Provocative Therapy Blog

Bandler on Farrelly

2011-04-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

This extract is from an interview I did with Richard Bandler a few years ago when I asked him about Frank Farrelly.

"You know, Farrelly had to be one of the most courageous people on the face of the earth to do the wackiest things he did. It was obvious that he made sure that he made people do new behaviours while they were enjoying it. That meant when they did them again, they weren’t frightening; they were fun. If they’d thought about having their problem again, they would laugh. He was probably the first person to really do neuro-hypnotic repatterning…to tell you the truth. Um. He didn’t think about it in the formal sense that I did. To tell you the truth, when Frank Farrelly described to me his theory, he was as wacky as Virginia Satir and as wacky as all the rest of them. What he did was really great. What I respect about Frank is that he stuck to his guns. No matter how much they told him therapy should be boring or how much they told him he was over the edge, what he noticed is he made people better. "

Provocative Therapy on FaceBook

2011-03-08T00:56:00.000-08:00

https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35988947999&ref=ts

Provocative Therapy in India

2011-01-23T23:53:00.001-08:00

I just returned from teaching a series of workshops in India co presenting with Andrew T Austin.

Provocative Change by Nick Kemp

2010-11-20T11:44:00.001-08:00

Provocative Change in action

2010-09-20T14:03:00.001-07:00

New Provocative Change Works poster

2010-09-17T11:20:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest poster

Provocative Change Works weekend in October 2010

2010-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

8th-10th October 2010
Location: London
Details: Part 1: Provocative Change Works™ for Business - 8th October 2010 7-9.30pm

During this evening Nick Kemp will reveal many of the insights and strategies that have helped him to create a number of highly successful businesses, some of which had multi-million pound annual turnovers.

Here are some of the things you can expect during this evening session:

•Lighting the fuse - taking an idea to market and getting on the map
•Provoking client responses by provocative thinking
•Strategic thinking to create powerful creative business outcomes
•Creating impact in your communications in the visual and auditory realms
•Pricing and the psychology of pricing as a filtering system
•Creating the best delivery systems for your business
What the Business community is saying about Nick Kemp

"Everybody enjoyed the course immensely and I would like to thank you for guiding us through a very useful and insightful two days.Great feedback and lots of good work done after the course as well.

Jacqueline de Rojas
Vice President McAfee UK and Ireland

"Our day with Nick Kemp was a turning point. The solutions are obvious as we look back on them! But on the day Nick found us confused and stressed and left us clear and focussed. We changed the company name to reflect the range of products we now have and this has immediately helped to communicate to existing and new customers so much better. Nick's direction has meant these changes are felt within the organisation as well. The ideas came from ourselves with his guidance - and this means we have so much more ownership of the process. The follow-up from Nick has also been welcome - checking, tweaking and confirming the original plan as it rolls out. The focus and clarity Nick brought to us has meant increased sales activity as well as a more efficient work pattern to deal with this. From struggling to striding!"

Mal Williamson
Director Engage Now

"We wanted to help our staff consider that there is more than one response to a given situation, and help them explore a range of possibilities in terms of reactions. Alongside that is the awareness of the power and effect of language to help increase rapport, not only with colleagues, but with our customers.
Feedback from Nick's work was impressive, in the highly regulated world of insurance we do have to operate to a script when talking to customers to meet FSA requirements; however we are now looking at the specific words we use.
Additionally our staff are more aware of their 'state' as a major factor in improving our ability to perform tasks, and how to seek to control this."

Sue Lewis
Operations Manager Towergate Partnership Ltd

Part 2: Provocative Change Works™ Advanced Skills Workshop - 9th-10th October 2010

This is an opportunity to learn the approaches that make up the Provocative Change Works™ tool kit, which is equally effective in personal development, therapeutic intervention and business contexts.

Here are some of the things we will be learning during these two days:

•Identifying and utilizing the first 26 Provocative Icon cards for accelerated provocative change
•Exploring the "Full Representation Hypnotic Inductions" to change client "stuck states" to fluid states
•Time Framing client sessions - how to create a future client session while working in the "here and now"
•Practising the PCW exercises to develop multi-level sensory awareness and exquisite state control during client sessions
•Learning the art of improvised and creative interactions, for accelerated results in therapeutic and business situations
•Working one on one with Nick Kemp as demonstration subject (limited opportunities due to time considerations)
What people are saying about Nick Kemp in therapy and personal change

"You are totally disarming and beyond formalisation. There is ease and naturalness about you and you make people relax really quickly. You got the power man!"

