provocative Therapist than simply reading the original book and sitting in a room with scores of other delegates. I set up the Association for Provocative Therapy -

www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

to ensure that there are proper standards of training and that all approved AFPT members have an appropriate level of skills. In 2009 we are running a series of workshops that will begin to teach this approach to a professional standard and in the spirit of PT demonstrated by Frank himself. In May 2009 I will be co training with Frank in the UK in the first of a series of events, before running my own Provocative Change Works events in the USA and Europe.

Working in the corporate sector

2008-12-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Prior to discovering NLP, I spent many years working in the corporate sector in sales and marketing. These days I still run a variety of trainings for business, including copy writing, sales techniques and developing language skills.

Many clients book me on a retainer basis and 2009 is already looking like a record year for new client enquiries. My personal experience is that there are few really good NLP business trainings (just as there are few good NLP education trainings) and that the best trainings for these sectors are bespoke trainings created to order.

Another cool new project for 2009

2008-12-10T00:33:00.000-08:00

In 2009 I will be rolling out a new project I am working on with Doug O Brien called "Tales from the Outside Inn"

There will also be a workshop in the UK in Nov and we already have people booking

See http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/productpage.cfm/?store=HumanAlchemy2&productid=SFTOI

Wow, what a great training!

2008-12-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

We just completed the Sleight of Mouth weekend with Doug O Brien and he did a really good job, making the material very easy to integrate and giving some excellent food for thought! Doug has a very relaxed style of training, but has great awareness of language at a time when in NLP trainings this aspect is often not well taught...

Snowtime

2008-12-04T01:13:00.000-08:00

Today all initial plans have been "snowed off" until further notice! Hopefully by this afternoon weather will improve so I can collect Doug O Brien in preparation for the SOM weekend!

I really like the changes of seasons in the UK although many complain about its being "too hot" or "too cold" This morning will be a good opportunity to get into the studio and do some recording for a new project that is due to launch in 2009

The Best and Worst in 2008

2008-12-03T04:06:00.000-08:00

2008 is fast coming to a close and for a number of reasons has been pretty memorable.
It was great to add Steve Andreas to a circle of people I have great NLP discussions with, to attend the IASH conference and to meet a bunch of folks that are focussed on using NLP and other skills to help others. Co presenting with Frank Farrelly in the UK and being in his company was another highlight, alongside building the new NLPmp3 site as well as developing a series of new projects that will be released in 2009, alongside a host of new workshops in the USA, Europe and UK.

Some of the nuttiest momements include some online interactions where *amnesia took hold* alongside a host of other behaviours, including a supposed coach who wanted to charge 10,000 a quarter for clients, admitting that he had NO EXPERIENCE of one to one coaching! Little wonder some of the public are wary about NLPers! Worse still now some NLPers actually believe that after a weeks "advanced training" they are experienced clinicians or "therapists"

On a brighter and more productive note, the longstanding education project is currently being beta tested and I already have a great new DVD being edited which has myself and Frank Farrelly discussing therapeutic expectations with clients. This will appear in early 2009, prior to the first UK event.

After event downtime

2008-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

I just finished 4 days of NLP training in the UK and today is some most welcome downtime! Over the years I have realised the value of ensuring that there are sufficient "spaces on the page" to maintain some level of well being.
Next year I will be focussing on running more advanced skills based niche trainings in the UK, Europe and USA, rather than standard NLP certificated Prac and Master Prac trainings. This week Doug O Brien arrives from the USA and we are planning to do some more recording during his visit

Everyone wants a bargain?

2008-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

As an experiment on www.nlpmp3.com I e-mailed the newsletter subscribers with a 33% discount on a well known download. Within 48 hours the site has taken the same amount that would normally be the case for a whole month!

Seems that people are tuned into wanting bargains at present...

Les Paul

2008-11-23T23:57:00.000-08:00

Les Paul not only created the electric guitar, BUT also audio multi tracking. I check in on him whenever I visit NY and at 93 he is still playing!

Working at the sharp end with NLP, Hypnosis and Provocative Therapy

2008-11-23T06:04:00.000-08:00

I have seen literally hundreds of people attend NLP, Hypnosis and Provocative Therapy events over the years and it occurs to me just how big the difference is in these environments and working in private practice. Seminar attendees are of course quite different to private clients who mostly don't care if a practitioner or therapist is using NLP, Hypnosis or a new form of tree hugging, they just want to be well or "normal" as they often indicate...

Many clients will make contact when they are literally at boiling point with "the problem" and this is especially true for issues such as panic attacks, OCD, jealousy and anger issues. Some NLPers and hynotherapy students can get a real shock when they discovery that the theory that they learned in the classroom or workshop simply does not translate into these real life situations as "the techniques" often don't resolve the issue. There are lots of reasons for this, but often the practitioner is relying too heavily on techniques to the extent that they don't get full and detailed
information from the client. Many don't obtain sets of notes prior to a session and fail to record the session so the client can listen back to the interaction.

In an age of quick fixes and accelerated "qualifications" the best "qualification" is extensive practice with a wide range of client conditions from all backgrounds. For this reason I make a point of seeing a number of clients pro bono each month so I see people from a range of demographics. This means that when I teach in my own events I ensure that any teaching is based in what works with real clients! Next year I have a full agenda of workshops all over the world and private practice has never been busier!

My Amersham to be shown on C4 in Jan

2008-11-21T23:28:00.000-08:00

My Amersham is a winner in the film short competition and will be shown in Jan 2009 on C4!

A Great event for 2009

2008-11-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Two Days of Therapeutic Change with Andrew Austin and Nick Kemp
April 4 & 5th 2009
The Queens Hotel Leeds UK

Here is an opportunity to train with two highly successful therapistsand trainers who will for the first time be teach how they work with clients

Andrew T Austin
has a clinical background of neurology and neurosciences and will be
covering many of the psycho-neurological aspects of
change work so often overlooked by NLPers, therapists and change
workers in the personal development field.
He firmly believes that an understanding of even the most basic
neurological principals can help accelerate the handwork process and
assist the change worker to develop a greater ability in designing specific interventions for individual clients.

