NLP Hypnosis Training: Why going back to core elements is the key to effective client work
- Claire Jack
- Aug 2
- 6 min read
Out of all the techniques I use, and teach, NLP is probably the single most misunderstood. During my initial hypnotherapy diploma, I learned some “basic” NLP. My preferred learning style has always been to make sure I really understand something after I’ve learned it initially, so I did what I always do and hit the books. This is when I realised – I didn’t really have a clue what NLP was, and the books weren’t helping.
My personal misunderstanding was mirrored on a far wider scale when I started talking to students, many of whom had a recognised NLP qualification. They’d spent a week learning NLP and, whilst they knew a few techniques, they didn’t fully grasp the fundamentals.
Another area where misunderstanding is common is on the wider psychological and therapeutic level, with some practitioners completely dismissing NLP as “pseudoscience”. One of the first examples I came across was a diploma level student who was a Clinical Psychologist who didn’t want to study the NLP module based on the view, at that time, of the British Psychological Society (BPS). She turned out to be a rapid convert when she learned not only NLP techniques but also the very sound and logical context for those techniques.
In addition to being one of the most misunderstood approaches, NLP is also one of the most valuable ways I have of working with clients, and – once students properly understand what they’re doing – one of the most popular and effective approaches my students use with their clients.
What is NLP?
NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming.
The Neuro refers to how we take in information – the sounds we hear, the colours we see and how we use all of our senses to process the world around us.
The Linguistic refers to how we make “sense” out of that information. Not sense at a basic level – such as my eyes tell me that’s a yellow flower – but sense at a more complex level that draws on our wider understanding and experiences. For instance, we might construct a “story” about the yellow flower, based on it being a yellow flower that reminds us of playing in a garden with a buttercup (linguistic is more than language – it’s focused on meaning).
Programming refers to our behaviours. Let’s imagine we learned as a child that dogs were dangerous, we now avoid going near dogs. We’ve been programmed into doing so.
Those core elements are at the heart of NLP work, alongside some other core features including modalities, submodalities, association and dissociation.
And this is where some of the misunderstanding comes in. Much as I love NLP, it’s full of made up terms (pseudo orientation, anyone?) that, in my opinion, are often designed to gatekeep the subject. At the time I was reading all those NLP books I already had a Ph.D. and had run several research projects. NLP felt far more gatekept to me than the most complex scientific research I’d ever come across, and some of it isn’t an easy read.
Good NLP Hypnosis Training takes these seemingly complicated concepts and puts them in simple terms. Once we strip NLP back, it becomes an invaluable addition to your client work.
Modalities
Modalities refer to the basic information we hold about ourselves and the world around us. But one thing that’s important to know is that our understanding of modalities is subjective. What does this mean? Well, if you and I sit in the same meeting, our experiences will be entirely different. To me, the colour in the room might have been jarring. The noise might have been loud. The temperature might have been too hot. To you, the colour may have been soothing, the noise level just right, and the temperature pleasantly cooling. We sat through the same experience, but our subjective experience – and the modalities we have formed – is completely different (an important note here is that NLP modalities are not the same as therapeutic modalities, which refer to different therapeutic approaches – CBT or pscyhodynamic therapy are “modalities” but not in the NLP sense).
Submodalities
Bearing in mind that our experience of modalities is subjective, we can work to change those modalities, which in turn can influence how we recall situations and what we think about those situations. There are lots of different ways we can do this including imagining a situation – let’s say the memory of the big, smelly, terrifying dog we remember from childhood – and changing that experience to one of a small, cute, dog that smells like shampoo.
Dissociation and Association
These are another two terms commonly associated with NLP. Dissociation (which has nothing to do with dissociation in the mental health understanding of the word) means being distanced, or dissociated, from an experience. It might mean that we’re physically distanced from something, or looking at it – we’re not fully experiencing it, at an emotional or physical level.
Association means we’re fully “in” an experience. Instead of watching an image of ourselves as a child with that dog that scared us, we’re reliving that experience as if we were actually there.
