NLP-Podcast 106: NLP as a Resource-Oriented Method? – with Ralf Stumpf

Ralf Stumpf started with NLP in 1986 to learn about modeling – unfortunately, he did not learn how modeling works and is applied in his NLP training. Therefore, Ralf Stumpf spent years exploring the topic of modeling himself and became the leading modeling expert in the German-speaking world. He is an NLP trainer according to DVNLP and leads our NLP location in Berlin.

NLP as a resource-oriented method?

In this episode, Ralf Stumpf talks about "the most important term that exists in NLP at all." According to literature, NLP is a resource- or strength-oriented method, which is what initially led Ralf to pursue NLP. Ralf discusses how he came to NLP, how all other methods in the "Berlin psychosocial scene" were problem-oriented, and how NLP was promoted as "focused on the strengths and resources of the individual" . The fundamental idea of NLP is that change occurs through resources.

© Elias Sch. (Pixabay)

Although NLP is theoretically very resource-oriented, Ralf noticed that NLP in practice was always somewhat problem-oriented. At demos he attended, for example, the question "Who has a problem and would like to move forward?" always came up. The rest of his NLP training was also very much in contrast to the idea that one can orient oneself towards resources without needing problems for that. Yet all small groups always needed a problem as a ticket to enter the exercises of the NLP trainings. Thus, many years later, Ralf found himself on stage at the Berlin NLP Congress giving a lecture titled "30 Years of Problem-Oriented NLP" and was driven around questions regarding resource-oriented thinking. In this podcast, Ralf clarifies significant questions that he explored in his research on the topic of NLP as a resource-oriented method:

• What is actually a resource?
• How is a resource defined at all?
• What is the reason that many people can only write down a few of their personal strengths when asked and end up in an unhappy state due to this originally positive question?
• How does one find the resources of individuals?
• What resource-oriented formats are there?
• How does one put a person into a resourceful state?

Ralf answers all these questions in the podcast. Enjoy listening!

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