Some of the areas covered:
The structure and nature of the limbic system and the neurological
relationship between memory, kinaesthetic drivers and many of the NLP meta-programs.
The function and relationship between the two hemispheres of the brain.
The neurological basis behind depression and anxiety and how to use
neurological principals to create rapid change in these limiting
conditions.

In addition to this, Andrew will be sharing his latest developments in his work with Integral Eye Movement Therapy including how to sequence in an intervention into the most effective portion of the problem strategy and kinaesthetic metaphors of identity.

Nick Kemp
has been involved in the field of personal change for over 25 years
having studied numerous approaches to change work including hypnosis, neuro linguistic programming, Provocative Therapy and now his own Provocative Change Works (tm) approach.

Nick has appeared extensively on BBC Radio discussing his work with
phobics and demonstrating phobia cures live on the air.
His "Provocative Change Works" approach to Phobias was showcased in
the acclaimed 2 DVD set that was released in 2007, with narration and commentary by Frank Farrelly the creator of Provocative Therapy.

Nick will introduce his Provocative Change Works approach which was
inspired by extensive training with Frank Farrelly creator of
Provocative Therapy and the work of Milton Erickson. He describes this approach as follows

"Provocative Changes Works is the process I use to provoke useful
change in clients, allowing the client to easily move from an
unhelpful stuck state, to a greater state of personal freedom. This
process can work both conversationally and through relaxation, using
humour and the pointing out of many of the absurdities and
contradictions in society's stereotypical views on life. Provocative
Change Works focuses on the here and now with each client, rather than on past events. This is often done in an irreverent and good humoured manner, to produce accelerated change for the client. Crucially Provocative Change Works demonstrates that the client's ability to discover that this change is not time based, but by changing how we pay attention and what it is that we pay attention to, in any given moment."

This accelerated approach to therapy includes many exercises created
by Nick to cure many different types of client conditions in his
successful private practice. In 2007 Steve Andreas published some of
the Provocative Change Works exercises in his USA newsletter and Nick was subsequently invited as a guest to the international IASH
Conference in San Francisco. As well as presenting his own approach to therapy, Nick is also one of the very few Frank Farrelly approved
Provocative Therapy trainers and will be teaching many of the
strategies and approaches used in classic Provocative Therapy as well as his own work, most of which will be taught for the first time at this event. Details of Nick's other UK, USA and European trainings can be found at www.nickkemptraining.com and his other ongoing projects,published articles and blog can be found at www.nickkemp.com

Please note this event is by application only to nlp@hotmail.co.uk
Tel 01274 622994

For free interviews with Nick Kemp and Andrew T Austin go to www.nlpmp3.com

The busiest time of the year?

2008-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

This is proving to be an amazingly busy time for both client one to one sessions and trainings. Its only 5 weeks to X Mas and there will be virtually no time off for R and R. I suspect that the credit crunch (so called) is one of the reasons for such a crank up in private activity and as usual clients are travelling to see me from all over the UK!

Most of the clients I see have already seen many other people without success and many of the "analytical approaches" simply don't address the emotional element causing the problem. The volume of clients has literally doubled in recent weeks to the extent that its tough to catch up on online work. I suspect that this trend will continue into 2009.

Events and projects for 2009

2008-11-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

2009 is looking like one heck of a year with a 3 day event planned co hosting with Frank Farrelly the creator of Provocative Therapy, a weekend on Therapeutic Excellence with Andrew T Austin, two events in NY USA and European events planned in he second half of the year!

There will also be a series of DVDs and CDs which will be released and some real surprises including a number of invitation only events. I'll also be adding more interviews and products to www.nlpmp3.com and the new www.hypnosisproducts.co.uk sites.

A great online resource for NLPers and others

2008-11-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

Recently I was introduced to http://www.archive.org/web/web.php which is an excellent resource for seeking out old versions of websites. Its fascinating to uncover how sites have evolved, been altered and in some cases where site owners have attempted to cover their tracks for rather embarassing mistakes!

The Funniest thing I heard all year!

2008-11-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just e-mailed me this link about Peter Mandelson and "associates..."

http://britanniaradio.blogspot.com/2008/11/notably-limited-personality-mike.html

Its the first chance I have had to catch up on e-mails as I've been engrossed in running the first part of an NLP Master Prac for the last four days. However although its hysterically funny, even funnier is that the implicated party actually believes that ALL the responsees to the blog are myself! BTW I always thought Mandelson and "his associates" were a tad shifty...

LOL

"You know paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep..."

David Crosby

The never ending tour, almost over for 2008

2008-11-16T00:37:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of the first block of the 2008 NLP Master Prac with just another 6 days of training left in this year in Leeds UK.
Next year I am focussing much more of specific skills based events rather than "teaching NLP" These will be both in the UK as well as Europe and the USA, presenting a lot of new material that I have not yet taught. Take a look at www.nickkemptraining.com for an updated schedule

Co presenting with Frank Farrelly

2008-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

It was a real delight to co present with Frank Farrelly and here is a clip from the event

Sometimes I'm embarassed to read some NLP trainer communications

2008-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

I set up NLPmp3.com to bring together some of the best minds in NLP across all schools of NLP and to create 'an intelligent resource" for NLP. Some people attend NLP trainings for amusement and never really take to develop the skills, so their interest is more casual and that's fine. Others are more interested in developing abilities and apply what they have learned to great effect. Then we have the seminar junkies and "NLP Happy Clappers" many of whom spend hours online discussing the merits of NLP as they imagine them to be usually following their chosen NLP trainer with almost fan like adoration. This kind of behaviour can almost produce cult like behaviour and quite ludicrous comments which display a lack of real insight into the structure of language and beliefs, that should be taught in an NLP workshop.

