How do I support clients to create powerful positive changes in their lives on multiple different levels?
The model below is Logical Levels by Robert Dilts- one of my favourite models from NLP and one I use a lot in my one to one work, work with teams and also my corporate wellbeing and performance work.
I use this model to help clients get clear on what they truly want, what drives them, what is most important to them and to understand the current situation- where are the main barriers to them making the desired changes?
It is not enough to simply aim to ‘get rid’ of something negative from your life when you’re looking to transform your life and work. You must be able to state in the positive what you want as an alternative to the restrictive issue. How would you like your life to be different once you’re free of what is currently holding you back? How do you imagine things looking/feeling in your desired scenario?
Are there any potential negatives to you making these desired changes?
Supporting clients to find a strong sense of purpose is vital to making powerful changes. As you can see, purpose is very high up in the pyramid and influences all the levels below it. Changes made to the higher levels have major impacts on the levels below.
The identity level is often key to change work. Many people identify with their problems and sometimes the constant quest to solve them.
The identity level is key to self-sabotage as people will often self-sabotage subconsciously in order to preserve their old identity. This identity may be less than ideal but the familiar is ultimately safer than the unfamiliar for many- particularly if they’ve spent their life in survival mode and essentially moving away from danger.
Equally important is the bottom level- the environment. As you can see, this is the foundation of the pyramid and also influences what is above it. This is particularly relevant when we consider the environment the person grew up in and the influences of parents and others around them as children.
It’s true that to a large degree we’re a product of our environment in the first few years of life. The first 7 years in particular are when much of the conditioning occurs from parents, peers, school, the media etc. Some of this is necessary and positive, but much of it takes us away from our true individual nature.
You can imagine the impact an unsafe home environment and lack of stability has on the nervous system of a child (or traumatic experiences as a child) and then how the behaviour, beliefs etc develop around this in order to cope with a situation that they have little control over.
This is why it’s important to build and strengthen the emotional foundations (that the person may not have had as a child) as well as connecting to that strong sense of purpose.
I often walk my clients through this process practically (in in-person sessions) to help them gain clarity on their desires, their natural gifts and talents what drives them- this is often a very powerful experience.
No matter what we’re looking to change in our lives, we must get clear on what we actually want. What kind of an impact will making those changes have on your life? What will your life be like with elevated self-worth and self-confidence? What will it enable you to do that you don’t feel able to do currently?
We must prepare ourselves for what life will be like once we’re no longer held back by anxiety/fear or the emotional blocks as otherwise the subconscious may well revert to what is familiar and safe.
This is where hypnosis is incredibly powerful, as it harnesses your imagination and the power of suggestion to begin creating that new future and to visualise the person you will be (actually more your true self) once you’re no longer held back by those blocks/barriers.
A new, far brighter life and future awaits once we combine a clear desire, vision and a powerful sense of purpose- all of which is very possible when we work together.
