Connirae Andreas, Ph.D.

Connirae Andreas

Connirae Andreas, PhD, has had a lasting impact on the field of NLP through many innovations, including her groundbreaking work with Aligning Perceptual Positions and Core Transformation, and original work in Advanced Language Patterns, Timelines, grief, and shame resolution. She has co-authored or edited 11 books and manuals of wide acclaim, including Heart of the Mind (with Steve Andreas), an accessible case-oriented introduction to NLP’s range of effectiveness.

Books she has authored or edited have been translated into 18 languages. You can find them here.

Core Transformation & Aligning Perceptual Positions:
An innovative trainer since the early days of NLP, Connirae is perhaps best known for her ground-breaking work developing Core Transformation, a simple ten-step process for discovering a profoundly healing inner “core of being” that people frequently describe as a spiritual experience. The process offers a path—directly and simply—to experiences people describe as “oneness” “inner peace” “love” or “being”, that works easily for people of any (or no) spiritual orientation. Connirae developed and tested this process in 1989, first teaching it in early 1990. She co-authored the book Core Transformation and the new Core Transformation Trainer Materials Packet with her sister, Tamara Andreas.

Also in 1989, she developed “Aligning Perceptual Positions”, another profoundly impactful method that can be used for the evolution of consciousness. Again very simple and direct, this method can result in dramatically improving relationships, and some find it another route to an experience of centeredness they describe as spiritual.

Other landmark contributions from Connirae’s work are:

  • NLP & Parenting: Connirae developed an NLP Parenting Workshop due to strong encouragement from friends who observed her interactions with her children. One friend and colleague said, “I wouldn’t have believed it was possible to be this nice to children and have it work! You should teach this to other people.” This soon became a Parenting workshop and CD.
  • Language Patterns: Ms. Andreas had a unique and humor-filled approach to teaching advanced language patterns, and some of her work and demonstrations are available through CD. She enriched the list of Sleight-of-Mouth patterns with some unique methods drawn from her own work, including “Reversing Presuppositions.”
  • Grief & Forgiveness: She and partner Steve Andreas modeled the structure of healing from experiences of loss, and the structure of forgiveness, formulating a simple procedure (one for Grief Resolution, one for Forgiveness) that anyone can use.
  • Changing Meta-Programs: “Meta Programs” can be defined as the personality structure each of us has. These include our “Time Orientation—are we past, present, or future oriented?”; our Motivation Style—are we motivated by moving Toward something we want, or by moving Away from something we don’t want?; our “Key Criteria—do we value Independence? Intimacy? Safety? Etc.” and other personality factors.
  • In the early days of NLP, Meta Programs were taught as something that was unchangeable. Meta-Programs were used to facilitate the success of other changework and also had strong business applications. However, no one investigated the structure of these characteristics themselves.

Rather than accept these personality characteristics as “given”, Connirae & Steve Andreas decided to explore their underlying structure and how to change them.

This resulted in a series of straightforward and powerful methods, including:

  • Timelines: How to identify and change your personal organization of time for increased personal effectiveness.
  • Hierarchy of Criteria: How to notice and shift what you value most, so that your moment-to-moment decisions are aligned with what you really want.
  • Beliefs: A way to notice how your beliefs are coded and how to create beliefs conducive to a happy and productive life.

These and many other methods are available in their books, Heart of the Mind, and Change Your Mind and Keep the Change.

Other Highlights:

  • Connirae Andreas was one of the first small group to be certified as NLP Trainers by the field’s founders in 1981.
  • She and husband, Steve Andreas, are responsible for bringing NLP into greater visibility through creating & publishing books by founders Bandler & Grinder. They edited & published Frogs into Princes, Trance-formations, and Reframing—the first NLP books to become widely-read.
  • Connirae and partner, Steve Andreas, sponsored the first NLP Practitioner Certification Training worldwide. (Denver, Colorado, began Sept, 1979.)
  • Together with husband Steve Andreas, Connirae designed and wrote the original NLP Comprehensive Practitioner Trainer’s Manual. The first systematic model for NLP training, this manual became an international model for training excellence.
  • She has worked extensively mentoring the next generation of NLP trainers, first building a team of trainers through NLP Comprehensive (1981-1997, with partner Steve Andreas), and then coaching Core Transformation Trainers.

Detailed Resume for Connirae Andreas

Education
1989 Ph.D. in Psychotherapy from NCU.
1979 M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Colorado University, Boulder, CO.
1975 B.G.S. in Psychology from Kansas Univ., Lawrence, KS.

Credentials/Honors
1980 Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
1975-1979 Danforth Scholar

Professional Experiences
1981-present: Writer & editor for Real People Press, specializing in NLP books, CDs & DVDs for personal growth.
1978-present: Trainer and Consultant in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Co-founder of NLP Comprehensive, an organization that provides training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and offers books, CDs & DVDs of NLP methods. She has offered NLP trainings in the U.S., South America, and Europe.
1978-1979: Worked on Boulder County Mental Health Center’s outpatient team, volunteer.
1975-1979: Staff member of Colorado Univ. Psychology Clinic.
1974: Psychiatric Aide, Prairie View Mental Health Center, Newton, KS.
1973: Live-in Staff Member, Elm Street House, Newton, KS. (A transitional living community for individuals leaving an inpatient mental hospital.)

