Richard Bandler

Professional Life
Richard Bandler was born on February 24, 1950. He studied psychology and philosophy at the University of California and earned his Bachelor’s in 1973. Two years later, Bandler received a Master’s from Lone Mountain College in San Francisco. Bandler is an expert in the field of self-help and is the co-founder of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) with John Grinder.

 

Bandler was an associate of both Robert Spitzer and Milton Erickson. He was first introduced to John Grinder while a student at the University of California. Grinder, one of Bandler’s professors, collaborated with Bandler in the exploration of linguistics. This alliance led to the first of many books the two would publish, The Structure of Magic, Volume 1.

Bandler also developed Neuro Hypnotic Repatterning and Design Human Engineering. He studied bodywork and examined the Feldenkrais Method in his book, The Elusive Obvious. Although Bandler continued to train and educate people in the method of NLP, he was forced to do so without the help of John Grinder. Beginning in 1996, Bandler and Grinder were embattled in litigation over ownership rights to NLP. After several years, the two agreed to acknowledge the other’s contribution to the creation of NLP, but they have not worked as partners since the early 1980’s. Bandler also faced legal problems in 1986 when one of his student’s, Corine Christensen, was found shot to death with a gun that Bandler owned. Although he was eventually found innocent in that case, suspicion continued to surround Bandler. The case has never been solved.

Bandler has published numerous books and articles. He travels the world giving lectures on NLP and his other theories. He continues to train clinicians and individuals in the practice of NLP and other self-help techniques.

Contribution to Psychology
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a therapeutic approach founded by Richard Bandler and co-founded by John Grinder. This self-help technique focuses on behavior and language. By enlightening people to healthy patterns of communication, therapists teaching NLP can show clients how to transform their behaviors in order to achieve a desired outcome. Although there is little scientific evidence supporting NLP’s effectiveness, therapists who practice NLP believe it is beneficial for relieving psychological symptoms related to several problems, including depression, cognitive impairments, anxiety, and phobias, among others.

 

NLP strives to model highly effective behaviors and replicate them in clients, thus providing a form of autonomous self-help. NLP has been accepted as a viable method of change within business, alternative medicine, community settings, and within the self-help field in general. Regardless of the academic and professional support it lacks, NLP continues to be a widely used technique throughout the mental health field.

Books by Richard Bandler

• The Structure of Magic I: A Book About Language and Therapy (with John Grinder, 1975)
• The Structure of Magic II: A Book About Communication and Change (with John Grinder, 1975)
• Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Volume (with John Grinder, 1976)
• Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming (with John Grinder, 1979)
• Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis (with John Grinder & Connirae Andreas, 1981)
• Reframing: Neurolinguistic Programming and the Transformation of Meaning (with John Grinder, 1983)
• Using Your Brain for a Change (1985)
• Magic In Action (1992)
• Time for a Change (1993)
• The Adventures of Anybody (1993)
• Persuasion Engineering (1996)
• Conversations: Freedom Is Everything and Love Is All the Rest (with Owen Fitzpatrick, 2005)
  
• Get The Life You Want: The Secrets to Quick and Lasting Life Change with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (2008)
• Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formation: How to Harness the Power of Hypnosis to Ignite Effortless and Lasting Change (2008)
  

 

Quote by Richard Bandler

 

 

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