I (Heidi) have a non-NLP-trained friend who works as a counselor at an in-patient eating disorder clinic. She is amazed at the outpatient success rates I have with my clients only using NLP. Even though she has seen the proof of changes occurring she still remains openly sceptic about my NLP approach. I still have hope that she’ll see the light one day and come onto the NLP side and truly help people more efficiently.
For years I’ve been interested in eating disorders of all sorts – bulimia, anorexia, obesity. I find them challenging disorders to work with because of their complexity, but I find the people and treatment with NLP simple and beneficial.
You see, where traditional counseling and therapy will address the problem and attempt to change behaviors on a surface level or delve into the depths of history to understand and transform it – NLP takes a different approach. NLP looks at a person’s unconscious patterns of belief, thought, emotion, and filters that lead to the behaviors of an eating disorder.
While the underlying reasons and root causes are different for each person, I have found a common theme or set of filters that people with eating disorders tend to use in life. Through questioning tools and various NLP techniques we begin to address these filters – and then work with any underlying issues, memories, patterns, or emotions that may be causing the use of these filters.
These filters are perfectionism, a pattern of all or nothing, a fear of failure or fear of success, and a need for control. Again, for each person, these filters will have been created for different reasons from different situations, but they exist in almost all people. Some stem from abuse (sexual or otherwise), some from being abandoned in some way, some from not feeling worthy or good enough, and some from totally other reasons.
Once the filters have been addressed and changed using NLP, and the root cause has also been addressed, the need for the eating disorder is no longer present. Then. We simply work on the behavioral habits that have transpired over time. What I’ve found when working with NLP and eating disorders, when a person is ready to make a change and is ready to address the root cause, the changes are quick, profound, and deeply beneficial.
I’m still hoping my friend who works at the eating disorder clinic will come around to my way of thinking sooner than later! There are so many lives that can be positively impacted through NLP.
