The Use of Neuro-Linguistic Programming as an Educational-Therapeutic Programme: Two Case Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is continuously used as one of thepsychological intervention in medicine, sport, and education settings. NLP through employing itstechniques and language patterns could make certain changes in connections between neurologicalprocesses and therefore, restructure individuals’ cognition and reform their behaviours. Thiscontributes to certain advantages in educational-therapeutic sessions concerning helping athletes withemotional hardship, resulting from physical injuries. Objective: To examine a tailored interventionof the NLP model adapted for educational-therapeutic purposes to reduce competitive state anxietyof two elite basketball players after their rehabilitation programme from physical injuries. Method:This study used a case study approach, and employed the NLP model’s collapsing anchoring,perceptual positions, and meta-model language patterns, to help both athletes to restructure theirdysfunctional thoughts and memories. The athletes experienced anxiety related negative thoughts andfelt emotionally difficult to perform in training and competition. Results: The intervention showedpromising strategies in helping the athletes to reduce their competitive state anxiety. Also, the resultsobtained from the interview sessions, and the quantitative analysis showed that the NLP interventionhad successfully helped the athletes to cope with dysfunctional thoughts and emotionally relatedanxiety. Conclusions: The NLP-based intervention, to some degree, helped the athletes to deal withdysfunctional thoughts of their past injury experiences, reducing their competitive state anxiety tocompete again in the upcoming competition.