Frank Farrelly, Creator of Provocative Therapy

"Do you know Nick Kemp? - (he is) exceptionally bright, and I have immensely enjoyed communicating...The kind of exchanges that I have been having... are the kind of activities that I think can really advance the field."

Steve Andreas, NLP Author, Trainer, Developer

"Nick Kemp is what a trainer should be."

Doug O Brien - Master Trainer & Hypnotherapist

"I have known Nick Kemp for a number of years as both personal friend and mentor... no one has done more to promote Frank Farrelly and his highly effective treatment modality of "Provocative Therapy" than Nick Kemp. In 2004 when both myself and Nick met Frank Farrelly for the first time, the only readily available material was the classic 1973 book, "Provocative Therapy." Since that meeting, Nick and Frank have become firm friends and there is no doubt the rest of us have benefitted enormously from this unique relationship.

Andrew T Austin
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neurolinguist & Author of "The Rainbow Machine"

Hosts: Nick Kemp
Price: Earlybird (Ends Aug 31st): £349, Full Price £449
Booking: To Pay Now Call 07903 713234 or email info@westessexhypnotherapy.co.uk

Provocative Training Workshop schedule for 2010/2100

2010-07-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Take a look here

Me and God in the Studio - by Nick Kemp

2010-06-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

In 2004, during one of Frank Farrelly’s workshops, to my amazement, I discovered that he had written a second book entitled “Me and God”. This was the good news. The bad news was that unless you understood German, you wouldn’t be able to read it, as it had only been published in Germany! I therefore discussed with Frank the idea of producing an audio book of “Me and God” and was pleasantly surprised by his interest in such a project and we tentatively agreed to explore recording the book in an audio format setting a recording date for May 2005 and I began to make extensive preparations for the session.

As the recording date loomed closer, and I made my preparations, my first call was to my old friend and fellow recording expert Pete Kelly. Pete is a gifted musician and producer in his own right and has an eye for detail that I could only dream of. We had worked together over the years on a number of projects and it was Pete who in less that ten minutes convinced me that the future of recording was in using computers rather than tape.

If you have ever worked or recorded in a studio, you will know that regardless of all the preparations you make, everything is ultimately down to the ability for the artist to perform on any given day. I caught myself wondering how well Frank would at 73 years old be able to cope with the thirty-seven chapters, consisting of 37,000 words. On the first day as Pete called for a take we looked at each other with the exact same thought, hoping that Frank would find his pace and relax into delivering his story. We soon realised that we needn’t have worried. Frank is like the Ernest Shackleton of therapy, in that once he sets his mind on achieving something, there really is no stopping him!

I had allowed a total of eight days for the project and had anticipated that the entire recording would be around six hours once edited. Previous experience had taught me to allow a minimum of one full day for each fully edited hours work. I had also considered best and worst case scenarios from this session. The absolute

best-case scenario would be that we completed the entire project including artwork in the allotted time. The worst-case scenario would be that Frank would need to return to the studio in November prior to presenting his workshop in Leeds.

On the first day we completed the first fourteen chapters comprising of some 11,000 words! Pete was not familiar with Frank’s work and could barely contain his laughter as he heard Frank’s stories of his interactions with the nuns. Anyone who has seen Frank in a workshop situation will realise that he has an extraordinary tonal range and an excellent ear. Both of these abilities were ably demonstrated throughout the recording sessions.

Our normal recording day would consist of starting the session at 10.30am and recording until around 2pm. We would then usually break for lunch after which Pete would return to his own studio to edit the morning session. Back at Clara studios Frank and my wife Sue would then listen to the previous day’s edits. In the evening we would usually go out for dinner to mostly Italian restaurants and discuss Provocative therapy, movies and all manner of other subjects. When we returned to the house, we would then watch a movie of choice on our home cinema set-up until around 2pm! Fortunately our taste in movies was very similar and I was pleased to find a few films Frank had not seen and subsequently enjoyed. These included Luc Besson’s “Joan of Arc” and “Open Range” with Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner and Tombstone. One of my fondest recollections of these eight days was hearing the comment “good” during the various westerns we watched as various undesirables were gunned down by Duvall and Costner. For a moment I pondered the concept of a Frank Farrelly audio commentary for a series of westerns, which seemed entirely appropriate! Of course it should be no surprise that such a superb teller of stories would also be an admirer of other people’s excellent tales.

