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Back in the 1970’s a group of young people got together in Santa Cruz to try out some new ideas and through that they began noticing more and more about human behaviour and the ways in which people operate.

It’s November 22nd 2008 and the morning is bright and clear. The skies are blue and there’s a slight autumn chill in the air as I make my way to the tube station. I’m travelling to Bloomsbury square in London and as I arrive at the Georgian building I get the sense that something special is about to occur. I pause for a few moments to take in a breath of chilled air before stepping through the large oak doors. I’m finally there and ready to begin the adventure. This is the Advanced Therapeutic Specialist track of 2008.

The next nine days are going to be spent with just nineteen other people and Two Master Trainers, Gabe Guerrero and Eric Robbie.

With over 25 years of teaching, developing and revolutionising NLP, Eric Robbie is the Society of NLPs most senior trainer in the UK and has co-trained alongside Richard Bandler across the world. Having developed Submodality Eye Accessing Cues (SMEACs), Meta Program Accessing Cues (MPACs) and much much more, Eric is considered by Richard to be one of the top three trainers in the world.

As Associate Professor of Bandler Technologies, Gabe Guerrero is one of a rare group of people who are challenging many of the things we think we know about NLP and developing new and improved ways of studying human behaviour. Having designed the Advanced Therapeutic Specialist track, trained alongside Richard Bandler around the world and become one of the only people to ever co-train with Richard in his Personal Enhancement workshops, Gabe is considered part of a new breed of NLP trainer who are continuously developing new ideas and taking NLP to the next level.

The course begins by learning what it means to work with a persons global structure and how being able to notice the way in which a person maintains their problems can enable the practitioner to build a full representation of what holds together the problem and create the most systemic and lasting changes. We learned how to find patterns in beliefs, values, meta programs, language and behaviours and began to build up an idea of how to predict responses based on the information provided.

Over the next few days we continued to work on many of the different ways of being able to notice more information, build representations of human behaviour and learn which changes would affect which aspects of a persons life. Using our internal simulators we were able to predict how a person would respond based on their global structure and then test out those predictions in order to verify what we were noticing. Learning how to create metaphors that run specific programs and sequenced meta programs in a persons mind as well as how to unconsciously seed and install useful beliefs and ideas in our clients , we began to work with one another to better understand our behaviours and patterns.

Working with Eric we started to learn how to notice what people are doing inside their heads by noticing what’s available on the outside. The day began by learning about the different types of internal dialog as Eric lead us through some exercises to train our minds to sort for the kinds of information necessary.

Outside of the training course both Gabe be and Eric generously shared their knowledge and many of us got together to discus new ideas, ways of practicing and the latest developments in the field. The evenings were filled with (everything else you’d expect) good food, good wine and some amazing people.

This training was one of the most advanced I’ve ever done and both Gabe and Eric brought to the training a passion and enthusiasm I rarely see from trainers. Their style of teaching makes even the most complex of ideas extremely understandable and brings some of the most advanced language and behavioural technologies in such a way that we all began to change and improve the way we work.

After just the first two days of training it became increasingly difficult to not notice how people were operating, what generalisations were being maintained and how they were structuring their experience of the

Before we began the training each of us sent in a wish list just as you might if attending a personal enhancement workshop with Richard. This meant that both Eric and Gabe knew exactly what we wanted to get from the training and were able to structure the training in such a way that we all got more than we’d expected. On the final three days, five people agreed to have their wish lists looked at by the rest of the group. We worked together in (small groups) groups of three , using the wish list and noticing what patterns and structures were holding all of these wishes together. By using these lists and talking with our “client” we started to generate ways of enhancing their lives in a generative way and creating within them the changes they desired. This was our ultimate exam and pushed us beyond what many of us had been used too on previous courses.

It’s November 30th 2008 and the sun has just set. All the lights in the area are lighting up the streets and we’re making our way to the local pub for a few farewell drinks. Soon we’ll all be going back to our old lives except something magical seems to have happened to each person. There’s something different in the air, a faint glow of warmth and a twinkle in each persons eye.

Looking back to how we all were on that first day of November 22nd and noticing how each of us was by the end of the course, it was obvious that everyone had dramatically improved beyond most of our expectations.

In the 1970’s there was a revolution taking place. Here in 2008 we’re starting the next revolution and we’re only just uncovering the beginnings of what could prove to be the most diverse and exciting NLP explorations yet.

Are you ready for the fun to begin?

Jamie.

Source: Advanced Therapeutic Specialist 2008 | Warmth on the soul

Sounds fantastic... Who's the other one?

Regards

John Grinder

I had a marvellous time too. So often these days I notice that NLP has become a sort of club. There's a growing interest in the sociology of NLP, and doing what it takes to be part of the gang, but there aren't many workshops that will teach you how things really work.

