Nicky Moran
My experience on the course
The course was an exceptionally powerful week. Not only was it a senory rich experience. Being in France, in the beautfiul Dordogne, eating tasty, lovingly prepared food and being in stunning surroundings helped us all to relax, bond quickly and focus on ourselves without the distractions of usual life.
Being in a small, friendly group really created an atmosphere of trust. Because we bonded so quickly on our arrival on day 1, we were able to talk very openly from the beginning. The trust that was created in our group and with your powerful facilitation style, meant that anything could be openly talked and it felt sacred.
The lack of any agenda, meant that there was a feeling of space, which allowed the group to explore what they wanted to learn in the moment. It was a relaxed setting, but it was still very challenging and provoked us to do exercises that required us to think quickly and take risks.
I particularly liked your facilitation style, which offered real feedback on everybodie's communication. I had already studied a lot of information on communication skills, and i felt that your expertise really helped me to be aware of some patterns in my language that i had not been aware of.
NLP can be very technical, so what I enjoyed was the way you brought out the meaning of NLP in developing our own awareness of ourselves as we were going through the week. This meant that I was able to confront unhelpful thinking patterns in real time, instead of planning for the day that I would be able to do something more effectively. Your faciliattion style offered the space and support for me to be able to make changes straight away.
It is six days since I have returned from the course and I'm noticing how much more willling I am to do things without worrying or thinking about them first. I have noticed that I have more control over my thinking and I am more self expressed.
My learnings on the course
My main learning was my communication patterns.
- I learnt that I don't tend to use sensory language, for example, which means that I can sometimes be dry in my delivery.
- I am more aware of this now. Although i still notice myself being 'factual', I am working towards using more sensory rich language when I'm talking to people. Very useful as a trainer!
- I also learnt about my patterns of beleiving that things must be right or wrong. In fact, the most useful learning was that there is only learning! Wrong does not really exist.
- I also learnt about my ability to use my physciality and my need to move to make sense of information.
- Another useful learning was to stay simple and to avoid overcomplicating life!
- I learnt to be more comfortable with being quiet and that this is a good place to give space for things to evolve.
- I am very comfortable with not having an agenda and it has taught me to trust myself in my own shoes and to let things happen
- I learnt that i don't need a five year plan, with a list of 4 billion objectives. I enjoy being in the moment and letting things unfold in their own way.
- I also learnt how to use clean language when interviewing people. This was a really skill that I'm looking forward to developing in my modelling project.
- I learnt to use hypnotic language patterns.
The place
Your home is open, light, quiet, beautiful and welcoming. The open views over the Dordogne fields is breathtaking and it created space to think! I loved the fact that there were lots of comfortable places to go off to do pair work.
Our Organisation
It was great. Very informal, but felt very organised. The team work between you both created a very warm dynamic.
Sue
Your style is humorous, provocative, challenging and incredibly flexible. I admired the way that you could shift position at any moment to bring out the learning for people. I felt that you demonstrated that you have accomplished what NLP sets out to claim it can do. You really are a master at understanding and reading people. Most importantly, I think you have real integrity. You are real, confident and straightforward when you deal with people. You alter situations and manage them in the moment.
Colin
Spence was the perfect host in the background. He cooked wonderfully, was very witty and charming and made us laugh. If I could adopt you both – I WOULD!!!