Books & Manuals Authored:
The following books are available from Real People Press &/or NLP Comprehensive.

1994-2007: Core Transformation Trainer Manual. (co-authored with Tamara Andreas, from the Core Transformation Trainer Materials Packet.)
1994: Core Transformation: Reaching the Wellspring Within. (co-authored with Tamara Andreas)
1989: Heart of the Mind: Engaging Your Inner Power to Change with Neuro-Linguistic Programming. (co-authored with Steve Andreas)
1987: Change Your Mind–and Keep the Change: Advanced Submodalities interventions. (co-authored with Steve Andreas)
1986: NLP 24-Day Practitioner Certification Trainer’s Manual. (co-authored with Steve Andreas)

Books Edited: (The following books were edited and organized from workshop transcripts of NLP co-developers.)
1985 Using Your Brain–for a Change, by Richard Bandler. (co-edited with Steve Andreas)
1982 Reframing: The Transformation of Meaning, by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. (co-edited with Steve Andreas)
1981 Trance-formations: Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Structure of Hypnosis, by John Grinder and Richard Bandler.

Articles:
1996: “Core Transformation: A Brief Therapy Approach to Emotional and Spiritual Healing”, chapter by C and T Andreas, in Constructive Therapies: Vol.2, ed. Michael Hoyt, Guilford Publications.
2002: “Resolving Grief” Anchor Point, Vol. 16, No. 2 February. 2000: “Selecting a Resource to Anchor” Anchor Point, July 2000, Vol. 14, No. 7, pp. 3-8
1991 “Aligning Perceptual Positions: A New Distinction in NLP.” Anchor Point, February 1991.
1990 “Briefer Than Brief.” Family Therapy Networker, March/ April 1990, pp. 37-41.
1990 “Going For It!” Interview with Connirae Andreas on NLP, Meditation Magazine, Spring 1990, pp. 9-12.
1990 Magical Blend, January, 1991, pp. 8-12.
1989 “People Skills for Sales Success.” Atlanta REALTOR, Volume III, No. 4, April 1989, pp. 9,16,18,20.
1988 “Parenting Positively.” The New Stork Times, Vol. II, September 1988.
1988 “Parenting Made Positive, part I and part II.” Boulder Parent, September 1988, October 1988.
1985 “A Strategy for Responding to Criticism.” National Association of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Newsletter, 1985. (co-authored with Steve Andreas).
1982 “Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A New Technology for Training.” Performance and Instruction Journal. Vol XXI, No. 5, June, 1982, pp. 37-39. (co-authored with Steve Andreas).

DVDs & Videotapes:
The following DVDs demonstrating NLP change patterns were co-produced with Steve Andreas. [Demonstrations by Connirae or Steve Andreas] Available through NLP Comprehensive and/or Real People Press.

2007: “Core Transformation–the Full 3-Day Workshop” (a Complete training of Core Transformation, Aligning Perceptual Positions, & Parental Timeline Reimprinting.)
1994:
Core Transformation: A Demonstration With Roger
1992:
“Positive Parenting” “Changing Timelines” “The Identity Process: A Demonstration With Diane”

1991:
“Eliminating Compulsions”

1990:
“Aligning Perceptual Positions”
“Resolving Shame”
“Parental Timeline Reimprinting”

1989:
“Six-Step Reframing”
“Resolving Grief”
“Making Core Changes”

1987:
“Shifting the Importance of Criteria”
“A Strategy for Responding to Criticism”
“The Last Straw’ Threshold Pattern”

1986:
“The Swish Pattern”

1985:
“The Fast Phobia/Trauma Cure”
“Changing Beliefs”
“Future-Pacing: Programming Yourself to Remember Later”
The following DVDs of Virginia Satir were co-produced with Steve Andreas, and are available through NLP Comprehensive.
1989 “Family Relations.”
1989 “Endings and Beginnings.”
1989 “Forgiving Parents.”
1989 “Self-Worth.”
1989 “Empowering Communication.”
1989 “Divorced Parents and Children.”
1989 “Blended Families.”

CD’s & Audiotapes:

The following CD’s & audiotapes were co-produced with Steve Andreas

1999: “Healing Meditations”
1993:
“Spirituality in NLP” (an audio introduction to Core Transformation)

1992:
“Successful Parenting”
“The Aligned Self”
“Advanced Language Patterns”
“Language Patterns for Change”

1990:
“The Forgiveness Pattern”

1989:
“Introducing NLP”
“Using Your Brain–for a Change”
“The Decision Destroyer”

Presentations at National Conferences:
1990 “Resolving Grief,” and “The Decision Destroyer.” Family Therapy Network Symposium.
1989 “Engaging Your Body’s Ability to Heal.” National Association of NLP National Conference.
1988 “Utilizing Language Patterns for Complete Change.” Conversational Change: NANLP National Conference.
1985 “The Compulsion Blow Out: A process for changing compulsions.” NANLP National Conference.

Hobbies & Personal Interests:
Connirae has had a life-long love of music, which began singing in the Mennonite Church in the mid-Kansas farming community where she grew up. She plays flute, piano, and guitar. She likes growing food, and loves to cook. She practices meditation & yoga, and is interested in the spiritual journey.

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