Practice, practice, practice

On the the major benefits of running a very busy private practice is that I get to see literally hundreds of clients each year and I use PT in all my sessions. Quite often I may see six clients back to back, so thats six straight hours of working without a break! The PT tool kit and the Provocative Change Works tool kit allows me to work in a far more accelerated manner than when simply using other stand alone approaches.

In Feb 2009 I am running an AFPT approved PT Practice day in Leeds for those people interested in developing the PT skills. I set up the AFPT after seeing so many ludicrous claims by mostly NLPers claiming to "have studied Frank Farrelly's work" when they simply attended a singe weekend event! Details on this and other worldwide Provocative workshops can be found at www.nickemptraining.com and www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Misconceptions about Provocative Therapy

I groaned today when I read somebody thinking that a comedy sketch on YouTube was in fact "Provocative Therapy!" It seems that for some reason that many NLPers just don't get PT and "try to catagorise" it in the most ludicrous ways which usually involve thinking that it is either any kind of comedy or any kind of confrontation!

Online on one NLP ng suddenly a number of folks are regularly spouting the word "provocative" with great gusto in every third post not realising what Provocative Therapy really is and certainly not reading the original book or understanding Provocative Therapy is a multi layered sophisticated approach to change which requires the therapist to really pay attention to the client and have a flexibility to move beyond simply rolling out a series of techniques...

New clip of Frank Farrelly and Nick Kemp teaching Provocative Therapy

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-186095950624747283&hl=en

A Provocative2 weeks

I just dropped Frank Farrelly off at the airport after spending 2 weeks with him and attending and 2 workshops, having co presented at the Leeds event. The Leeds event was especially magical and Frank did an interview with a lady called Sue who is terminally ill from cancer and could die at any time. I have literally spent hundreds of hours with Frank often on a one to one basis and continue to learn from him and use these insights in all areas of communication and especially with client interactions. Both Bandler and Grinder had Frank on their radar in the early days of NLP and of course Frank spent a great deal of time with Carl Rodgers and has an amazing history of therapeutic interactions over 5 decades. At the age of 77 he still runs events and I look forward to co presenting at the May UK AFPT hosted event, before travelling to NY and then Denver to run my own events.

PT event this weekend

We are now just 24 hours away from Frank Farrelly's annual Leeds PT workshop, so if anyone reading this wants to see a master of communication in action, there's still time to book!

Frank Farrelly's Me and God Book now available online

You can now purchase Frank Farrelly' 2nd book securely online here

http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/productpage.cfm/?store=HumanAlchemy2&productid=AFPT2

2 very different pieces of feedback from the Frank Farrelly evening

I thought I would post just to say what a delight Frank's evening was on the 3rd of October. A lady having late phase treatment for breast cancer,with concerns around sexuality,sexual functioning,and the very content of her remaining life had a session with Frank, and it was an absoloutely excellent teaching event.It was immensely generous of the client to be prepared to have this witnessed by everyone there and I salute her,and send her my heartfelt thanks.
As a doctor myself, I have so often come across people with life threatening illness being effectively ostracised,and shut down when they attempt to express themselves, simply because people do not know what to say or how to say it.This happens particulalry around sexual issues, partly because people often find this awkward to discuss, particulalry when it impacts on anyone with any kind of disability or illness. Contemplating sexual desires in another is often not easy, particularly when the individual has limited life expectancy and health issues which affect what they are able to do.Breast cancer and prostate cancer by their very nature impact on sexuality, partly due to the direct nature of surgery and radiotherapy, partly due to the indirect effects of hormonal manipulation.
Using his Provocative Therapy, Frank discussed life expectancy,sexuality,body image,relationships with significant others,financial matters,all in an open and supportive fashion,covering everything in a mere 25-30 minutes-producing the client's final response-"now I feel I have hope." Frank used humour and a remarkable openess which simultaneously suported yet freed the conversation wherever it went and as an example of how to have an effective and productive interaction in such a situation it was absoloutely superb.
So often such an interaction can be merely a grim and ineffective 25minutes of passing the tissue box whilst the client sobs hopelessly, and the therapist feels terrible and powerless to assist.I was delighted to have been present because I personally learnt a lot, but also because for everyone else present, whether friend,relative,partner,parent,child or therapist,whenever we are faced with "difficult" interactions, we now have simple effective tools to use which are immensely powerful , and make such an interaction meaningful, with magnificent resonance for all involved.
Frank manages to make such interactions look deceptively simple-like a conversation between two old friends-speaking as a doctor with 25 years experience-provocative therapy is simply superb.
Superb stuff indeed.