There are some excellent NLPers and NLP trainers, but IMO there are also some truly dreadful ones as well. I received an e-mail about an online thread where on supposed "grandee of NLP" attempted to make a series of negative comments about another longstanding developer of NLP in a quite heavy handed and rather stupid manner. The same individual quotes himself as having almost an academic pedigree in NLP and certainly sees himself above mere NLP Practitioners and Master Practitioners! Its embarassing to see such behaviours which do little to enhance the credibility of what can be a quite excellent set of tools.

The world of NLP has no uniform set of standards and unfortunately some individuals seek to find NLP as a universal solution for all life's ills. The smartest and most skilled NLPers often don't take themselves too seriously and certainly don't exhibit aggressive and rude behaviour. The best NLP trainers develop their own ways of teaching rather than simply copy others and can bring great benefits to others. The worst ones can cause all manner of problems, often overcharging hapless clients and actually believing their own hype...

The Relaxation Clinic and pro bono work

2008-11-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Today I ran the first of a series of relaxation clinics in Leeds. These are one hour free sessions for anyone who wants to learn how to relax more easily and effortlessley. In the first one I taught a couple of well tried and tested techniques that are great for state shifts and the focus on these clinics is rather than "talking about relaxation" to practice and develop skills to notice how to develop better states of well being and ease.

I have also allocated an amount of time each month in my private practice for pro bono work. I often get clients referred by social services, GPs and social workers and many are on very low income. These slots are for such cases

Charging clients, the reasonable and the crazy

2008-11-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

One of many questions I get asked is what to charge for NLP and Hypnosis one to one sessions. Unfortunately in recent years some NLPers have totally believed their own hype and today I was amazed to read that an NLP newsgroup owner was trying to bill unwitting clients a thousand pounds for a 3.5 hour hypnotic session. As the old saying goes "There's one born every minute..."

This kind of behaviour really IMO really gives a dreadful name to the field of NLP, almost as bad as when people misrepresent their qualifications and insurance when seeing clients.

The cost to any potential client is of course not just a financial one, it involves a proper duty of care from the practitioner and ensuring that time spent is to good effect. Most skilled practitioners are not what I would call "seminar junkies", but people who learn from a variety of different trainers and fields of work to generate a true level of skill and capability. I could count the very best on just one hand...

Provocative Therapy in Oct 2008

2008-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Marlow Provocative Therapy 2 days and we are just about to set up for the Leeds Provocative Therapy weekend with Frank Farrelly. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from a really excellent communicator up close and I contnue to be surprised by how quickly Frank resolves client issues. Many NLPers don't "get PT" as they find they can't fit it into their existing ideas and this creates a great deal of amusement for PTers, including myself!
After this Nov 1/2nd event Frank will be back in May 2009 to run a 3 day workshop with myself!

Creativity in NLP and the lack of?

2008-10-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

Like musicians, NLP trainers and Hypnosis trainers come in all shapes and sizes. IMO the best ones bring something new in respect of creativity, rather than simply copying what they have seen and heard previously.

Some NLP practitioners take the skills they learn and then develop their own style and approach, whereas others simply parrot what they have seen in their original tranings. I have seen NLP Practitioners, Master Practitioners, Trainers and "Master Trainers" (remembering that this is an honourary title, rather than a representation of a level of skills attainment!) present some really excellent skills and in other instances some truly dreadful work.
The creators of NLP modelled the best therapists they found at that time and then sought to create and develop NLP.
When I set up www.nlpmp3.com the idea was to bring together people who have done something different with NLP and mostly the interviews IMO represent this element. However that having said, considering the volume of people who have trained in NLP (one London company alone claims 50,000 since the mid 1990s) there are few IMO really creative trainers and practitioners who have taken the core skills and done something new with it! (just a personal view of course)

My recommendations for great material in respect of products mostly come from a decade ago and personally its a long time since I read a really great book from an NLPer, with the exception of my good friend Andy Austin's Rainbow Machine and Steve Andreas's 6 Blind Elephants. Similarly audio and video material is often lacking in creativity and mostly has terrible production quality while remaining extremely expensive for what you actully receive.

Recently I watched some of the old NLP comprehensive DVD footage and was seriously impressed by Bandler's Perceptual Grids DVD, which most people will probably not be aware of. I have mentioned many times my admiration for Dave Dobson's material (although I would not call him an NLPer, but a really creative individual) which never ceases to surprise. When looking for real creativity I keep returning to guys who have been around a while and most of these including Dobson, Farrelly and others are not what I would call "NLPers".

At the IASH SF conference I was truly impressed by a number of individuals I had previously not heard of and especially Richard Gray who has done amazing work in the field of addictions, which is a tough place to work in! The next interview on NLPmp3 is with Alison Hirons who has been using NLP in teaching with great effect.

Busy times...

2008-10-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

This has been an extremely busy period even by my standards! After having Frank Farrelly to stay as well as running an NLP Prac, I have also been fully occupied with private clients as well as arranging workshops for 2009 in the USA, UK and Europe!

We also launched the revised www.nlpmp3.com and www.hypnosisproducts.co.uk sites which are attracting lots of attention.

Today I am declaring an official day of rest for myself!

European adventures...

2008-10-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today I began some discussions about running some of my Provocative Change Works events in Europe in 2009. Its already going to be a fascinating year with a bunch of new recording projects and collaborations.
Actually its quite flattering to have so many requests to present in different parts of the planet and its great to have the opportunity to travel and run workshops with different audiences and cultures.

Another NLP Practitioner completed!

2008-10-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from completing another NLP Practitioner and this was a pretty good group described by Alison one of the key assistants as "a very friendly bunch!" Over the years I have realised more and more the benefit of working with small groups and focussing on practice of skills rather than discussion of NLP!

The delegates came from across the UK and from a wide range of backgrounds. The benefit of seeing so many clients in private practice is that I have been able to really refine and develop NLP skills to a very different level.

