A brief History:  NLP grew out of the 'behavioural modelling' activity of Grinder and Bandler in studying Virginia Satir, Fritz Perls, and Milton H Erickson. 

Richard Bandler (1949- ) enrolled as a psychology student in the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1970. John Grinder, (1940- ) was an associate professor of linguistics there (reputedly the youngest in the States at the time). Bandler joined the group of Grinder-followers and they became friends.

Soon they were using Grinder's linguistics to pursue Bandler's interest in the work and the success-rate of Virginia Satir (mother of Family Therapy) and Fritz Perls (founder of Gestalt Therapy). They analysed writings and tape-recordings to discover what accounted for the successful results achieved by Satir and Perls. Later, through a friend of Bandler's, they got to know and became admirers of Gregory Bateson who, in turn, introduced them to the work of Milton Erickson. MIlton Erickson is considered the Father of Hypnosis for his amazing work in the field. 

Today NLP is used as a form of rapid therapy by using a set of techniques or practices that allow a person to make changes.  I am a certified Master Practitioner of NLP and use the various techniques to assist clients in making positive changes in their lives.