Dr S Elton


I'd just like to express my dissapointment in what was a non sequitur of an evening last Friday.

A good friend of mine who coaches in the North West paid for me to come along in expectation that we may learn something about the craft of a master. What in fact took place was completely irrelevant. I simply want to ask "why did you not think of stepping in to at least coax Frank and Sue away from the two hour fusilade of cock stories". Why?

Andy Whitlow
NLP Practitioner

Those who don't get Provocative Therapy

I just read on an NLP newsgroup some of the dumbest ever posts relating to Provocative Therapy. In recent times I have increasingly spoken about how embarassed I am by some NLPers and how they IMO can increasingly ANALyse to the most ludicrous extent. In this instance a group of NLP trainers and students totally fail to appreciate that Provocative Therapy occurs when there is excellent rapport between parties and is likened to "two old friends chatting" Its NOT a demonstration of aggression or how to be a smart arse!

Provocative Therapy is a very sophisticated therapeutic approach that requires an acute ability to pay attention and to work in the here and now avoiding any mindreading of the client. After almost four years of studying with Frank Farrelly up close I have noticed that few who have studied NLP have IMO realised the many dimensions to Frank's work. Part of thereason for this is that may NLPers only train with a couple of trainers and never see private clients, so much of their "understanding" is wholly theoretical. This extends to those with quite grandoise titles and years of experence!

Frank has indicated that there will be no certifications in Provocative Therapy and mentioned this on the 2006 DVD set. I fully agree with this as in the world of NLP many confuse having a certificate with "being qualified" and the general standard I have encountered of insights is not that great. In those instances where I train others in NLP (which are less than they used to be) I always stress the need to not just rely on rolling out techniques. Today I spoke to somebody who had spent a huge sum on trainings (the price of a new BMW!) and had not learned basic client skills due IMO to a poor quality of training.

In 2009 The Association for Provocative Therapy will be running PT trainings in the UK and elsewhere. These will focus on real skill development and teaching the different layers involved in this approach. To date those who have previously trained in NLP either do very well or totally struggle to move from their own figid beliefs, so its gonna be interesting...

LOL

A Dog's purpose (thanks to Frank for e-mailing this one)

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish
Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their
little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for
a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the
family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the
euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made
arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for
six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might
learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family
surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time,
that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes,
Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's
transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while
after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives
are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped
up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.
I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life --

like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old

continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have
to
stay as long.'

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure
Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them
gently.

ENJOY

An Evening with Frank Farrelly Oct 3 2008

You heard it here first, Frank Farrelly will be doing an evening slot at the Queens Hotel Leeds Fri Oct 3rd 7.30 - 9.30pm.
This is a unique opportunity to see a master of communication up close!

The price is just 25 pounds on the door and 20 pounds when paid in advance

Places will be on a first come first serve basis and e-mail tina@tranceformingnlp.com to reserve your place.

Provocative Therapists and The Association for Provocative Therapy

Real Training in Provocative Therapy
I first met Frank Farrelly in 2004 and was amazed at how Provocative Therapy had lacked any proper promotion and marketing. Apart from the original book, there were no commercial materials in the public domain, so it was quite difficult for people to really explore this approach. Some of the people I encountered who had "trained" with Frank IMO (to put it politely) really did not demonstrate any of the PT skills I had come to witness from seeing Frank.