The joy of the Advanced Therapeutic program was getting together with a small group of people who are really keen to learn - with two trainers who are really keen to teach. I think it created something really special. And learning the Advanced Therapeutic Model is life-changing, not only for people who do therapeutic work with clients, but also for anyone who wants to know what's really going on with people, why they do the things they do, and what it would take for them to do things differently.

Normally I'd end with a plug for the next event but I don't think Gabe is planning to offer this program again in English, at least until 2010 - and after that, who knows? So without any sales hat on, I'll simply say that it was an amazing program, I learnt so much - and big thanks to Gabe and Eric.

Hi Chris,

Will this happen again in 2009 if there is enough demand? As you know, I really wanted to do this one - it was just too tight on finances this time round.

If the answer is yes, then my question to everyone else on NLP connections is - do you want it too?

Jamie,

Great post. I really missed not being able to be with you.

Just one thing. How was this paragraph meant to end?

Cheers

Ah Stephen,

It was meant to end with

Hey Steve, I never say never (apart from those two times), but I think it's extremely unlikely that we'll offer this one again in 2009. There's too much else we also want to do, and time is the one thing that really is limited. Remember that Gabe travels more than 5,000 miles for these events in the UK.

In 2009, he's already booked in to do Design Human Engineering, How Unconscious Installation Works and the 10-day Advanced Master Practitioner program (with Eric Robbie and Dr Ron Perry).

We could maybe do the Adv. Therapeutic in 2010 but I don't know.

Keep an eye on Gabriel (Gabe) Guerrero :: Master Trainer of NLP and DHEâ„¢ for announcements.

Hi Chris,

Well, given: (a) I'm already committed to two of your events next year; (b) as 2008 proves, a year goes by quickly enough these days; and (c) I'm planning on living a long time (and don't have to do everything in one year) - I suppose 2010 will be here soon enough and I can wait for it, if it happens then.



Cheers

I am glad you enjoyed it and learned a lot Jamie (a.k.a. young jedi) and btw your summary is pretty good way of demostrating you got the big picture. However it would be good to complete your sentences so that

Because you know how important that is in your readers mind.

Anyway I just got home (after changing planes in Paris and staying overnight on Mexico City) so I will now enjoy my baby and will come back later with some additional details about the program since we might not do it again for a while in the UK. So have a good time meantime and remember to

Do that in either or both of the two Londons. If anyone at the program feels the need to explain why the incomplete sentences or what is with the two Londons... keep them guessing for a while.

Take air (earth's air that is)

Thanks to all.

It was wonderful.

So much learning that I am still digesting so this is a quick note. I am I believe currently in Scotland but of to have fun at a research lecture in England tomorrow.

The course transformed my understanding of language and the subtleties of human communication.

I have noticed a lot of changes, here are a few; sounds (snow on boots very loud and complex), music (so many layers), colours (some new ones - and me an expert too), tones (more), sense of self (discoveries about energy, inner metronome slower and things that annoyed me seem funny now), scent of horses (they both smell so different from each other) and food - tastes/feels wow.

Enjoying all and having fun.

Yes it was a fantastic course. I've already started working differently with my clients this week in very helpful ways as a result of what I learnt. (And feeling confident while I'm doing it.)

Big thanks to Gabe, Eric, Chris and all the other students who made it such a great event.

Gabe has to be congratulated for putting together one of the most impressive and advanced courses currently available for nlp therapeutic practitioners.

Having designed this training based on his first hand experience of working with Richard Bandler, and on his own discoveries, some of which powerfully challenge some of the presuppositions of nlp; he guided participants on a journey of insight into human behaviour that delves to the very core of the individual.

Supported by the master of sensory acuity, Eric Robbie, both trainers propelled participants on a voyage of discovery, to be able to detect unconscious patterns of behaviour, simulate hypotheses, test and then design the smallest intervention for the biggest change.

Every participant had been already trained to a decent level in nlp, Gabe and Eric effectively connected the dots together to provide the nlp equivalent of "the red pill".

Throughout the course there were multiple “aha” moments for everyone. The depth of the training continues to reveal itself as these continue to happen on a daily basis.

A big thank you to Gabe and Eric for being so open and sharing some of their most powerful discoveries; and a round of applause to Chris for having the courage to offer courses that add something new to the world of nlp.

Training with Gabe or Eric is thoroughly recommended if you are into nlp, learning something new, and are open to stretch what you think is possible.

I can't wait to follow up on these discoveries with what there are offering in 2009. That's unconscious installation and advanced master prac both ticked for me.

enjoy your patterns

and those around you


andy

p.s to all of you that were there, thanks for playing your part, you did it magnificently

Thanks Carol, Andy and Andy for your comments.

