Neuro Linguistic Programming is a set of rules and techniques used to help you change your behaviour (quitting smoking, excess eating, cravings etc).

Over a period of time our brain builds different behaviours and reactions to situations. For example the first cigarette in the morning or under stress tastes the best but you want to quit.

NLP allows you to notice those habits and/or behaviours and then I can help you change that for good.  Our brain creates neurons and makes connections all through our lives, so our behaviours become second nature. We associate habits and/or behaviours with colours, objects, smells, touch, taste or hearing. Remember when hearing a particular song, it takes you back to a memory either happy or sad and/or affects your mood.

• The confusion of brake and clutch

• Not remembering to check your side mirrors

• Stalling the car when taking your feet off the clutch too quick?

• Praying that there is no car behind you so you don’t get nervous

But as time passed, you got confident at driving and all these things came naturally to you. Once you got your license, you became more and more confident driving your vehicle. Using this example, while learning to drive, your brain was creating neurons and connecting them, like:

• Memorising the brake and clutch

• Building habit of checking your back and side mirrors every 30 seconds

• Knowing the clutch bite point (where you take your feet off the clutch and car starts to move)

• Rules of the roads

In the same manner, our brain also creates neurons and makes connections with food. Cravings aside, our brain learns behaviours; connects memories, occasions and/or emotions with food. When depressed or wanting to de-stress chocolate seems an interesting beverage for females and a beer or two for male. This association is learnt from our primary carers when they gave sweets as a comforter as well as highly influenced by the media.

When using NLP, the clinical therapist asks some questions to get a good understanding of a client’s habits, associations and behaviours as well as other associations like taste, colours, feelings and emotional responses of the mind and body. In some cases, therapists use light trance/hypnosis so that client is able to concentrate on the job in hand. Once the therapist has all the information, s/he uses NLP, to change those neuron connections.

After the NLP session, you will remember what your previous reaction would have been. After the session your reaction will be different and you will not give into your cravings or comfort eating.