Can NLP Help With Fear, Anxiety, Worry, Panic, And Nervousness?

Yes, NLP has a lot to offer someone with these experiences. We have a long track record of helping [can we say hundreds or even thousands of] people resolve issues of fear, anxiety, worry, and nervousness.

The methods that we recommend the most are Core Transformation [link to CT page] and the Wholeness Work [link to WW page]. Both of these are gentle, yet powerful methods that offer a very deep level of transformation. This means that in addition to resolving the unpleasant emotion, we also get in touch with a profound inner resourcefulness, which can transform our ongoing experience of ourselves. (Click the links above to find out how these methods are unique.) 

For most of us, it’s easiest to start with Core Transformation. These types of issues are often fairly simple, involving a small number of “parts.”

Complex anxiety.

There are also anxieties that are more complex, that would take persistence to change with any methodology. We start out with an assumption that it could be simple, and then notice what happens as we begin on the path of transformation. If it turns out that there are many aspects to your anxiety, it may speed up your progress to also include the Wholeness Work at some point in the transformational journey.

“Rita” said she had “paralyzing fear.” She was definitely very afraid. She’d had an experience in her teens of almost being raped, and the paralyzing fear came up at night when she was alone. (She had a very difficult background, and this was just one incident of it.) Core Transformation worked really well, but it took persistence. After several months she unquestionably noticed wholeness in her life in an ongoing way. She changed so much she began having challenges relating to others in her life not recognizing the change in her, or who were confused by how much she’d changed. So, she got a much fuller transformation than just changing her anxiety!

Fear of death.

Sometimes we may feel anxious because of a fear of death. For example, “Christine” had been anxious for 2 months, because her husband had died, and now she was preoccupied with the fact that she would also die at some time. Core Transformation helped her come to terms with life and death in a very deep and visceral way. It wasn’t a matter of getting philosophical, or struggling to understand life and death conceptually. Going to a beingness level with Core Transformation creates a resolution that is beyond thought.

Fear of public speaking.

One of our Certified Core Transformation Coaches shared that he’s been using Core Transformation to help clients resolve fear of public speaking. “I’ve worked with about ten, and all but one resolved in one session. One person had a more complex situation, and it took three sessions.”

Click to find out how Core Transformation [link to CT page] and Wholeness Work [link to WW page] offer unique benefits, even beyond “fixing the problem”!

FAQ

How do we know NLP techniques really work?

We each have our own way of determining if something works, and one way is to try it out for ourselves!

Every method works some of the time. However, research can let us know more about how reliably a method gets results.

The “gold standard” of research is randomized controlled trials. In RCTs, one group gets a treatment, and this group is compared with another group that gets no treatment, and/or with another group that gets a different treatment.

For example, Core Transformation has been studied by researcher Dinesh Braganza et al, who published an RCT study in a peer-reviewed journal, the July 2019 issue of The Journal of Counseling and Development. The results were very strong, as you can read about here.

Because it can be difficult and even expensive to do high-quality RCT studies, there’s usually a time lag between when a method is developed and when it’s been shown effective through research. For “cutting edge” methods, which haven’t been around long enough yet to be tested, we can check with the experience of professionals whom we trust.

How do you do NLP on yourself?

For someone dealing serious feelings of anxiety, it is probably easier to be guided through an NLP process by a professional. On the other hand, some people are able to do Core Transformation just from reading the book. 

The majority of people find it much easier to guide themselves through Core Transformation after attending a seminar, because this gives them experience with both being guided through the process, and also guiding others. Guiding others through the process can be a key in developing “guiding skills” that can then be applied to self-guiding. 

What is NLP?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, is the study of subjective experience. In other words, it’s the study of how we each interpret the world, and create our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Because we each have our own unique inner processes, one person may respond to a situation with an experience of anxiety, while another doesn’t. One person may have panic attacks, and another doesn’t. 

Out of this understanding of subjective experience have arisen various methodologies for changing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Some of these methodologies work at a behavioral level, and others work at a deeper level. Core Transformation is a method that works at all levels, changing behaviors, thought patterns, feelings, beliefs, and our mode of being. 

Does NLP work for phobias?

A phobia is a sudden extreme fear in response to a stimulus. For a phobia, instead of Core Transformation and Wholeness Work, we recommend the NLP Fast Phobia Method, which is written up in the book, Heart of the Mind.

Is NLP similar to CBT?

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) have both similarities and differences. There are various perspectives on this question, and here is our perspective.

Both NLP and CBT offer step-by-step processes, and they both recognize that changing our thought processes can result in changes in our feelings and behaviors.

However, they also have important differences. CBT is more focused on changes at the conscious level, while NLP is oriented towards change at the unconscious level. 

Core Transformation and its companion methodology, the Wholeness Work, have been developed out of the field of NLP, yet work at a deeper level than “classical” NLP methods. Core Transformation helps us experience a “change of being” that results in changes of beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

The Fine Print: This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness or mental health conditions. If you suffer from any mental health condition such as anxiety disorders, panic disorders, etc., we recommend finding a professional who is qualified to help.