For all of those at the event I will remind you of an exercise to continue to practice and for the rest of the readers it could also be a useful exercise.

Developing more pattern recognition skills exercise:
Search between times for at least 5 events with a specific criteria (primary sort + values/beliefs) in mind.

Once you've got those create two sets.
Set A is similarities between all those events.
Set B is differences between all those events.

Remember to start from larger chunks and get into more detailed information as you go along re-examining similarities and differences.

Once with the two sets. Examine each set (as I will explain) to create two subsets in each one, so in the end there will be 4 subsets.
Subset a1 is relevant similarities.
Subset a2 is irrelevant similarities.
Subset b1 is relevant differences.
Subset b2 is irrelevant differences.

The way to examine all of the elements in each set is using the mental simulator testing (by removing) each element at a time to determine which elements (both similarities and differences) are relevant to the result in each experience.
Some similarities are relevant to the result while others might simply be "rituals" or "habits" which have absolutely no effect in the result.
Some differences are relvant to the result because of the fact those could be "context dependent in making something work" while other differences could simply be irrelevant.

Suggestion is to be in some form of altered state (suspending momentarily your own beliefs and values - some sort of a know the less possible for the moment state) if using internal dialogue remember to be at the level of constructing or at the very least formulating.

As you may remember from the program the firt two skills to develop are:
1. Identifying which things come from our own model of the world (global structure) and which ones are from the other's model of the world. Of course to do this self exploration (awareness/calibration) is of high value.
2. Developing pattern recognition skills to be able to find those things that make everything hold together.

More ideas on what to practice soon.

Hi Gabe

I think the most interesting thing about your development is the "overall structure" approach.

Ok, just getting past the "which buttons do I press?" garment joke, it seems to have intended application beyond inter personal change therapy.

Universities are really picking up on the "whole person" development thing now, so there may be some interesting avenues to explore in that line also.

Rich

Thanks for your post Rich.

While I do appreciate it, I also think you (or anyone who has not trained with me recently) would need to know more about my work to know much more about what the "person's overall structure" is really all about and what other things are part of my work to be able to say what is the most interesting thing about it.

The person's global structure is the coherent and dynamic interaction between genetic programs, physiological programs, neuro-linguistic programs among a few other things that makes each person who he/she is and explain why they do what they do and don't do what they don't do... why they say what they say and not say what they don't say, etc.

The advanced therapeutic program (including the person's overall structure) is just a very small portion of the model I've been creating over many years and which will still be in its initial stages of research and development for many years to come.
Note: In recent years my friend Omar Fuentes has worked closely with me in this development.

The model/discipline is called Neuro-Engineering of Human Behavior and it is still too early to call it a discipline while my dreams goes all the way into being world wide accepted in universities as an alternate option to psychology. BTW Neuro-Engineering is an existing discipline/speciality related to creating medical instruments and equipment based on the study of the nervous system. When I added the "of human behavior" part to the name is to widen the scope to explore how human behavior works and why.

Anyway thanks for posting.

Well that sounds even more interesting

As something that seems to move closer to combination with scientific discipline, it will likely involve adopting a broader and more flexible mental model than ever.

Rich

Gabe --

I like the questions you raise a great deal. Seems to me that relevance/irrelevance as categories act as ways to sharpen the questioner's ability to sort signal from noise within their own filtering, which has to be a good thing. Inability to do so, I suspect, is what leads to a lot of magical thinking (in the bad sense).

-- Adrian

Yes, a special thanks to Chris Morris for organising a real treat by bringing together Gabe Guerro and Eric Robbie for this intimate training event.

There was so much to learn and I now realise I should have stayed with Jamie on the moon and not gone heading for Jupiter (in the wrong direction)!

Still, my unconscious knows it all but my conscious doesn’t know all what my unconscious knows (or what Jamie knows) so will have to keep practising more of Eric’s exercises.

Gabe, thank you so much for doing some truly life transformational work. I hope at the moment, you are finding more time to spend with your family and as you look deeply into your baby’s wide innocent eyes, I am listening to your hypnotic tone and reliving the wonderful experience on MP3 (which Chris Morris has not yet sent). Was it the Version 1 or Version 2 or both that he has not yet sent?


With very best wishes to one and all,
Hasu

I'll be sending each of both of them to you at a certain time; and the more you wonder whether it is that time now, the more you can continue enjoying the present as it makes its way over to you now, and continue having fun in between those moments of no time, every time, always now.

A pleasure meeting you Hasu!

Thank you Chris

The pleasure is truly, deeply mine ....now, in between no time, every time, always now ....ohm.......ahhhhh........ooops!