NLP originated in the 1970’s at the University of California. Drs. Richard Bandler and John Grinder began to study how certain therapists got the results that they did. What separated them from the others? What made them excellent?

Their research quickly took on a life of its own, and the first two volumes of the original NLP textbooks (Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, Volumes One and Two) were published in 1975 and 1977. (Milton Erickson was the founder of clinical hypnotherapy and is considered an industry leader.)

Throughout the 1970’s, NLP's popularity increased. More works by Bandler and Grinder and their development group were published.

However, in 1980 Bandler and Grinder parted, resulting in two decades of legal controversy and copyright issues. During this time, NLP theories were distorted and fragmented, resulting in questions about its credibility and effectiveness.

Luckily, Grinder continued on with his work while the legal issues were in court. When the legal cases were finally resolved in 2000, Bandler and Grinder were able to agree on the ownership of NLP and how to present it. This has resulted in a resurgence of the theory in its true form, with improvements and modifications from the original developers. As well, regulatory and certification bodies have been formed to help resolve the credibility issues seen in the 1990’s.