During a break on the third day I recorded an interview with Frank on various aspects of his work including his interactions with Carl Rogers and the history of Provocative Therapy from the early 1960s. Frank commented that Carl’s view was that Frank would “never make a dent on the old guard” but rather would have a better response from new up and coming therapists. Many NLP trainers and practitioners have heard of Frank, but few have been fortunate enough to see him

in a workshop situation where you can appreciate just how big an influence he was on the creation of NLP.

On the fifth day we began final editing. What some people forget is that when you record an audio book its important to listen closely to the entire recording, which in this case was close to five hours in length. A good friend of Frank’s, Noni from Germany, who had been involved in the production of the original book, finally located the preface to the book and a copy of a 1937 picture of all the entire Farrelly family, depicted in the book and was kind enough to e-mail a copy to us.

On day 5 we organised the artwork for the project and we contrasted the Farrelly family picture from 1937 with one of Frank and myself in the studio. My good friends Karl and Darren at RRS Music in Leeds worked tirelessly to produce some initial copies of the CD set before Frank departed to Germany. Both of them remarked on how good the audio quality is, which is the highest compliment you can get from sound engineers. We recorded all the speech in 32bit resolution using SE tube microphones, which produce really superb fidelity.

“Me and God” is a fascinating book of stories from Frank’s early life up to the age of sixteen. My view is that the book is an excellent treatise on all human relationships from the personal to the cosmological and divine. The book also gives a good insight into how Frank’s family life was undoubtedly a major influence on the creation of Provocative Therapy. Frank’s unique humour is evident throughout this work and this humour is also reflected in the choice of chapter titles, my favourite being “How I almost lost my immortal soul with a protestant heretic girl one night at a drive-in movie” and “The Crucifixion and the burning at the stake”

New DVD set now available

2010-05-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

This new DVD set is now available here

http://www.nickkemp.com/blog/2010/04/provocative-change-works-for-anxiety-now-available-as-4-dvd-set.htm

Frank Farrelly brings Provocative Therapy to the UK this May

2010-03-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

Sat 22nd - Sun 23rd May 2010
Location: Queens Hotel, Leeds, Yorkshire
Details: This AFPT approved event is an opportunity to learn Provocative Therapy from the source. The weekend will include an opportunity for some to work one on one with Frank Farrelly. Nick Kemp founder of The Association of Provocative Therapy and creator of The Provocative Icon System™ will be teaching many of the latest exercises that assist in developing insights into this therapeutic approach. The AFPT policy is to run trainings with small groups to ensure that each attendee receives the very best attention. Places are issued on a first come first serve basis and we fully expect this event to be fully subscribed. Attendees of this event also receive automatic Associate Membership of the AFPT.

What People are saying about Frank Farrelly?

"Frank Farrelly's Provocative Therapy is like a treasure buried deep in the shadow of traditional psychotherapeutic modalities. These CD's provide you with a treasure map that lifts the techniques, methodology and attitude off the page and into the very real world of working with patients and clients. Be warned - while Frank is working with his clients, these CD's will be working on you..."

Michael Neill, NLP Master Trainer/Bestselling author on Frank Live in Leeds CD set

"Frank is a solid co-therapist -- not a carbon copy. His core of lovingness is easily apparent and available... He is also a wizard at destroying the meta-communicating bacterium 'why'. A body free of this bug may never be the same again. You've read Groddeck, Eichorn, Redl, Laing, Kopp... Read Farrelly!"

Carl A. Whitaker, M.D., Family Process.

"...your demonstrations of therapy... were really great. I liked your style enormously. All of your expressions of yourself while here were a kind of enlarging and expanding experience, combined with a total buoyancy we all need. Meeting you was the best therapeutic experience I've had in a long time."

O. Spurgeon English, M.D., Temple University Psychiatry Dept., Philadelphia, PA.

"Frank Farrelly... is a really exquisite example of requisite variety."

Richard Bandler and John Grinder, Frogs Into Princes.

What People are saying about Nick Kemp?

"Do you know Nick Kemp? - (he is) exceptionally bright, and I have immensely enjoyed communicating...The kind of exchanges that I have been having... are the kind of activities that I think can really advance the field."

