John Grinder is the co creator of NLP along with Richard Bandler. They have entirely different approaches and focuses which probably led to them going off in separate directions.
John Grinder on the new code of NLP (2003)
His background is in linguistics (the study of language) and transformational grammar. When he first teamed up with Richard, he became fascinated in the language patterns of the successful therapists they were studying – Fritz Perls (the founder of gestalt) and Virginia Satir (family therapy) and later (Dr Milton Erickson (hypnotherapy).
This resulted in Neuro Linguistic Programming having such a strong basis of language. The Meta Model for instance uses what people say as a way to uncover unconscious experiences. It is also responsible for some of the incredibly challenging (in my humble opinion) terms in NLP such as Nominalizations, Presuppositions and Modal Operators
Ideas and focuses
John Grinder champions the idea of “Ecology” or consideration of the integrity of the whole system. This means not only the whole person, but the groups and cultures of which she is a part.
The unconscious mind or as some say the non dominant hemisphere is also an important emphasis. His trainings and writings make extensive use of Metaphor, story and nested loops.
His books include:
Precision: A New Approach to Communication: How to Get the Information You Need to Get Results (written with Michael McMaster)
Turtles All the Way Down: Prerequisites to Personal Genius (written with Judith DeLozier). This is my personal favorite book of his. I remember reading it when I first learned NLP and thinking “oh yeah, cute, interesting” and then a few years later and thinking “wow! there is so much in here I missed”.
Co-authored with Richard Bandler
- The Structure of Magic I: A Book About Language and Therapy.
- The Structure of Magic II: A Book About Communication and Change.
- Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Volume I.
- Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Volume II. (also with Judith DeLozier)
- Changing with Families: a book about further education for being human (also with Virginia Satir)
(These five books formed the basis of NLP)
- Frogs into Princes – Neuro Linguistic Programming
- Trance-Formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis.
- Reframing: Neurolinguistic programming and the transformation of meaning