What if you could help your clients step into calm, confidence, or focus in a moment? This guide shows you how to use the Circle of Excellence, an NLP technique you can include in your hypnotherapy scripts and sessions, to create powerful, lasting resource states they can access anytime.
What is the Circle of Excellence?
The Circle of Excellence was developed within NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and is usually credited to Dilts & Grinder (Bandler and Grinder, 1979).
When you get down to basics, it’s an anchoring technique and, like other forms of anchoring, it can be used in or out of trance, and at any point in a session. But instead of squeezing two fingers together, many therapists’ default anchor, it involves a whole-body movement into an imaginary circle filled with resources.
Benefits of the Circle of Excellence
There’s nothing wrong with the ‘squeezing two fingers together’ anchor. I’ve used that many times with great success. But the Circle of Excellence does have a few advantages.
- It’s just as adaptable to different issues and resources as the finger squeeze approach.
- It’s three-dimensional, so it physically engages clients’ imaginations. This will suit some clients better.
- It emphasises autonomy, ownership and control for the client, as they are creating their own circles and resources rather than relying on you.
- Some clients find it more memorable and easier to carry out at home than a finger squeeze.
- It doesn’t overlap with any previous anchors or associations the client might have.
- It’s fun and creative, as well as empowering, which appeals to many clients: adults as well as younger ones.
How to Use the Circle of Excellence
In its simplest terms, you ask your client to create a circle on the floor. This can be imagined, or, if they struggle with visualisations, you can use props to mark it out.
The client imagines that the circle is filled with the resource they need – whether that’s calm, energy, confidence, etc. Again, if they’re not very visual, they can write the feelings on bits of paper and drop them into the circle.
Then they step into the circle themselves and experience all those good feelings, ramping them up as high as possible and repeating the process with others if they wish.
You suggest that every time they do this, the feelings will be stronger (that’s the anchor).
Let’s look at that in a bit more detail.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Identify a resource the client needs more of (e.g. confidence, calm, determination).
- Create a circle on the floor, real or imagined.
- Imagine filling the circle with positive feelings, colour or symbols.
- Step into the circle and re-experience all the things you put into it.
- Make the feelings as strong as possible (using sensory-rich language).
- Step out, then repeat with other resource states if relevant.
- Help the client to anchor the circle as a tool to “re-enter” the state in daily life.
Need a free script for the circle of excellence? There’s a downloadable tip sheet with suggested wording for each stage at the bottom of this page.
When Should I Use the Circle of Excellence?
The Circle of Excellence works particularly well with clients who:
- are experiencing performance anxiety (public speaking, exams, sports), since they can imagine the circle just behind the podium, surrounding their chair in the exam room, or on the sports field.
- need a quick and effective confidence boost.
- are managing stress or experiencing overwhelm.
- like to be physically engaged and proactive in therapy.
It can be less useful for clients with:
- severe trauma,
- dissociation,
- difficulties getting in touch with positive feelings,
- aphantasia (lack of ability to visualise): in common with most NLP techniques, this one tends to be easier for those who can imagine in images, though I made a couple of suggestions earlier to try with those who can’t.
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Adapting the Circle of Excellence:
- For children: create the circle with a colourful hula hoop, which you could let them take home: ten of these on eBay go for a little over £20 at the time of writing. And change your terminology (e.g. by calling it a “superhero circle”).
- For online therapy: ask the client to imagine a circle or physically place an object (like a mat or cushion) to step into.
What the Circle of Excellence Achieves
- Empowering clients by giving them a very practical self-help tool.
- Creating a physical/mental anchor they can use at home.
- Helping clients to access positive feelings when they need them.
- Supporting other therapeutic approaches, like reframing, future pacing, and habit change.
Hypnotherapy Scripts and Sessions: Using the Circle of Excellence
So far, we’ve been talking about using the Circle of Excellence in an NLP way, with the client physically stepping into the circle. But there’s no harm in using imaginary circles during trancework if you prefer. I often use the Circle of Excellence within the client’s peaceful place; imagine a glowing circle on the ground that contains all the positive feelings you need, and step into it.
You can also use metaphors for the circle that represent their interests. Personally, I’m reminded of Sam Beckett stepping into the Quantum Accelerator at the beginning of each episode of Quantum Leap. If your client is a Sci-Fi fan, this would be a good metaphor to use. If they prefer gardening, perhaps sowing seeds of positive feelings into a circular flower border and stepping in as they grow. Or, if they are spiritual, a circle of standing stones.
To be fair, it doesn’t even have to be a circle if there’s another shape that fits your client’s interests better. The only limit is your imagination.
Once you have the client surrounded by
positive feelings, you can use:
- Future pacing: invite the client to imagine using the circle in real life before a challenge.
- Reinforce with post-hypnotic suggestions: “Whenever you imagine stepping into that circle, those same confident feelings return.”
The Circle of Excellence is a simple, adaptable and effective way to get clients back in touch with positive feelings and resources. It can be used for many different issues, and if you give it a try, let me know how it goes.
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To download a free tip sheet suggesting wording for using the Circle of Excellence with clients, please click here.
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References
Bandler, R. and Grinder, J. (1979). Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming. Moab, UT: Real People Press.
Dilts, R. (1990). Changing Belief Systems with NLP. Cupertino, CA: Meta Publications.
Andreas, S. and Faulkner, C. (1994). NLP: The New Technology of Achievement. New York: William Morrow.
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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision
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