Blog 32: How I use NLP and Time Line Therapy in my EFT Tapping sessions

11.11.26 04:08 PM

A complete approach to inner work

In this article, I will explain how I bring these approaches together in my sessions, and how I use them to support clients in working through the patterns, emotions and experiences that may be holding them back.

EFT Tapping + NLP + Time Line Therapy™

I am an Accredited Certified EFT Practitioner with EFT International, a Certified NLP Practitioner with the American Board of NLP (ABNLP), and trained in Time Line Therapy™.

EFT Tapping as a stand-alone approach

I am passionate about EFT Tapping. Ever since I first came across it in a book and started applying it in my own life, it has had a huge impact on me.


As part of my personal healing journey, I also use meditation and journaling, but EFT Tapping has always been my go-to method.

That's what led me to train professionally in EFT. And through my training and practice, I came to appreciate just how powerful it is as a tool in its own right.

EFT Tapping is a very self-contained approach. It doesn't require to be combined with other techniques to be effective. It can work powerfully on its own.

The path to combining EFT Tapping and NLP

I do believe there is also great value in combining approaches that complement each other beautifully.

After completing my EFT Tapping training, I discovered that the same training organisation and trainers, who are EFT founding masters, also offered further training combining EFT and NLP. I went on to complete this training and obtain my NLP Practitioner certification.

Interestingly, Gary Craig, the creator of EFT, had also trained in NLP himself.

All of these made me feel that these approaches truly work well together.

So, although EFT Tapping is a self-contained tool that works wonderfully on its own, I have always been open to approaches that complement one another.

I believe that when complementary approaches come together, they can bring something additional to the process. It's a little like the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

And that's what motivated me to learn more and obtain the NLP certification.

What’s Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming, usually referred to as NLP, was developed in the early 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.

Bandler had an interest in psychology and psychotherapy, while Grinder was a linguist and university professor. They became interested in understanding what made certain therapists particularly effective, and whether the patterns and approaches they used could be identified, understood and modelled.

They studied the work of three influential therapists: Fritz Perls, associated with Gestalt therapy; Virginia Satir, a pioneer of family therapy; and Milton H. Erickson, a psychiatrist and hypnotherapist.

By observing how these therapists communicated, worked with people and facilitated change, Bandler and Grinder began identifying patterns and developing models that could be learned and applied by others.

This became the foundation of NLP: a collection of models, principles and techniques that can help us understand how we think, communicate, interpret our experiences and respond to the world around us.


So, what does Neuro-Linguistic Programming actually mean?

The name itself gives us a good starting point:
Neuro relates to our neurological processes: how we experience and interpret the world through our senses and internal representations.
Linguistic refers to language, both the words we use and the way we communicate with ourselves and others.
Programming refers to the patterns and processes of thinking and behaving that we develop, and how these can be recognised and changed.

Language, in particular, is something I find fascinating. Our words are much more than just descriptions of what's happening in our lives. The way we talk to ourselves can influence how we perceive situations, how we feel about ourselves and what we believe is possible.

Sometimes, the words we repeatedly use become almost like instructions we give ourselves. They can reinforce beliefs, expectations and patterns of behaviour. In that sense, our language isn't simply passive; it can play an active role in shaping our experience.

And this is one of the reasons I find NLP such an interesting addition to my work.

What’s Time Line Therapy™?

Time Line Therapy™ was developed by Tad James, an NLP practitioner, during the 1980s. It builds on concepts and principles from NLP, using our internal representation of time as the basis for a structured process of change. 

The underlying idea is that we each have our own way of mentally organising and representing time: how we store memories of the past, experience the present and imagine the future.

Time Line Therapy™ uses this concept of a personal timeline to work with emotions and beliefs connected to past experiences, as well as the way we perceive and approach the future.

It's a structured process that uses specific techniques to help people revisit experiences from a different perspective, work with the emotions attached to them and retain the learnings, without necessarily carrying the same emotional response into the present.

It can also be used to work with limiting beliefs and decisions, and to help create a different perspective on what's possible in the future.

How do I implement NLP and TimeLine Therapy in my EFT Tapping sessions?

EFT Tapping remains the primary approach in my sessions. However, my training in NLP and Time Line Therapy™ gives me additional tools and perspectives that I can bring into the work when appropriate.

It's not about following a set formula or using every technique in every session. It's about understanding what might be helpful at a particular moment and allowing the different approaches to complement one another.

