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Published courtesy of TimeOut Beijing, February 2010, the Happiness issue.

NLP (or Neuro Linguistic Programming) wasn’t what I expected. Admittedly, I expected a man in ’50s sci-fi hypno-glasses telling me to relax while he cranked up his electro-shock machine.

Mercifully this wasn’t the case. Instead I found myself bedecked in oversized slippers and drinking hot water in the office of Peter Strijdonk (pictured), a softly spoken, if rather persistent Dutch life coach, who briefly sums up NLP’s de facto motto: ‘The map is not the territory’.

It means our view of the world is not necessarily the reality. As a mantra it lacks a little pizzazz, but the idea is logical enough. Perception is little more than a giant Etch-a-Sketch toy, argues NLP; give it a shake and you can redraw the world the way you want.

Negative associations like phobias, fears and depression can be redrawn as positive ones, largely by immersing yourself in your fear, finding a happy place and setting small goals. The coach comes in more as moral support.

The payoff For some, NLP can be a bit ‘touchy-feely’, but there are certainly positive things to be said for talking through your problems and gaining a new perspective.

Small Steps, Room 1402, Gongti Bei Lu 16, Xingfu Gongyu, Chaoyang district (137 1877 1636). 朝阳区工体北路16号幸福公寓1402室. 600RMB per session or Maximise 2010 NLP coaching costs 3,000RMB for 12 group sessions from March 6.

For more information on NLP Therapy and what we can do for your company, please contact us at info@small-steps-coaching.com