How effect is NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) a tool in psychotherapy ?

 

Please advise.

"The balance of scientific evidence reveals NLP to be a largely discredited pseudoscience. Scientific reviews show it contains numerous factual errors,^[14][16] and fails to produce the results asserted by proponents.^[17][18]"

from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming

It's a talking therapy with strategies based on accumulated empirical experience rather than on a systematic theoretical framework. Whether it works depends on the willingness of the client and skill of the counsellor. It is or was used in drug rehabilitation programs where I live.

What was the reference intervention against which it was tested when it was found that "Whether it works depends on the willingness of the client and skill of the counsellor. "?

What was the reference intervention against which it was tested when it was found that "Whether it works depends on the willingness of the client and skill of the counsellor. "?

 

 

Neuro-linguistic programming and application in treatment of phobias. Abstract

Phobias are a prevalent and often debilitating mental health problem all over the world. This article aims to explore what is known about the use of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) as a treatment for this condition. Whilst there is abundant experiential evidence from NLP practitioners attesting to the efficacy of this method as a treatment for phobias, experimental research in this area is somewhat limited. This paper reviews evidence available in literature produced in the UK and US and reveals that NLP is a successful treatment for phobias as well as being particularly efficient due to the relatively brief time period it takes to effect an improvement.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20920803

Unfortunately, that abstract doesn't answer my question, so there's no way to tell if the intervention is anything but a placebo effect.

Unfortunately, that abstract doesn't answer my question, so there's no way to tell if the intervention is anything but a placebo effect.

I think it's difficult to distinguish in a talking therapy, don't you? Placebo or not, I think it works insome circumstances and therefore useful. I wouldn't call it a pseudoscience because it's not a science.

 

Don't knock the placebo effect. I had toothache earlier today and took two aspirin... pain was gone in a minute or two.

The placebo effect is great- but you shouldn't use it if there's a better treatment (or one that's as effective, but cheaper).

You are right, it's difficult to distinguish a sham treatment from a real one in this sort of case.

That makes it all the more important to try.

So I'm very concerned about the honesty of people who set up what purports to be a scientific trial, but isn't because they didn't include a reference treatment.

(to be fair, there might have been one in that trial- I can't check)