The Structure of Magic: A Book About Language and Therapy, Volume 1. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. We link primary sources - including studies, scientific references, and statistics - within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. For example, it is difficult to directly compare studies given the range of different methods, techniques, and outcomes. Studying how well NLP works has several practical issues as well, adding to the lack of clarity surrounding the subject. So, despite more than 4 decades of its existence, neither the effectiveness of NLP or the validity of the theories have been clearly demonstrated by solid research.Īlso, it is worth noting, that research has mainly been conducted in therapeutic settings, with few studies into the effectiveness of NLP in commercial environments. Of the 33 included studies, only 18 percent were found to support NLP’s underlying theories. The theoretical basis for NLP has also attracted criticism for lacking evidence-based support.Ī paper published in 2009 concluded that after three decades, the theories behind NLP were still not credible, and evidence for its effectiveness was only anecdotal.Ī 2010 review paper sought to assess the research findings relating to the theories behind NLP. However, a further research review published in 2015 did find NLP therapy to have a positive impact on individuals with social or psychological problems, although the authors said more investigation was needed. In 2014, a report by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health found no clinical evidence for the effectiveness of NLP in the treatment of PTSD, GAD, or depression. This was due to the limited amount and quality of the research studies that were available, rather than evidence that showed NLP did not work. It concluded there was little evidence for the effectiveness of NLP in treating health-related conditions, including anxiety disorders, weight management, and substance misuse. However, a review published in The British Journal of General Practice of 10 available studies on NLP was less favorable. For example, a study published in the journal Counselling and Psychotherapy Research found psychotherapy patients had improved psychological symptoms and life quality after having NLP compared to a control group. Some studies have found benefits associated with NLP. NLP providers will have a financial interest in the success of NLP, so their evidence is difficult to use.įurthermore, scientific research on NLP has produced mixed results. The lack of formal regulation and NLP’s commercial value mean that claims of its effectiveness can be anecdotal or supplied by an NLP provider. NLP has not been subject to the same standard of scientific rigor as more established therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. Share on Pinterest So far, there has not been any rigorous research to prove the effectiveness of NLP.ĭetermining the effectiveness of NLP is challenging for several reasons.