Steve Andreas, NLP Author, Trainer, Developer

"Nick Kemp is what a trainer should be."

Doug O Brien - Master Trainer & Hypnotherapist

"I have known Nick Kemp for a number of years as both personal friend and mentor... no one has done more to promote Frank Farrelly and his highly effective treatment modality of "Provocative Therapy" than Nick Kemp. In 2004 when both myself and Nick met Frank Farrelly for the first time, the only readily available material was the classic 1973 book, "Provocative Therapy." Since that meeting, Nick and Frank have become firm friends and there is no doubt the rest of us have benefitted enormously from this unique relationship. Now with numerous audio and DVD training products produced and promoted by Nick Kemp, Frank Farrelly's work is more readily accessible than ever before.

With this is mind, I had the very great pleasure of attending Nick's first "Provocative Change Works™" course in Leeds. Having extensively studied Provocative Therapy and seen Frank work one-to-one sessions live with clients on several occasions, I was astonished at the level of expertise demonstrated on the stage. I have no doubt that with his modelling skills, Nick Kemp has managed to "get" the PT model in its entirety. Watching Nick interact with his clients left me in no doubt that he is the very embodiment of Frank's humour, wit, skill and flexibility. I suspect that anyone familiar with Frank Farrelly's style of working will get that spine tingling sense of familiarity when watching Nick work and that the mantle of Frank's ground breaking work has truly found its lineage, and his experience and dedication to detail makes him one of the best trainers and change work therapists in the UK today."

Andrew T Austin
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Neurolinguist & Author of "The Rainbow Machine"

Frank Farrelly's Provocative Therapy is one of the most fun and EFFECTIVE ways of helping a client to actually change since, well, ever. Nick Kemp is one of the few people on the planet who really understands what Frank Farrelly is doing in his Provocative Therapy AND CAN TEACH IT TO OTHERS. How do I know this? Because even after reading Frank's books, listening to his recordings and even sponsoring a live Provocative Therapy workshop with him in New York a couple of years ago, I was still in the dark as to what specifically it was Frank was doing and why it worked. When did I start to understand it all? When I sat down with Nick and he explained it to me. Nick has integrated Farrelly's Provocative Therapy with Ericksonian Hypnosis in a unique was that makes the original even better. He calls it Provocative Change Works™. He teaches it in a way that is fun and EASY to implement. YOU will be DOING it before the weekend is over.

Doug O Brien, Trainer

Hosts: Frank Farrelly & Nick Kemp
Price: Price £499 inc VAT for the weekend

BOOK HERE

Certification nonsense and need for a code of ethics

2009-12-31T05:53:00.000-08:00

I notice increasingly that especially in the world of NLP, trainers are referring to "certifications" as "qualifications" and worse still in some cases talking about such pieces of paper as "recognised qualifications" which of course is very misleading as they are at best certificates of attendance and nothing more. Another misrepesentation is when trainers call their training company "The British Institute of XXX" when they do not represent "Britain" and of course it's not even professionaly correct to call yourself an Institute in the United Kingdom...

In the AFPT we decided to avoid the whole certification nonsense and instead have associate and full memberships. Both types are expected to adhere to the AFPT code of conduct and to behave with integrity and professionalism. It also amazes me that many people don't realise that being "provocative" does not equate to being aggressive and I recently also blogged on this at www.nickkemp.com.

Provocative Therapy in 2010

2009-12-07T01:13:00.000-08:00

I have just added the schedule for Provocative Therapy and Provocative Change Works dates for 2010 at www.nickkemptraining.com
I am running events in London, Leeds, New York, San Francisco, Warsaw and other dates to be announced in due course

New Members section on AFPT site

2009-11-24T01:44:00.000-08:00

We just added a members section to www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com which will give access to archive Frank Farrelly and other unpublished Provocative Therapy articles

Frank Farrelly talks to Nick Kemp about Therapy and NLP in 1970s

2009-11-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

Frank on Carl Rogers

2009-10-24T11:49:00.001-07:00

New site design launched

2009-10-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Take a look here http://www.provocativetherapy.info/index.php

Provocative Therapy in 2010 with Frank Farrelly and Nick Kemp

2009-10-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

I have just added the dates for Provocative Therapy events in 2010 to the diary here

http://www.nickkemptraining.com/calendar.php

As you can see I'll be running an introduction to PT for the first time in London in Feb and then co presenting a weeknd with Frank Farrelly himself in May.