NLP Trainers and studying Provocative Therapy
As many will know as well as studying Provocative Therapy up close with Frank, I also trained in NLP previously and this proved useful in unravelling Provocative Therapy to gain a greater insight into this skill set. Unfortunately some people will call themselves "provocative therapists" having merely read the original book or having attending a weekend event. Even this week I read one NLP trainer's bio who claimed to have "extensively studied Frank Farrelly's work" which in this instance is a bit of a "stretch" as a claim...

Provocative Therapy is not NLP
I set up The Association for Provocative Therapy with Frank Farrelly's agreement and blessing to promote a quality of standards in PT. In recent years I have written extensiely about what I consider to be craziness in the world of NLP where trainers fabricate qualifications and make ever increasingly ludicrous claims about this approach. In the wrd of NLP there has also been a tendancy to "bolt on" all manner of other approaches and one trainer even advertised their NLP Practitioner training would include training in Reiki! The AFPT promotes Provocative Therapy as taught by Frank Farrelly. In two weeks time I will be presenting the at the IASH conference in SF USA and discussing how PT can be viewed from an NLP perspective, but Provocative Therapy is not NLP and should be treated differently.

Nick
www.nickkemp.com

NLPers that struggle with PT and Frank opportunities

I first trained extensively with Richard Bandler leaning about NLP in the 1990s. I am forever grateful for Richard first mentioning Frank in a 2003 NLP Master Practitioner course in London when he famously proclaimed

"If you think I'm wild, you should see Frank!"

I did exactly that in 2004 when I attended a four day Provocative Therapy event in the UK. I instantly recognised the similarities between Richard and Frank and especially the similarity in attitude. The 2004 event was a very small group made up of 50% NLPers to those who had not trained in NLP, but were therapists. Notable NLPers included Andrew T Austin and Jamie Smart. Amazingly this event was not properly recorded in audio or video format, but I still have a record of the session Frank did with myself as I took my own recording device and wrote a full review of the event which can be found here http://provocativetherapy.info//content/view/26/42/

The NLPers that Struggle

During the first two days of the 2004 event, I struggled to "park my NLP head" and explore Provocative Therapy as an approach in its own right. By day 3 I begn to realise just how elegant this set of tools can be and that there is a real sophistication to PT. In subsequent years I have seen many NLPers really struggle to park their NLP heads and some longstanding trainers who met Frank in 2005 really struggled to shift from their preconceptions. This trend continued during the 2006 and 2007 events with some hilarity as seminar delegates made such ludicrous comments as "Frank really knows his NLP"

Of course many NLPers who have greater insights appreciate that Frank is working on many levels andthis is one of the reasons why Bandler and Grinder were interested in him in the 1980s. Some NLPers only train with one trainer almost to the point of obsession and these IMO are the ones that ultimately are the least skilled and least flexible in working with clients, forgetting that the creators of NLP modelled a range of different individuals...

Frank Opportunities

Frank Farrelly still runs workshops at the age of 77 and seminar details can be found at http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/. Many NLPers appreciate that frm an NLP perspective they can see pattern interrupts, use of timelines,use of metaphors and many other elements they can describe in NLP terms, but PT is certainly not NLP! Both approaches have been invaluable in inspiring my Provocative Change Works approach (see http://www.provocativechangeworks.com/) which will be outlining at the San Francisco Institute for Advanced Studies of Health conference Sept this year!

Video of feedback from Provocative Therapy interview

Here Nancy feeds back her experences of working with Frank Farrelly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-52G2WlSuo

Regards

Nick
www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

AFPT launch video clip

Here is an interview of me talking about the AFPT launch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlQra-21mcE

Speed in client interactions

When I was first interviewed by Frank Farrelly in a Provocative Therapy module, I was totally amazed at the speed of what happened during the interaction. This is one of the elements of PT that in my view makes it so effective. The Provocative Therapist does not adhere to any traditional rules associated with CBT and does not rely upon specific techniques often used by other practitioners. The interaction with the client is very much in the here and now and the Provocative Therapist will provoke responses from the client by a variety of means. As Frank would say

"Run it up the flagpole and see if they salute it..."

