Neurolinguistic Programming to Treat Social Anxiety

Neurolinguistic Programming to Treat Social Anxiety Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy Print Neurolinguistic Programming for Social Anxiety Disorder By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on July 23, 2019 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was first developed in the 1970s at the University of California, Santa Cruz, by John Grinder (a professor of linguistics) and Richard Bandler (a mathematician). Through their research, Grinder and Bandler wanted to understand what made some therapists better than others. The outcome was that they developed a set of principles and techniques used to create change. NLP is used in various settings, including psychotherapy, medicine, and personal development. However, neurolinguistic programming is generally considered to be an alternative medicine practice and has yet to be included as a mainstream therapeutic approach. It has also not been validated scientifically for the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, it may have value as an add-on to other traditional forms of treatment. Its important to realize that NLP is not itself a form of psychotherapy; rather, it is a tool used to guide the therapeutic process. Some neurolinguistic programming principles include the following: All behavior is adaptive, meaning that there is a positive benefit for everything that you doYou have the resources to achieve your goals; it is the job of your therapist to assist youHow you react is more important than what happens to you In general, an NLP therapist will follow these steps with you: Establish rapport with you by mirroring your verbal and non-verbal behaviorGather information about your problem and what you hope to achieveConsider any potential negative impact of achieving these goals on your personal lifeEnsure that new behavior patterns are integrated into your daily life Neurolinguistic Programming Techniques Although NLP is not a form of psychotherapy, there are a number of techniques used by neurolinguistic programming practitioners. Some examples of techniques include anchoring, reframing, dissociation, belief change, and future pacing. Below are brief descriptions of each of these techniques. Anchoring: Learning how to respond differently to a triggering situation (similar to classical conditioning).Reframing: Identifying adaptive behaviors that can replace maladaptive behaviors while still achieving the same goal.Dissociation: Disconnecting from a painful experience from your past.Belief Change: Changing beliefs that hold you back from success.Future Pacing: Integrating goals into your life so that you continue to have achievements after therapy. NLP and Social Anxiety Disorder How would these techniques be applied if you live with social anxiety disorder (SAD)? In the case of belief change, the therapist might ask you to compare your beliefs about two areas of your life. The first area would be something that you have difficulty with (e.g., social situations) and the second area would be one in which you have experienced success (perhaps you have done well academically or financially). Like most neurolinguistic programming techniques, the process would involve visualization; you would be asked to imagine the beliefs that hold you back shrinking into the distance until they are no longer important. Research on NLP Neurolinguistic programming theory and practice have yet to receive scientific support, so research on this approach is still being conducted. To date, its mostly used in coaching/self-help areas. Although NLP may be of some value as part of a treatment plan for SAD, well-established and supported treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication are your best options. A Word From Verywell Neurolinguistic programming is still a very new approach and does not have sufficient evidence to support its use in traditional treatment settings. This means that if you approach your doctor about NLP, you arent likely to get very far. Instead, if you wish to try NLP for social anxiety, consider contacting a wellness coach who uses this technique or reading a self-help book on the topic and trying it yourself. Once again, NLP should not be used in place of validated treatments, particularly if you have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. The 7 Best Online Anxiety Support Groups