Also check www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Happy Birthday Frank from Nick Kemp and AFPT

2009-08-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Nick Kemp interviewed in Poland 2009

2009-08-21T00:21:00.001-07:00

Provoking responses in Warsaw using pauses

2009-08-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Frank on Nick

2009-08-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Provocative Therapy Archive

2009-07-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of some of the 200 tapes which I am transferring from cassette forum to a digital format

New Provocative Demonstration by Nick Kemp

2009-07-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

Video clip of Nick Kemp teaching PT approaches

2009-07-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Frank Farrelly working with Teenagers

2009-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

See http://www.nickkemp.com/blog/index.php

Misuse and misunderstanding of the term "Provocative"

2009-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

I noticed today that with a certain amount of unfortunate predictability we now have a trend of people trying to cash in on the term "Provocative". It seems we are truly in the era of hype where everyone is described as "a genius" or "master of x or y"

I set up The Association for Provocative Therapy with the encouragement of Frank Farrelly creator of the field of Provocative Therapy to ensure that PT doesn't go the same way as some other talk therapies into a world of craziness and hype!

If you are considering attending any course or event check the trainer credentials and that the person in question is not trying to simply hijack this particular term for their own personal commercial gain and rather has a genuine set of skills which they can communicate usefully to others with the humour and warm hearted spirit demonstrated by Frank Farrelly himself

Feedback from the NY event

2009-05-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

My name is John Johnson, and I attended the PCW workshop in NYC (aka New Yawk Ciddy) in May, 2009. I have some comments about it…Ok, here I go….I was amazing.

For those of you who are intrigued by the Icon Cards Nick developed..Wow...Get 'Em! Those cards reminded me that human are fast learners. Symbols have been used my humans to teach and to communicate for gazillions of years in all cultures. I was blown away by the “speed” of how I, and I am sure others, quickly absorbed the PCW strategies just by using the Icon Cards - as opposed to the rote listing of possibilities what one can do.

It's like all the details were summed in/as one essence, leaving room for more things to do and to feel pleasure as we learn. Hmmm, pleasure while you learn! What a concept!

It also dawned that Nick Kemp is the only one cataloguing Frank Farrelly’s work, and he is and will be the premier source for future generations….Wow!

Nowadays there are far too many theoreticians teaching workshops; that’s good; but it has its drawbacks. Theoreticians teach theory.
Period. Nick is teaching from direct experience (sure as well as theory).The difference is that Nick can concretely say, tell you and show you – what works and has works consistently. He, as I like to say – has real-world battle scars. He’s a hardened soldier (a Jedi
Knight) who can teach recruits from “direct experience.” There needs to be more people like him.

Oh, what a killer sense of humor.

Be Well

JJ

2nd part of Frank Farrelly interview now online

2009-04-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

The 2nd part of the Frank Farrelly working with teenagers is now added to See http://www.nickkemp.com/blog/

Excerpt from 1970s Frank Farrelly interview

2009-04-16T01:55:00.000-07:00

I just uploaded a Frank Farrelly inteview from te 1970s on working with teenagers

See http://www.nickkemp.com/blog/

Reflections

2009-04-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished a weekend in Leeds co presenting a weekend on Therapeutic Excellence with Andrew T Austin. I included a section on Provocative Therapy and this was filmed in high definition for a 2009 DVD release. Many of the delegates were amazed at the power and speed of using this approach and just how different it is to traditional NLP and Hypnosis.

Next month I am delighted to be training with Frank Farrelly himself and will be using the new training approach for PT that has already been showcased on the previous PT practice day

The World's best kept secret?

2009-03-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Its fast approaching 5 years since I first met Frank and I continue to be amazed at how such a powerful approach for change is so relatively unknown! Prior to training in Provocative Therapy I had already trained extensively in NLP and immediately noticed how influenced Bandler is by Frank and of course both co creators of NLP hold Frank in very high esteem.

I set up The Association For Provocative Therapy to avoid the hype and craziness that now frequents NLP where everyone appears to have
ludicrous titles and much of the behaviour is to me at least quite
embarassing...In 2009 we'll be running a very special 3 day PT event
in May (see www.nickkemptraining.com for booking) as well as USA and European events. I am also working on the Farrelly archive of tapes stretching back to 1971 and will be releasing a series of new DVDs which focus on teaching these skills.