The NLP Meta Model: exploring the language we use

One of the NLP tools I use quite frequently is the Meta Model. In very simple terms, it involves asking questions to explore the language we use and the meaning behind our words - including Well-Formed Outcomes, for defining goals and outcomes.

In NLP, language matters. The words we choose are not always just a description of what is happening; they can also reveal something about how we think, interpret situations and make sense of our experiences.

I'm quite an inquisitive practitioner, and I find that simply being curious about the words someone uses can open up new perspectives.

Sometimes, a person can become quite settled in a particular way of thinking or doing things. By gently questioning the meaning behind certain words or statements, we can begin to look at things differently. It might open up a new perspective, a new understanding or simply a different conversation.

And sometimes, that shift in perspective is already a valuable part of the work.

Understanding our mental filters through NLP lens

Another aspect of NLP that I find particularly useful is its understanding of how our minds process information and how our mental filters shape our perception of the world.


We don't necessarily experience situations exactly as they are. We interpret them through our own experiences, beliefs, values and expectations.

Understanding this gives us another way of looking at what is happening. Rather than working against the way our minds operate, we can use that understanding to work with them.

NLP offers a variety of processes that can be useful in a session, including anchoring techniques and parts work, which can help us explore different responses, internal conflicts and perspectives.

These techniques can be woven into the session alongside EFT Tapping. Sometimes we might use an NLP process first and then return to tapping; at other times, something that comes up during tapping might make an NLP technique particularly appropriate.

Relaxation and the power of imagination with NLP

My NLP training also gave me an understanding of relaxation techniques and the use of positive suggestions, drawing in part on the work of Milton Erickson and his approach to hypnosis.

Our minds have an incredible capacity for imagination. Through relaxation and guided processes, we can use that capacity to explore experiences, create new perspectives and consider different possibilities.

I find this particularly interesting because our work involves both the conscious and unconscious aspects of our thinking.

The conscious mind allows us to reflect, understand and make sense of what is happening. At the same time, we can have patterns of thinking, beliefs and emotional responses that operate outside our immediate awareness.

Some NLP techniques use relaxation, focused attention and imagination to help us work with these less conscious patterns.

Working on emotions and beliefs connected to events in our timeline with Time Line Therapy™

Time Line Therapy™ is another approach I can incorporate into my sessions when appropriate. Building on the idea that we each have our own internal representation of time, it offers a structured way of working with emotions and limiting beliefs connected to past experiences, and how these may influence the present.

Through guided processes, we can work with the way someone represents their personal timeline, exploring experiences and the emotions attached to them. The intention is to help release emotional responses and limiting beliefs associated with the past, while creating space for a different perspective in the present and future.

As with NLP, I don't use it as a fixed part of every session. It's another tool in my toolkit, and I bring it in when I feel it can complement the work we're already doing through EFT Tapping.

A more dynamic and fluid session

What I particularly enjoy about bringing these approaches together is that it adds another dimension to the sessions.

Sometimes, an NLP process might bring something to the surface that we can then work with through EFT Tapping. At other times, tapping might bring up something that makes an NLP process useful.

The two approaches can move in and out of one another quite naturally.
They offer different ways of exploring our experiences, understanding our responses and working with the emotions and patterns that may be holding us back.

Ultimately, my aim is to bring together the approaches and techniques that are most appropriate for the person and what they are working through, rather than being restricted to one particular process.

Conclusion: a comprehensive toolbox for your inner work journey

I see EFT, NLP and Time Line Therapy™ as different tools in my toolbox, each offering its own way of working with thoughts, emotions and the patterns behind them.

EFT Tapping is usually where I begin. Even within EFT itself, there are different processes and techniques that can be introduced as the session unfolds. I can then draw on NLP and Time Line Therapy™ when appropriate, choosing the tools that best support what my client wants to work through, release or understand differently.

The beauty of this approach is that these techniques don't sit in isolation. They work together naturally, in a fluid and adaptable way, guided by the client's needs and the direction of the session. My clients don't need to think about which technique we're using or follow a particular process. They simply experience a continuous, gentle process, with guidance and support throughout.

By bringing these three approaches together, I can work with different aspects of our experience – our thoughts, our emotional responses and the deeper patterns that influence them. This allows us to work towards change on multiple levels, rather than focusing on just one part of the picture.

Ultimately, it's about finding what works for each individual, so that the different parts of our experience can move towards greater understanding, alignment and lasting change.

Change, on a deeper level

Every session is different, guided by what you need and where the process takes us. The aim is to move beyond managing the surface and work towards meaningful, lasting change.

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