The Provocative Therapist will often interrupt the client affecting a series of what NLPers would call "pattern breaks" resulting in the client shifting through a series of different emotional states. In doing so, the client often becomes wholly confused by what they used to think of as "the problem" and this provides the momentum for them to become free from the old "stuck state"
Often the therapist will work at lightning speed and not even wait for client responses, but instead forcing the client to defend "the problem" by insisting that "the problem" is not really all that bad and that the client may have actually missed all the benefits that the problem has to offer! The "What's wrong with that?" exercise is an excellent way to develop this approach where the Provocative Therapist insists that the client, thinks and feels the same and does even MORE of the old behaviour. This results in the client then protesting that they want CHANGE and this protest frequently produces accelerated changes in the clients perceptions.

I am running a 3 day event with Frank in May 2009 where we will be exploring this approach in detail. This event will be hosted by The Association for Provocative Therapy (AFPT) http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/ and I will also be demonstrating the differences between NLP and PT at the 2008 IASH conference in SF USA- see http://www.nlpiash.org/dnn/

The Weapons of Insanity

The Weapons of Insanity

Arnold M Ludwig MD1 and Frank Farrelly ACSW2Reprinted from American Journal of PsychotherapyVol. XXI, No 4 – October 1967

It is becoming fashionable to view mental patients, especially chronic schizophrenics, as poor, helpless, unfortunate creatures made sick by family and society and kept sick by prolonged hospitalisation. These patients are depicted as hapless victims impotent against the powerful influences which determine their lives and shape their psychopathology. Such a view dictates a treatment philosophy aimed at reducing all the social and institutional iniquities responsible for the patient’s plight. However, in the process of levelling the finger of etiologic blame for the production and maintenance of chronic schizophrenia, theoreticians and clinicians have neglected another culprit – the patient himself. Professionals seem to have overlooked the rather naïve possibility that schizophrenic patients become “chronic” simply because they choose to do so.
Undoubtedly, a myriad of authoritative articles could be quoted to refute such an oversimplified approach to this problem. We do not deny the complexity of the problem of the multitude of theoretical factors which should be taken into account for the understanding and treatment of chronic schizophrenia. However, we do claim that all these theoretical considerations have little practical import for the current treatment of these patients. Since we cannot at this point in time unravel twisted genes, undo the past, reform society, or eliminate mental hospitals, we are left with a more modest, but still formidable task – the treatment of the patient himself. The major problem is in dealing with what is and not with what should be or might have been. In our own experience, the problem is not so much modifying factors outside the patient, but rather inc hanging certain patient attitudes and consequent behaviours, as well a complementary, newly traditional attitudes on the part of society and professional staff, which aggravate the basic problem and prevent effective therapeutic intervention.
We have had the opportunity to observe closely and work with a group of 30 male and female chronic schizophrenics, handled with a minimum of medication and housed together on an experimental treatment unit. In a previous article (1) we outlined a number of characteristic attitudes and behaviours, both on the part of patients and staff, which tended to perpetuate chronicity. These characteristics comprise what we have called “the Code of Chronicity”. Implicit in our discussion of the “code” are five important clinical “facts” which, we believe, underlie the behaviours of chronic schizophrenics.
i. First, these patients can use their insanity to control people land situations. ii. Second, they have an indomitable will of their own and are hell bent on getting their own way. iii. Third, one of the basic difficulties in rehabilitating these patients is not so much their “lack of motivation” but their intense, negative motivation to remain hospitalised. iv. Fourth, insanity and hospitalisation effectively pay off for these patients in a variety of ways. v. Fifth, these patients are capable of demonstrating an animal cunning in provoking certain reactions of the part of staff, family, and society at large which guarantee their continued hospitalisation and its consequent rewards.
Related to these characteristics are a number of other important ones, which are typical of these patients and which we want to elaborate on since they are relevant to our basic thesis concerning patient behaviour. These additional features have gradually come into focus for us during the various phases of our research treatment program; in this article we shall term them the “weapons of insanity”. It has become increasingly clear to us that patients both have at their disposal and employ effectively an array of counter therapeutic weapons against staff efforts to rehabilitate them. These weapons not only reach their targets but have the additional bonus of a “fallout” effect in the form of a series of predictable staff reactions. Since one of the most effective ways to cope with these weapons is
first to recognise them, we have felt the need to describe them and their effects. Moreover, since we have become convinced that for rehabilitative purposes these weapons of insanity must be jammed, there is a necessity to consider carefully the therapeutic implications and ethical issues involved. It is our purpose to do precisely this

