Reframe Anything in Six Easy Steps For Personal Success
According to NLP presuppositions a belief is just a map. A map that can be changed to make it a better, more useful belief.
Beliefs were considered to be real, concrete in fact, but this is simply not true. They are formed by our own experiences of the world and are neither true nor accurate and can be changed if it is beneficial to do so.
NLP has long possessed the methods to change beliefs with techniques such as The Swish and The Six Step Reframe.
Here I’ll will discuss the 6 Step Reframe.
How to Reframe Anything
The six-step reframe first appeared in the NLP book Frogs into Princes by John Grinder and Richard Bandler.
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In simple terms the six-step reframe is finding the positive intention behind poor or less desirable behavior. The basic steps are as follows:
- Identify the behavior you want to change.
- Set up signals with the part controlling the behavior.
- Identify the positive intention behind that behavior.
- Generate a number of different behaviors which will equally satisfy the same intent.
- Choose your favorite three replacement behaviors.
- Check for ecology regarding the change.
Full standard six-step reframe
1. Identify the problem to be changed. It usually is in some format like ‘I want to stop X behavior but I can’t’. I would like to act with Y behavior but something is stopping me’. Again as a facilitator you don’t need to know the problem behavior this can be covert therapy. Also this is an appropriate time to thank the part that is running that behavior.
2. Ask for the part responsible for that old behavior if it is willing to communicate. Ask them to be aware of what they see hear and feel. (Calibrate their responses) An unconscious signal cannot be reproduced consciously. Check if they can reproduce this response consciously. If they can reproduce the signal ask for another signal. Though this seems odd, note that if you consciously controlled the problem you would just stop it and wouldn’t be reframing it (O’Connor & Seymour 1990). Have you ever agreed to something you knew wasn’t right. Involuntary signals and behaviors occur like a sinking feeling in your stomach, voice tone changes and posture changes. These are unconscious shifts or signals. Can you control the feeling when a person asks you to work when you know you could be with family? Ask for a yes and no signal.
3. Thank the part for co-operating and then ask if the part will reveal the intention behind this behavior. With a yes then proceed to ask for the positive intention behind this behavior. Continue to ask if there any higher intentions for the behavior. This intention will usually surprise the conscious mind. If there is a no signal ask under what circumstances it would be willing to reveal the positive intention. This can help you find out more about what the part is trying to achieve. Further ask if there were a way the same intention could be fulfilled better or more appropriately would it be willing to try them out. If another no comes then the signals are jumbled.
4. Now ask if the part will communicate with the creative part of their mind. Allow the creativity in the person to generate at least 3 new possible behaviors. These must satisfy the positive intention. Thank the creative part also.
5. Now ask if the part will adopt these new responses or behaviors for 2-3 weeks. Remind the part that the old behavior is still possible or an option if there is any objection to the newly created behaviors.
6. Finally check for ecology. Ask if there is any part of you that is dissatisfied with this change. If there is any signal check if it is a genuine objection? If all interested parties have no objection ok. Be certain however and congruent, if there is any inconsistency some other part may try to sabotage later.
We’ll go over this in a different way at Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior Intensive!