What tends to happen with NLP work is that we encourage clients to dissociate from difficult or troubling experiences and associate with more positive experiences (in the case of the dog, we’d help them dissociate from the original memory and associate with a new outcome of feeling confident and happy being near a dog).
There’s far more to NLP than this but understanding these basic building blocks opens up the door to using a vast array of effective techniques with clients and provides the much-needed context, which is sometimes missing from NLP Hypnosis training.
How do NLP and Hypnosis Work Together?
Many NLP practitioners are not hypnotherapists, but the two approaches complement each other so well. Some NLP techniques work fantastically as “stand alone” techniques during a hypnotherapy session - techniques that you might, for instance, use at the start of a session before proceeding to a more “formal” hypnotherapy script or approach.
Other approaches can be significantly enhanced when used within the structure of a hypnotherapy session. For instance, using a Rewind Technique after an induction can help someone experience the outcome at a much deeper, more experiential level.
NLP relies heavily on helping people visualise, recall conversations, enrich experiences through scent, and imagine how things feel physically and being in a state of hypnosis can significantly enhance the realism of the experience, which is at the core of creating a new story and leading to new behaviours.
Because hypnosis can help people accept new perspectives and beliefs, which they would otherwise easily reject, NLP work can be incorporated into someone’s way of thinking at a more fundamental level than might otherwise be attainable.
In the same way that CBT-hypnosis is, for me, CBT “ramped up”, NLP-hypnosis is like a massively ramped up version of NLP when it’s used as a standalone approach.
Frequently Asked Questions About NLP Hypnosis Training
What is NLP Hypnosis training?
NLP Hypnosis training teaches qualified hypnotherapists how to integrate Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) with clinical hypnosis. Rather than simply learning individual NLP techniques, practitioners develop an understanding of the psychological principles behind them and how they can be applied safely, ethically and effectively within hypnotherapy.
Why should a hypnotherapist learn NLP?
Many hypnotherapists already use techniques that have their roots in NLP, including reframing, visualisation and changing emotional responses. Learning NLP provides the context behind these approaches, helping practitioners understand why they work, when they are most appropriate and how to adapt them confidently to each individual client.
Is this NLP Hypnosis training suitable for beginners?
Yes. The course is designed for qualified hypnotherapists and other suitably trained professionals. No previous NLP qualification is required, as the course explains the core principles in a clear, practical and accessible way before demonstrating how to integrate them into hypnotherapy.
How is NLP Hypnosis training different from a standard NLP course?
Many NLP courses focus on teaching techniques over a relatively short period of time. This course focuses on understanding the psychological principles that underpin those techniques and how hypnosis can enhance their effectiveness. The emphasis is on clinical thinking rather than memorising protocols.
Can NLP techniques be used with every client?
No single therapeutic approach is appropriate for every client. Good practice is always guided by assessment and formulation. However, the principles taught within NLP Hypnosis training can be adapted across a wide range of presenting problems, allowing practitioners to work more flexibly and creatively.
What NLP techniques will I learn?
The course explores key NLP concepts including modalities, submodalities, association, dissociation, reframing, perceptual positions and therapeutic language patterns. More importantly, you'll learn how these principles fit together and how to integrate them naturally into hypnotherapy sessions.
Why combine NLP with hypnosis?
Hypnosis enhances many NLP techniques by making therapeutic experiences more vivid, emotionally meaningful and personally relevant. This allows clients to rehearse new behaviours, strengthen healthier beliefs and experience different perspectives in a way that can support lasting psychological change.
Is NLP Hypnosis training evidence-informed?
The course takes an evidence-informed approach, distinguishing between the original theoretical claims of NLP and the psychological principles that underpin many of its techniques. Throughout the programme, practitioners are encouraged to think critically, understand the research and apply NLP within an ethical, client-centred and clinically informed framework.
Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of NLP, integrate it confidently into hypnotherapy or move beyond simply learning techniques, NLP Hypnosis training can help you develop greater clinical confidence, flexibility and insight. By understanding the psychology behind NLP—not just the techniques themselves—you'll be better equipped to tailor your approach to each individual client and achieve more meaningful therapeutic outcomes.
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