What NLP Means in My Coaching Work

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which is a mouthful, so let me make it plain. It is the study of how the words and pictures in our heads shape what we feel and what we do.

We all run patterns. A phrase we say about ourselves, a picture we replay, a story about what is possible for us. NLP gives me practical ways to help you notice those patterns and, when you want to, change them.

I think of it as working with the operating instructions you have been carrying. Some of them still serve you. Some were written a long time ago by circumstances that no longer exist. It is useful to know the difference.

In sessions, NLP is not a trick or a technique performed on you. It is a set of tools we use together, at your pace, with your permission. You stay in charge of your own mind the entire time.

As I reflect on it, what I value most about NLP is its respect for how changeable people are. Patterns were learned, and learned things can be relearned. That idea sits at the heart of my personal development sessions.

What is NLP in plain language?

It is the study of how your thoughts, words, and mental pictures shape your feelings and actions, plus practical tools for shifting the patterns that no longer serve you. Nothing is done to you. We work together, and you set the pace.

What standards guide your coaching?

I hold my work to professional coaching standards, including the ethics and competencies described by the International Coaching Federation. NLP is one set of tools inside that larger frame.

Where do sessions happen?

Coaching sessions are virtual and one hour long, so you can join from anywhere. I am based in Phoenix, Arizona.

If you'd like more info, feel free to call me at 623-986-3987.

Warmly, Water Shepherd