Next year I'll be focussing more on running events which focus more on therapeutic applications and in Apri 2009 will be running a weekend with Andrew T Austin in Leeds

2009 USA Workshop dates

2008-10-16T01:03:00.000-07:00

After presenting in San Francisco this year, I am delighted to announce the first 2009 USA dates where I will be presenting my Provocative Change Works approach to client change. I outlined some of these skills at IASH, but there is a lot more that has never been taught in the public domain, until now...

Check http://www.attayn.com/?page_id=50

NLP products, what's worth checking out?

2008-10-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

I recently relaunched www.nlpmp3.com as well as www.hypnosisproducts.co.uk to showcase some of the best NLP and Hypnosis products. Considering the numbers of people who have trained in NLP, there are IMO relatively few great products released...
Recommeded books are listed here

http://www.hypnosisproducts.co.uk/hypnosis/recommended-hypnosis-books.html

Many of thee are from a while ago, but I do recommend Andrew T Austin's The Rainbow Machine as a book that stands out from the crowd - see www.23nlpeople.com

Many audio and video products are not that well produced and very expensive relying on purchases from the trainer's fan base. Few produts have crossed over into the mainstream, but the best ones are still well worth checking out

Invitation only day

2008-10-12T01:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am running an invitation only workshop on belief change. I keep these invite only events to small groups of 18 folks or less

2009 is looking like one hell of a year

2008-10-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

Its only October, but 2009 is already looking like one hell of a year with a bunch of new workshops and products that will be announced in forthcoming weeks. Many of these opportunities come from extensive networking over a period of time and most centre around my own Provocative Change Works approach rather than anything NLP related!

Last week I was lucky enough to have Frank Farrelly stay for a week and also have him record some comments on one of my IASH sessions. Both Frank and Steve Andreas have been fantastic in their encouragement of my own work and increasingly I find that the PCW approach is what works best with private clients, for a wide range of conditions.

Two very different pieces of feedback from the Farrelly evening

2008-10-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

The Frank Farrelly evening was IMO quite fascinating, especially as Frank worked with a delegate who is terminally ill, with only a few months to live. Here are two pieces of feedback which are very different and I'll let you decide which person was able to notice more about how Frank's approach works in a very multi layered manner. I recorded the session and as ever I am amazed by how people filter experiences in different ways.

PERSPECTIVE 1 FROM A GP

I thought I would post just to say what a delight Frank's evening was on the 3rd of October. A lady having late phase treatment for breast cancer,with concerns around sexuality,sexual functioning,and the very content of her remaining life had a session with Frank, and it was an absoloutely excellent teaching event.It was immensely generous of the client to be prepared to have this witnessed by everyone there and I salute her,and send her my heartfelt thanks.
As a doctor myself, I have so often come across people with life threatening illness being effectively ostracised,and shut down when they attempt to express themselves, simply because people do not know what to say or how to say it.This happens particulalry around sexual issues, partly because people often find this awkward to discuss, particulalry when it impacts on anyone with any kind of disability or illness. Contemplating sexual desires in another is often not easy, particularly when the individual has limited life expectancy and health issues which affect what they are able to do.Breast cancer and prostate cancer by their very nature impact on sexuality, partly due to the direct nature of surgery and radiotherapy, partly due to the indirect effects of hormonal manipulation.
Using his Provocative Therapy, Frank discussed life expectancy,sexuality,body image,relationships with significant others,financial matters,all in an open and supportive fashion,covering everything in a mere 25-30 minutes-producing the client's final response-"now I feel I have hope." Frank used humour and a remarkable openess which simultaneously suported yet freed the conversation wherever it went and as an example of how to have an effective and productive interaction in such a situation it was absoloutely superb.
So often such an interaction can be merely a grim and ineffective 25minutes of passing the tissue box whilst the client sobs hopelessly, and the therapist feels terrible and powerless to assist.I was delighted to have been present because I personally learnt a lot, but also because for everyone else present, whether friend,relative,partner,parent,child or therapist,whenever we are faced with "difficult" interactions, we now have simple effective tools to use which are immensely powerful , and make such an interaction meaningful, with magnificent resonance for all involved.
Frank manages to make such interactions look deceptively simple-like a conversation between two old friends-speaking as a doctor with 25 years experience-provocative therapy is simply superb.
Superb stuff indeed.

Dr S Elton

PERSPECTIVE 2 FROM ANDY NLP PRACTITIONER

"I'd just like to express my dissapointment in what was a non sequitur of an evening last Friday.

A good friend of mine who coaches in the North West paid for me to come along in expectation that we may learn something about the craft of a master. What in fact took place was completely irrelevant. I simply want to ask "why did you not think of stepping in to at least coax Frank and Sue away from the two hour fusilade of cock stories". Why?"

Andy
NLP Practitioner

The interview with Sue was actually the first half of the evening. In the second half Frank talked about the difference between the theory of seeing clients and the reality of some of the tough clients that are often not helped by trditional approaches.

BTW We offered the evening at just 20 pounds to cover costs and give people the opportunity to ask Frank questions. The first observer did ask about the session and spoke to Sue afterwards.

Human Alchemy music for short film

2008-10-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

I just received a DVD of a movie where I gave permission to use one of my Human Alchemy audio tracks. The short film has reached the final of a competition and you can watch it here

I really like it and hope you do too!

Big news on 2 fronts!

2008-10-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Firstly the new NLPmp3 site is now LIVE! This has been a massive undertaking and special thanks to Beju who built the new version.
Secondly later this week I will be announcing the first USA Provocative workshop!

Detailsto follow soon...

3 intensive days and some provocative thoughts

2008-10-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

I just finished 3 intensive days of training. Not only have we run the first part of the NLP Prac, but also hosted the Frank Farrelly evening in Leeds which provoked some great feedback. As usual some NLPers didn't "get it" but I am well used to that by now and find it hystercial that many folks try to pigeon hole Frank in NLP terms missing all manner of elements contained in the Provocative approach!
Over the next few days I'll be hanging out with Frank talking about his work, catching a few movies and who knows we may even video some of our discussions!

