True North Coaching employs a proprietary Trauma Protocol built on trauma-focused NLP (tf-NLP©). This approach represents the next evolution of the NLP trauma protocol, enhancing existing NLP-based methods such as Rewind and RTM through several key refinements. These refinements include techniques for identifying and addressing the root causes of trauma, recognizing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), strategically timing interventions, and sequencing NLP techniques only after trauma has been cleared.

Below is a summary of research validating the effectiveness of tf-NLP.

 

Summary of Studies:

 

1. Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories Protocol Compared to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in UK Military Veterans

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The Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) protocol is an NLP-based intervention that has been formalized and tailored for veterans by the Research and Recognition Organization. In the UK, individuals seeking treatment for PTSD are generally referred to practitioners using trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TFCBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Notably, EMDR is not recommended for combat-related PTSD in the UK. Training in both TFCBT and EMDR requires significant time investment, and non-response rates for TFCBT can be as high as 50%. This underscores the need for an alternative trauma intervention that is both more effective and quicker to learn and apply.

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Key findings from the study include:

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• NLP-based RTM was administered in two to four 90-minute sessions, spaced to allow at least one sleep cycle between sessions, and completed within three weeks (totaling 3-6 hours of therapy).

• In contrast, TFCBT required 18 weekly sessions, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes, amounting to 18-24 hours of therapy.

• PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the DSM-V-based PCL-5, alongside assessments for depression and overall mental health, including WSAS, QPR, GAD, and PHQ scales.

• Participants receiving RTM experienced an average reduction of 18 points on the PCL-5 scale, whereas those undergoing TFCBT saw a median reduction of 8 points.

• 48% of individuals treated with NLP-based RTM no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, compared to only 16% in the TFCBT group.

• Health status improvements were noted exclusively in the NLP-based RTM group.

 

Conclusion: NLP-based RTM can be quickly learned and effectively applied by therapists in just 15-25% of the time required for TFCBT, while demonstrating three times the efficacy.

 

2. The Albuquerque Trainee Results on PsyArxiv

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Between 2018 and 2019, several NLP-based RTM training sessions were conducted for licensed mental health professionals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two of these trainings were led by Allen Kanerva, who served as Training Director for The Research and Recognition Project (R&R).

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Following these trainings, 18 graduates submitted anonymized client data, documenting the pre- and post-treatment results of PTSD assessments using PSSI-5 and PCL-5 measures. The results revealed that 94% of clients treated with RTM scored below the diagnostic threshold for PTSD post-treatment. This remarkable success rate was observed in real-world clinical settings with actual clients.

 

 3. Application of the Traumatic Memories Protocol in Military Women

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 A study released in September 2021, focusing on military-connected women, demonstrated a sustained 90% success rate over the course of one year. The study examined the effectiveness of an NLP-derived intervention known as RTM.

The methodology included a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 30 female participants who had DSM-IV-TR PTSD diagnoses, including current-month nightmares or flashbacks. Trauma types included military sexual trauma, other sexual assaults, combat exposure, and additional trauma categories. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or a waitlist control group.

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Key details of the study:

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• 97% of enrolled participants completed treatment.

• Independent psychometricians, blinded to treatment conditions, assessed participants at intake, post-waitlist, and two weeks post-treatment.

• Follow-up evaluations were conducted by clinicians at six months and one year.

 

4. TF-CBT: A Benchmark Treatment and Its Gaps

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Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is widely recognized as the gold standard in the treatment of PTSD and trauma-related symptoms in children and adolescents.

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Endorsed by leading mental health authorities, TF-CBT integrates cognitive-behavioral strategies with trauma-informed techniques specifically adapted to the developmental stages of young people impacted by sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other ACEs.

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While TF-CBT has demonstrated consistent effectiveness, it often requires a long-term commitment, typically 12 to 20 sessions and carries non-response rates as high as 50% in certain populations.

