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!