The Pure Self – Piece of Cake Inverse

This format includes elements of Gestalt therapy (aligned self), systemic constellation work, and reverses the NLP anchoring process — hence the name “piece of cake inverse.”

“The Pure Self” can be understood as more than just an NLP format: it’s about reflection and raising awareness of involuntary processes in situations that feel unfavorable. This kind of reflection can ease daily life even without using NLP. It’s useful in situations where the client experiences disruptive emotions that prevent desired behavior or are a hindrance in specific contexts or conflicts.

For example, a client may enter an unpleasant state when encountering a certain type of person or situation — such as a specific type of person or location. In this format, the client describes their emotions, experiences a new emotional state without those disturbances, and "hands them over" to the coach.

The effect is amplified by guiding the client into the future, where they increasingly let go of these emotions and grow beyond them.

Detailed Steps:

1. Identify the situation: What situation is this about? How are you in that moment? Help the client focus on the situation and translate their experience/internal dialogue into emotions.

   Example: The client feels uneasy or insecure in their role as a coach when working with clients who have higher academic credentials.

2. Lay out floor anchors: One for the situation with all the disruptive emotions and another for the trigger (person or place causing the emotion). The client stands in the “emotional” situation; the coach stands opposite, on the “trigger” anchor.

   Example: The client is coaching someone with a doctoral degree.

   Helpful questions: How do you treat yourself in that moment? What else? Write keywords on cards/floor anchors. Take the client out of the role and ask for additional input. Write emotions on cards/floor anchors.

3. Meta perspective: Guide the client to a meta-position to describe the situation from a dissociated view: “What do you see in the person over there…?” Add keywords on cards/floor anchors to supplement the emotional situation.
4. Perspective shift: Invite the client to stand in the position of the “trigger” (e.g., the client with a PhD). The coach stands on the emotional side and repeats the original client’s words. Then ask: “How do you experience me now?”
5. Neutral place: Let the client find a neutral spot in the room without the emotions or beliefs. Guide them in light trance talk (hypnotalk). The client then picks up the emotion cards and hands them to the coach.

   Helpful phrases: “These emotions belong to your old way of handling this situation — you’re placing them back there. Who are you without them?”

6. New situation: The coach steps back onto the “trigger” anchor (e.g., "client with a PhD") and asks about what feels different.

   Helpful questions: “What’s different now?” “Where in your body do you feel this change most?” “Place your hands there.”

7. Timeline: Guide the client in light hypnotalk from the new situation into the future on a timeline.

   Helpful phrases: “You’ve let go of the past. You’ve grown. You’ve gained new experiences…”

8. Future Anchor: The client stands on a future anchor; the coach stands on the original “trigger” note (e.g., "client with PhD").

   Helpful questions: “What’s different now?” “How will you use these new insights?” “How will I notice that — as your client with a PhD?”

9. Future Pace
10. Ecology Check