 

These limitations underscore the growing need for alternative, time-efficient, and neurologically informed interventions such as trauma-focused NLP (tf-NLP©), which I offer as a streamlined and effective path to healing. Source: https://link.springer.com/protocol/10.1007/978-1-0716-0700-8_5

 

SUMMARY

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Trauma-Focused NLP (tf-NLP©) is rooted in a technique originally developed by Dr. Richard Bandler and Dr. John Grinder, known as Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation (V/K Dissociation), first documented in Frogs into Princes (1979).

An improved version of this protocol appeared in Using Your Brain for a Change (1985) and has since undergone multiple iterations as NLP practitioners refined the method. These refinements have been shared through training programs and NLP conferences.

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• Notable developments include Steve Andreas' interpretation and application of the protocol, as described in Heart of the Mind, and his presentation at the 2014 Psychotherapy Networker Conference panel on brain science. See: Psychotherapy Networker Conference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csfEX0qmpwg)

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• Contributions by Robert Dilts and Judith Delozier, who differentiated phobia and trauma models in the Encyclopedia of Systemic Neuro-Linguistic Programming. See: Encyclopedia of Systemic Neuro-Linguistic Programming (https://nlpuniversitypress.com/html3/TkTz60.html)

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• The development of the Rewind Technique by David Muss, first published in A New Technique for Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1991). Rewind is officially recognized as a therapeutic intervention in the UK under National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. See:  A New Technique for Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-new-technique-for-treating-post-traumatic-stress-Muss/8f0eae9acb020ef853c1c87674e5a3a71ed40986)

 

Dr. Richard Gray is widely regarded as a leading expert on the application of NLP V/K Dissociation and its underlying neuroscience.

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His key contributions include:

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• NLP and PTSD: The Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation Protocol (2010), published in Current Research in NLP: Vol. 2 Proceedings of the 2010 Conference, which details the evolution of NLP trauma interventions, and the mechanisms believed to alleviate trauma symptoms. See: NLP and PTSD: the Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation Protocol (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239938915_NLP_and_PTSD_The_Visual-Kinesthetic_Dissociation_Protocol).

• A 2011 article mapping out the entire NLP trauma protocol (Page 22). See: "NLP and PTSD: The Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation Protocol" (https://www.rickgraynlp.com/images/publications/NLP-PTSDSuppose.pdf).

• Discussions on the Organic View Radio Show with Donna Blinston, explaining the success of NLP V/K Dissociation for PTSD treatment (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWBdKnEUhl8)

• A 2014 live training video clip, where he describes the protocol’s effectiveness and practical applications.

 

​Dr. Frank Bourke from the Research and Recognition Project (R&R) and Dr. Richard Gray conducted the most comprehensive research on the NLP trauma intervention to date, renaming it the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM).

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In an interview on the Life After PTSD podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rigorous-research-behind-nlp-based-memory-re/id1448130626?i=1000440445434)

 

Dr. Gray outlines:

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• The NLP foundations of RTM

• The development of the RTM protocol

• The principles of memory reconsolidation and their relevance to tf-NLP©

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Most notably, research conducted by R&R achieved a success rate exceeding 92%, with no documented recurrence of PTSD symptoms. See the research here: http://www.researchandrecognition.org/articles.html

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​Their initial research was published in the Journal of Military, Veteran’s and Families online publication in 2015, titled Remediation of intrusive symptoms of PTSD in fewer than five sessions: a 30-person pre-pilot study of the RTM Protocol.

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​Ongoing research sponsored by Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences titled Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories to Resolve Post Traumatic Stress Disorder conducted at Walter Reed Hospital, compares RTM to Prolonged Exposure (PE). (RTM is described as “… first used to treat phobias in the 1970s…” referring to the NLP Trauma/Phobia model).

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​At Kings College London, NLP based RTM is being compared to Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, TF-CBT. (the full description can be found here: ISRCTN Registry.  In the section "Intervention", RTM is described as "...an NLP based, non-traumatizing intervention..." (https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10314773)