For the remainder of this article check out

http://www.provocativetherapy.info/

Also check http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/ for information and membership of AFPT

AFPT event for May 2009

The Association for Provocative Therapy will be hosting a unique Provocative Therapy event in May 2009. Further details will appear later this year!

Over simplistic takes on PT, missing the point big time!

Some weeks it takes all my patience not go go into a major rant online about some of the nonsense that people put online about Provocative Therapy.
The latest example was on an NLP newsgroup that is famous for bizarre requests for therapeutic advice and generally very poor ill conceived postings. In this attempt on defining PT, the poster used a description from John Grinder. I remember asking Frank about Grinder's take on PT a few years ago and he just laughed at how far off the mark it was!

Provocative Therapy is not something that can be grasped in a weekend course and requires some genuine application. In an era when some forms of change work have descended into little more than entertainment, its good to see that Frank is still avoiding the whole certification, qualification arena...

PT Newsgroup online

In 2007 I set up an invitation only Provocative Therapy newsgroup to discuss Frank Farrelly's extraordinary approach. This is also a way in which people can ask questions about PT in a more specific way. All members of AFPT (http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/) will receive automatic invitations to the newsgroup.

The genius of the PT approach

When I first encountered Provocative Therapy I tried to view it through my "NLP perspective" and grasp it until I "parked my NLP head" to then see more clearly how PT is a very different approach. Provocative Therapy can be understood from an NLP perspective and is especially useful in identifying patterns of behaviour.

I first trained with Richard Bandler in the 1990s and when I first met Frank I began to notice how Richard had taken on lots of Frank's characteristics in his own work. I have been fortune enough to have interviewed both of them about each other and most have been major influences on my own Provocative Change Works approach detailed at http://www.provocativechangeworks.com/

Provocative Therapy in Munich

This year I managed to see Frank Farrelly hosted by D.I.P in Munich. This was a great workshop and really well organised by the German Institute for Provocative Therapy. PT has been very popular in Germany for many years. There is also a waiting list for attending events in Munich and the audience was a mixture of therapists, NLPers and generally curious individuals. You can find more information at www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Provocative Therapy Resources

Here are the best Provocative Therapy online resources for checking out Frank Farrelly's work

http://www.provocativetherapy.info/

http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/

http://www.provocativetherapy.com/

http://www.nlpmp3.com/ (Frank Farrelly interviews downloadable here)

Presenting at the IASH SF USA conference

This Sept I am presenting at the IASH conference in USA on both Provocative Therapy and Provocative Change Works.

Provocative Change Works uses both Frank Farrelly's approaches alongside Ericksonian Hypnosis and other approaches. I set up http://www.provocativechangeworks.com/ to discuss this approach and how if differs from classical PT. Information on the IASH presentations can be found here at http://www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com/IASH_conference_2008.php

PT in private practice

I have found PT to produce the very best results when working with private clients. As well as using "classical Provocative Therapy" I also used an integrated approach where I use PT alongside hypnosis. Most weeks I will see between 6 - 10 clients and this is the same approach that was used on the Provocative Change Works for Phobias DVD set

See http://www.provocativechangeworks.com/provocative_change_works_DVD_product.php

Frank comes to the UK

Frank Farrelly, the creator of Provocative Therapy will be coming to the UK Nov 1/2nd to present a workshop on Provocative Therapy. This is a fantastic opportunity to see a master of communication up close and a few select delegates will have the opportunity to have a one on one session with him!

Book online at www.tranceformingnlp.com

Welcome to the world of Provocative Therapy

Having trained with the Frank Farrelly for a number of years, I recently set up The Association For Provocative Therapy which promotes this extraordinary approach to therapy!

Check out www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com for membership details