Breakfast with Frank Farrelly

2008-10-02T03:39:00.000-07:00

Today I picked up Frank Farrelly from the airport and had breakfast. During this time we chatted about the planning for this Friday's evening event and the planned Nov 2008 and May 2009 workshops. Even at 77 Frank is still as sharp as ever and full of energy!

The value of practice, practice, practice...

2008-10-01T00:23:00.000-07:00

Many people who attend NLP and Hypnosis trainings do so with the idea that a single course or couple of courses will create enough skills to enable them to pack in the day job! The reality is of course very different and one of the real secrets to becoming a skilled practitioner is to practice, practice and practice some more!

When seeing private clients it becomes clear that the theory learned in NLP and Hypnosis trainings does not always translate into private private. Clients really don't care about whether a practitioner uses NLP, Hypnosis or any other approach, they just want to be sorted!

Seeing clients every week creates an opportunity to refine and explore what works best and of course clients can be very different, even when they suggest having the same "problem" IMO most NLP practitioners don't see many paying clients and so don't develop skills in the same way. This is also true for some NLP trainers who don't get the opportunity to refine skills in this way!

Over the years I have found combining Frank Farrelly's and Erickson's approaches to work really well alongside NLP. My own Provocative Change Works approach draws inspiration from these approaches and more info can be found at www.provocativechangeworks.com

Major news coming soon...

2008-09-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'll be announcing some major workshops news for 2009 in the next week. 2008 has been one hell of a year with the IASH conference in San Francisco, which has produced some excellent networking opportunities and an invitation to return in 2010. the year ahead promises even bigger things!

Frank Farrelly comes town

2008-09-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

This evening I chatted to Frank Farrelly to make arrangements for wheh comes to stay with me for a week before his European workshop dates. Next Friday Frank is running an evening event on Provocative Therapy in Leeds and then on Nov 1 - 2 he is running his annual PT event.

Frank was of course a big influence on the creators of NLP and you can find out about Frank'sapprh to therapy at www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

What makes an NLP Practitioner?

2008-09-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Its a few weeks away from the NLP Practitioner event I am running in Leeds with Tranceforming NLP and I have been pondering on the issue of what makes an NLP Practitioner. Just as "the map is not the territory", the certificate is not the training!

There are no universally agreed standards for NLP and different NLP schools have in many instances fundamentally different ideas about what constitutes being an NLP Practitioner. The Society of NLP details NLP Practitioner requirements as being the following -

A minimum ability to utilize the basic skills, techniques, patterns and concepts of NLP™:

Behavioral integration of the basic presuppositions of NLP:
The ability to change the process by which we experience reality is more often valuable than changing the content of our experience of reality.

The meaning of your communication is the response you get.

All distinctions human beings are able to make concerning our environment and our behavior can be usefully represented through the visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and gustatory senses.

The resources an individual needs to effect a change are already within them.

The map is not the territory.

The positive worth of the individual is held constant, while the value and appropriateness of the internal and/or external behavior is questioned.

There is a positive intention motivating every behavior; and a context in which every behavior has value.

Feedback vs. Failure - All results and behaviors are achievements, whether they are desired results for a given task/context or not.

Rapport Establishment & Maintenance
Verbal & Nonverbal Pacing & Leading
Verbal and Nonverbal Elicitation of Responses
Calibrating through Sensory Experience
Representational Systems (Sensory Predicates and Accessing Cues)
Milton Model, Meta Model
Elicitation of Well-Formed Goals, Direction, and Present State
Overlapping and Translating Representational Systems
Eliciting, Installing & Utilizing Anchors in all sensory systems
Ability To Shift Consciousness
Submodalities (utilizing including Timelines, Belief Change, Swish Patterns, etc.)
Omni Directional Chunking
Accessing and Building Resources
Content & Context Reframing
Creating & Utilizing Metaphors
Strategy Detection, Elicitation, Utilization, And Installation
Demonstration of Flexibility of Behavior and Attitude

This is what all SNLP trainers should be teaching on an NLP Prac course and of course different training styles and different ways of checking (and not checking?) that students hve reached an appropriate level of capability. However none of this IMO fully explains what an an NLP Practioner is as being a practitioner is more than merely rolling out a series of techniques and/or demonstrating an understanding of NLP. Since the 1990s when I first trained in NLP, I have actually only met very few NLPers who have been able to demonstrate a real ability to use their NLP skills in either a one to one or business context in a helpful and useful manner.

The absolute best way to improve NLP skills is to practice, practice and practice some more. NLP "practice groups" can be useful, but there really is no substitute for working with people in individual and/or group situations. Sometimes what is taught in a seminar simply doesn't work in a real client situation and I have learned from seeing literally hundreds of clients that "the manner" of a practitioner is as important as the ability to to integrate and use the skills in the NLP tool kit. These days my interest is in developing new approaches from using my insights gained from NLP Training.

Many NLPers simply attend a series of courses, but don't earn a living from using their NLP skills and don't get an ongoing opportunity to practice their skills which IMO is a key ingredient in becoming an NLP Practitioner. Michael Breen once made the point that all NLers are always practitioners, regardless of grand certifications and I agree fully with this view.

www.nickkemp.com

Creating "the idiot folder"

2008-09-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

Periodically I receive all manner of bizarre and rather stupid e-mails. This has led to the marvellous creation of what I call "the idiot folder" in my Outlook programme, where they can all reside away from sight, when I look at daily e-mail activity!

Choosing an NLP Training that's value for money?

2008-09-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

Since my introduction to NLP in the 1990s, one of the most commonly asked questions from seminar delegates and on newsgroups, has been about how to choose NLP certificated training. I deliberately confine this article to certificated NLP practitioner and Master Practitioner trainings, rather than general introductions to the field of NLP. I have listed below some of the questions most asked by members of the public in respect to certificated trainings.