Here's another new clip of PT in high definition

New clip of Frank Farrelly and Nick Kemp teaching Provocative Therapy

2009-03-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

Beyond NLP - Provocative Therapy intensive May

2009-03-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

A quick reminder that the Provocative Therapy 3 day intensive is May 8 - 10 presented by Frank Farrelly & Nick Kemp. This is priced at 750 for the 3 days and is great value as well as being AFPT approved.

Its of special interest to NLPers as Farrelly was one of the big influences on Bandler and Grinder in the development of NLP. Full booking details are here

www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Pre dating NLP, Frank Farrelly circa 1963

2009-03-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of archiving a stack of material from Frank Farrelly dating back in the early 1970s, many years before Bandler and Grinder check out Frank's work and referenced him in "Frog's into Princes"

Listening back to many of these audio tapes, I am amazed that Frank was not literally burned at the stake as his approach was the direct opposite to traditional therapy, even though Frank had originally trained with Carl Rodgers himself. When I first came across Frank in 2004 it ws clear to me just how much of an influence he had been on Richard Bandler and NLP. Richard has definately adopted many of the elements used in Provocative Therapy, but Provocative Therapy also holds a host of different approaches and skills not found in standard NLP.

What's so impressive about Frank is that he created a whole approach whih was very different to other therapeutic approaches from the likes of Erickson, Satir, Bateson and others. I have found a background in NLP has been very helpful in learning about and teaching PT, but PT actually works in a far more accelerated manner when working with private clients. In May this year I am co prsenting a 3 day event teaching Provocative Therapy with Frank in the UK.
This is an excellent opportunity for NLPers and others who want to stretch their boundaries and skills and you can book securely online here

http://www.nickkemptraining.com/courses.php#course2

Provocative Therapy Exercise Day

2009-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

I am running a day on practicising the key Provocative Therapy exercises in the UK Feb 21st in Leeds. This is an excellent introduction todeveloping these skills.

Book online at www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Provocative Therapy v being an aggressive arse

2009-01-17T02:51:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest misreadings of Provocative Therapy by people who
have not studied with Frank Farrelly is the belief that "to be
provocative" means to be aggressive with the client!
In Provovative Therapy and Provocative Change Works (tm) the
practitioner or therapist ensures that they treat the client
interaction as if talking to an old friend with a twinkle in the eye(and to quote Frank) working from the heart chakra...

On the last PT training in Leeds I had to reign in a delegate who
decided that being aggressive and abrasive was the task of the day
and didn't realise that he not only came over as a complete arse! He seriously pissed of his partner in the exercise!
Provocative comes from the original term Provocare which means to
call forth. The "provocative element" in interacions is therefore to stimulate client responses using humour and Frank goes so far as to say that if a client is not provoked into laughter then the therapist is not using Provocative Therapy!

I noticed in recent times a number of NLPers deciding that having
read the original Provocative Therapy book of having attended a
Provocative Therapy weekend training, concluded that they were
now "Provocative Therapists!" I also have come across a number of
longstanding NLP trainers and Master Trainers and even an Associate
Professor (LOL!) all totally misreading Frank's work, believing it
was about being rude and obnoxious. None of these individuals had of course ever trained with Frank.

I set up The Association for Provocative Therapy" (AFPT)with Frank's blessing, which promotes PT in a professional manner. There are no certifications in PT, but we do have membership and a code of conduct. In my own Provocative Change Works approach I also promote building rapport using humour with the client which in combination with other approaches works to great effect.

Recently I was able to see the original transcript for Frank's book
as well as a newspaper article from 1972 on Frank's work. This
reminded just how revolutionary his approach was for the time and of course still is today.

For PT courses in the UK and USA, see www.associationforprovocativetherapy.com

Provocative Therapy across the planet in 2009

2009-01-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing year for Provocative Therapy in 2009, with Frank Farrelly coming to the UK in May, where we are co presenting a 3 day event in Leeds. In September I am travelling to see Frank in Russia for a 4 day PT intensive, before spending some time in Oct doing some more recording in the UK.

www.nickkemp.com

Practice, practice, practice

2008-12-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-13T00:51:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

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

A Provocative2 weeks

2008-11-03T06:55:00.001-08:00

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

2008-10-31T01:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-09-10T12:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

Here is an interview of me talking about the AFPT launch

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

Speed in client interactions

2008-07-20T02:10:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-21T02:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

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