How to coach with NLP

2

CONTRACTING AND THE FIRST SESSION

“An ounce of framing is better than a pound of reframing.”

NLP saying, attributed to various trainers

The first session usually lasts two hours. It can be a pretty intense experience. As a result, this will be a long chapter.

I shall go into the contracting part of the session in particular detail, as it is (a) essential to good NLP coaching and (b) often ignored in books on the subject.

The first session can (roughly – nothing in coaching follows precise rules) be broken down into the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. Contracting
3. Gathering some information
4. Agreeing on the areas of primary focus
5. Doing some actual coaching
6. Closing the session.

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Introduction

The first ...