Here are some questions worth asking before attending any NLP Training

Q Why attend a certificated NLP training and what should I expect?
A If your primary reason for attending a 7-day seminar or 20-day seminar is that the subsequent learning’s will immediately equip you to become a skilled therapist, my advice is to think again! A good friend once told me that at the start of one NLP Prac seminar the presenters made the point that the NLP Prac certificate was not a psychological qualification to practice medicine and a noticeable sigh echoed from a large section of the audience…NLP trainings attract people from a wide spectrum of society, which is one of the reasons why seminars can be so interesting! My personal experience was that the Practitioner seminar gave me access to a whole range of different tools that helped in all areas of life. It’s also worth talking to people who have already attended the seminar you may be interested in.

Q How do I choose whom to train with?
A If possible, see if you can attend an introductory event by the trainer who will be running the certificated seminar. If this is not possible then video or audio footage will give you some indication of the training style you can expect

Q Can a seven-day NLP practitioner training provide the same quality for delegates as a twenty-day practitioner training?
A In the 1970s, the NLP practitioner trainings had to conform to a 120-hour or 20-day stipulation, to be considered valid by the relevant authorities.

When some trainers insist that an NLP practitioner seminar cannot be taught in less than 20 days, I suggest that what they are stating is that; “they personally do not believe that they can teach an NLP Practitioner seminar in this timeframe”

The quality of the training inevitably depends upon the skill of the trainer and the awareness of the delegate. My own view is that a skilled presenter can deliver an NLP Prac seminar successfully and comprehensively in seven days. However its essential that having completed the intensive training, the delegate then has sufficient “fly time” in practising these newly acquired skills! There are also companies now offering a modular approach to certificated trainings, so delegates can have a greater degree of flexibility in planning their training options. I have never found learning and understanding capability to be solely a time-based phenomenon! Inevitably, there will be excellent and poor quality trainings regardless of the format. Similarly, I have encountered some delegates who have NLP training certificates who in my opinion are devoid of demonstrable skills, while I have also met NLP Practitioners who have great insight and vision when working with others! Some people collect certificates like stamps, while for others even the briefest exposure to the NLP toolbox provides them with the skill and motivation to achieve what they never previously considered possible!

Q Does the size of the seminar directly affect the quality of the training delivered?
A In recent times some certificated trainings have had groups of up to 600 delegates at any one time! With these larger seminars, a great deal depends on not only the skill of the main trainers, but also crucially the quality and experience of the assisting team. Over the years, I have seen seminars with large numbers of delegates run perfectly well, providing the correct organisation is in place. I have also had the misfortune to attend other events where the assistants were not particularly skilled and the organisational side was not properly in place, causing all manner of problems and complaints from seminar delegates!

Q Is a training certificate a certificate determining a skill level or merely an acknowledgement of attending the seminar?
A Different training companies take different views on this! Over the years, I have come across a range of people, who could boast all manner of qualifications, but could not use the tools in live situations with clients. Of course, this presupposes that delegates attending the seminars want to use the skills when working with others! My personal view is that if the certificate presented to the delegate at the end of the training is one suggesting competence to “practice NLP”, then the NLP practitioner should be able to demonstrate what they have learned prior to receiving the award. If the certificate is simply one of attendance, then it should state this, to avoid any misunderstanding.

Q What should I expect to pay for a practitioner or master practitioner certificated training?
A Typically, an NLP Practitioner seminar in the UK can cost anything from £900 and Master Practitioner seminar can anything cost from £1300. Remember to check if the price quoted includes the actual certificate, or this is an additional cost…

Q What are the best places to find out about the availability of current NLP seminars and other FAQs relating to the field of NLP?
A The following places provide a good range of views on NLP and details of seminars available to the public

Other useful considerations
Before you choose a seminar check which trainers will be presenting the event and what proportion of the training, they will personally be involved in delivering.

Consider the location of the training and the additional cost involved in accommodation. For example, extended periods of staying in some cities can prove to be quite expensive. Remember that the suitability of the venue can also make a massive difference to the delegate’s experience of the seminar. If the seminar room is too small or poorly ventilated, this will adversely affect the learning experience.

What additional support does the training company offer, once the seminar has concluded? ie web based interactions, practise group opportunities, regular newsletters, discounts on products.

How well do those promoting the training demonstrate their own awareness of NLP in their communications? I heard of one company that once lost a booking for a number of places on a seminar worth thousands of pounds, simply because the office dealing with the administration consistently failed to respond to enquiries! Also be mindful of standard quotes that are given out on mass with certificates, stating person X is "a genius" (ok maybe I exagerate, but not by much in this era of hyping up expectations in the world of NLP!)

Watch out for training companies that do not openly reveal pricing up front, but instead seek to gather marketing information from enquirers! Some companies really crank up pricing and its worth checking whether "a half day event" actually equates to just 3 hours! I also recently saw someone charge almost 100 pounds for just a few hours practice, so as the saying goes "Let the buyer beware!"

www.nickkemp.com

Michael Franti - cool listening right here

2008-09-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Anxiety in the UK and pretty much elsewhere...

2008-09-19T00:14:00.000-07:00

Anxiety seems to be at an all time high with the collapse of many financial institutes, both in the UK and USA. This is reflected in the number of private clients who want to see me, unsurprsingly for anxiety related issues! The diary is now at an all time high in relation to bookings and with clients from a wide range of demographics from age 15 to 65!
Today is the last day in what has proved to be a very long week, where as well as working in private practice I have been working on all 11 sites, including the new Hypnosis site which will fully launch next week!

Real therapeutic, education and health specialists in NLP

2008-09-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

I just added 4 new interviews of real NLP specialists to the www.nlpmp3.com site. Many people know how unimpressed I am with those folks who claim to be "therapeutic specialists" with virtually no real experience. Here are some real specialists who have worked at the cutting edge of education, therapy and health using NLP. These are free downloads for those interested in NLP

NLP and Addictions by Richard Gray
Dr. Gray is a regular workshop presenter for the National Association of Social Workers.He has made presentations for the The Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell National HBCU Substance Abuse Conference at Howard University; Broome County Community College and The University of Binghamton, Binghamton, NY; Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ; the Veterans Resource Center in Brooklyn, NY; The Richmond County Mental Health Association; and the New York Open Center
Here he talks about his work in the field of addictions

NLP in Education and working with ADD by Don Blackerby
In 1981, Don Blackerby established SUCCESS SKILLS, a training and consulting firm in Oklahoma, USA. He established SUCCESS SKILLS in order to allow him to expand Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP) into new applications such as the learning process, peak performance in sports, and helping struggling students. Today, he is recognized as the foremost NLP authority on Learning Disabilities, including Attention Deficit Disorder

NLP and Language by Charles Faulkner
A prolific innovator, Charles has pioneered methods for accelerated language learning,as well as medical and financial decision-making. He is particularly well-known for his work with futures traders and his research on the role of "metaphor" in communication
and behavior. Charles is the author of Metaphors of Identity, Submodalities: An Inside View of Your Mind, Worlds Within a Word, The Essence of Intuition, The Mythic Wheel of Life, Creating Irresistible Influence with NLP, co-author of NLP In Action, and
chief architect and co-author of NLP:The New Technology of Achievement and Success Mastery with NLP.

NLP in Health and the Institute for the Advanced Studies of Health by Tim Hallbom

Tim Hallbom is a trainer, author, and developer in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
In 1985 Tim co-founded an NLP Training Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, which became an internationally recognized organization that offered practical, skill-based training to individuals, businesses and government organizations

Download all of these for FREE at www.nlpmp3.com

Paranoia and NLPers

2008-09-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

I had a long conversation to someone today who found himself "banned" from an NLP newsgroup hving been accused of having a too confrontational attitude. As someone who was once banned from such a facility once for asking a few awkward questions of the owner who had a wonderful habit of deleting any posts he personally didn't like, I did have some sympathy with this guy! I pointed out that people who spend their whole lives online and in trainings often have a very limited mindset not unlike those who are attracted to cult like activities. In short they want to "belong to a club" any club that would have them as a member as that group mindset saves them having to think for themselves!

People often talk about "The NLP Community" but I have never found there to be any common agreement on what this actually is and it appears that everyone has their own versions and although "the map is not the territory" it seems that a great deal of emphasis is placed on "territory" rather than collaboration. There also seems to be a great deal of paranoia among many NLPers who "imagine" (visualise?) all manner of behaviours and motivations that are often at best a huge example of mindreading and not a great demonstration of individual discrimination.

David Crosby once sang "You know paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep..." and from today's conversation it certainly appears to me that some NLP folks take themselves way too seriously and would do well to break the connection with whatever computer they are glued to, go outside, get some fresh air and interact with some ordinary folks!

There are some great NLP trainers around and some great practitioners, but the truly skilled ones are in the minority. The best practitioners are always in work and are developing their own approaches and style of working. Most don't have time for paranoia as they are focussed on more creative and rewarding activities!

Just a thought...

LOL

The never ending web work!

2008-09-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today we updated the www.nickkemp.com site with news from the NLP IASH Conference and a bunch of other updates. My new sit www.hypnosisprducts.co.uk will be fully launched in the next week. In short the job of updating websites is never done, its like a military campaign which is never ending!
It amazes me that many NLPers spend little time updating sites and ensuring that they look great!
Sometimes it fels like I am spending half my life in front of a laptop, but the investment of energy and time in building an online presence is paying off in terms of new clients and trainings.

Video clip from San Francisco workshop now online

2008-09-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

I just added a video clip from the 2nd workshop I presented at the IASH San Francisco Conference. This workshop was totally sold out, so for those who didn't make it, here's part of what happened

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8978569913170795878&hl=en

Back in the UK (well in body...)

2008-09-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

Its been a crazy few weeks with a lot of travelling and presenting Provocative Change Works and Provocative The rapy for the first time in the USA. We are already in discussions for further events in the USA. Running the IASH events was a great experience and helped me further refine and improve how I teach this material.

2009 is going to be an amazing year with a number of new workshops in the UK and elsewhere. I will be releasing some more Provocative Change Works material in 2009 which I have not taught yet as well as new online developments. Travelling across time zones can be an odd experience, as the body clock starts to adjust!

The Coolest Jazz Gig in Town

2008-09-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I got to see possibly the best jazz players in the world at the village vangard in NY. Joe Lovano, Paul Motian and Bill Frisell played an absolutely storming set. At times I could not believe that there were only 3 people on stage! These guys are the most superb musicians and although Joe is in his 70s, he is an outstanding drummer. In short it was one of those "you had to be there" gigs!

Reflections on the IASH SF Conference

2008-09-09T03:57:00.000-07:00

Its a couple of days since the IASH San Francisco Conference and I have had the opportunity to reflect on the event. The conference was over 3 days and there were an amazing number of NLPers who had been in the field for decades. I mention "NLPers" rather than "NLP Trainers" as most folks were focussed on using the skills in specific contexts rather than "teaching" NLP courses...

That having said Steve Andreas gave an absolutely excellent 3 hour slot on Grief and Forgiveness and I can't remember when I have heard such a skilled presentation that was so precise.
I also had the opportunity to interview a stack of great people including Charles Faulkner, Don Blackerby, Richard Gray and Tim Hollbom. I also got to meet Frank Bourke who has over 3 decades of NLP experience and is one of the smartest and funniest people I have come across. Frank is also involved in spearheading the recognition project for NLP.

As well as the formal seminar events there was plenty of opportunity to socialise and one especially memorable evening at a Japanese restaurant still makes mr smile. I didn't really know what to expect from the IASH event and especially how my own presentations would go down and didn't "get" what Steve Andreas meant when he commented "SRO for your your presentation eh?" Later when I aked him I realised that this meant "Standing room only" and that 10 people had to be turned away, including himself!

Many who know me will be aware that I have for some time lamented what I consider to be a descent for NLP more into entertainment that in developing skills. The IASH conference was a refreshing reminder that there are some highly skilled NLPers out there from all schools of NLP and its rare in my experience to see so many people focussed on using these skills in a manner that really helps people on a greater scale. It was also unusual to find so many people who had experience of learning NLP from the 1970s and who had continued to develop their own capabilities in so many specific contexts, including fields of education, health and addictions. I have been invited to the 2010 event and certainly will be keeping that slot in my diary!

Hanging out with Richard Gray, NLP and addictions

2008-09-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did a fantastic interview with Richard Gray who created the Brooklyn Project for addictions. It was fascinating to hear about his extensive work with a host of different kinds of addictions and to meet somebody using the NLP tools at "the sharp end" of helping people.
We talked extensively about addictive patterns and how in many cases traditional approaches have not real dealt effectively with the problem. Richard is one of the many people I have met at IASH in SF who have really impressed me and the interview will appear soon on www.nlpmp3.com

Also check out Richard at http://www.nlpco.com//articles/AddictionsGray.html

Provocative Change Works at IASH

2008-09-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today was quite a day! At 11am I presented the first ever Provocative Change Works training at the IASH conference. The challenge was to get a really concentrated useful workshop into just 90 minutes. I had been mulling what to include for a few days and reckon I got what I consider to be the key ingredients.
I covered the "What's wrong with that?" exercise as well as the voice tempo exercise, my arm induction and a basic introduction into the key principals of Provocative Change Works.

It was a good group of around 30+ including Steve Andreas and it was great to see people have fun with the exercises and to have so much good feedback! In the afternoon I attended a really interesting talk by Don Blackerby on using NLP in education and tomrrow I'll be interviewing him for www.nlpmp3.com. Tonight its room service and a much needed rest before day two at IASH, when I'll be checking Robert Dilts and Steve Andreas's presentations.

Its Thursday at the IASH NLP SF Conference

2008-09-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

After getting up at 5am for a 5.5 hour flight from NY to SF, I am in yet another time zone and getting ready for dinner with Steve Andreas and some other longstanding observers of the world of NLP. As usual the USA hotel accomodation in CA is fantastic, although it eludes my why Amercians can never make a decent cup of tea...

Tomorrow I am giving a presentation on Provocative Change Works and then on Sunday I am giving one on NLP and Provocative Therapy. This is a great opportunity to see some real NLPers who have worked in the field rather than those who talk about NLP endlessley!

More later...

NY advertising

2008-09-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

I love NY as a city, but USA TV drives me crazy with seemingly endless adverts. I am amazed that anyone can follow any kind of thread! I have also noticed that the NY cabs now have video screens so people can hear "news" and of course adverts. Fortunately these can be turned off...
Tomorrow is an early start to head for the IASH conference in SF

The best street on the planet

2008-09-02T14:36:00.001-07:00

Today I had breakfast at Amy's Bakery on Bleecker Street at Greenwich Village NY, he best breakfast in NY. Opposite her is Matt Umanov Guitars, possibly the best guitar store in NY, where I met and chatted to Steve Earle definately the best alt country artist on the planet. Tonight I see Lou Reed a block away at a small club. Yes Bleecker gets my vote as the best street on the planet!

"Qualifications" in NLP and misrepresentations...

2008-08-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

I recently had a discussion with my peer group colleagues talking about certifications in NLP and Hypnosis and how increasingly they are described as "qualifications!" I have always been somewhat outspoken about the whole "certification = qualification" issue which has caused some interesting exchanges...
This kind of behaviour is not uncommon and many NLPers seek to present themselves as "therapists" having only had minimal training with no "fly time" or peer review facilities. I talked at length to Frank Farrelly about this kind of scenario and he was amazed by all the hype. He was also not impressed by people who talked about being Provocative Therapists and using Provocative Therapy after minimal training and exposure to this approach. Its almost like a cub scout collecting badges in order to try to bolster their image!

In many instances NLPers in particular greatly exagerate their own experience and "qualifications" (eh, sorry make that certifications) the result being all manner of titles which sound like academic qualifications which of course is not the case, as many are purely for attendance of an event. I have mentioned this previously in blogs and lamented how an approach which claims to have a linguistic ingredient, fails so spectacularly to pay attention to the mass of generalisation and claims made in this way. Of course NLP certifications are only recognised by the institute that issues them. They are however recognised by insurance companies and of course every practitioner and therapist should have appropriate insurance when seeing paying clients.

There are of course some excellent NLPers, Hypnotherapists and Provocative Therapists out there and I have been fortunate to learn from many of them. Some practitioners have IMO proved to be more skilled than those folks with Master Prac, trainer or even Master Trainer certificates! A great deal of how well a practitioner is able to produce great results is down to their manner and sensory acuity and not how many classrooms they sat in!

2008 is a busy year with a great deal of travelling and presenting in Europe and the USA, with a number of products and new sites in the pipeline. I'm conducting interviews with many specialists at the IASH SF conference who may not have grand titles,but crucially do have years of proven experience that has given them invaluable insights in how to best work with clients. Some of these interviews will appear on www.nlpmp3.com in due course

Addictions and the "hard edge" of working with clients

2008-08-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Clients seem to come in waves and the latest wage is a regular flow of clients with addictions and especially drug addicts! I am also begining to start a project with the Leeds Drugs Unit which I'm looking forward to as this will be groups rather than individual clients. I have arranged to meet Richard Gray at IASH as he created the Brooklyn Project that deals with this kind of problem. With addictions there is off course the literal drug addiction and the behavioural addiction and by changing the latter, the former can also be impacted.

This kind of work is a long way IMO from the standard NLP training exercises taught in workshops and is more the hard edge of working with clients. I have often pointed out how I find a lot of NLP online discussions quite embarassing and especially when some NLPers begin to call themselves therapists! Most wouldn't last 5 minutes with real clients and all the theory in the world just won't cut it!
Interestingly enough the best tools with addictive behaviours are proving to be a combination of Provocative Therapy and Hypnosis, rather than classic NLP. However the awareness of language is very useful in eliciting the client's strategy for creating "the problem" My intention is to add the Richard Gray interview to www.nlpmp3.com for the more serious NLP students to download.