Have you ever noticed how two people can go through the same event but walk away with completely different experiences? One may feel defeated, while the other sees a lesson or even an opportunity. The difference lies in perspective—and in NLP coaching, this shift is called reframing.
Reframing is the practice of changing the internal meaning you give to an event. When the meaning changes, your emotional response changes too. And when your response shifts, so does the outcome. This is one of the most powerful tools in NLP coaching and hypnotherapy, because it allows you to take back control over situations that once felt overwhelming.
Think about a time you faced a setback. Maybe it was losing a job, experiencing rejection, or making a mistake. At first, it might have felt painful or even devastating. But looking back, you may realize that the event led you to something better—a new career path, a healthier relationship, or a deeper sense of resilience.
That’s reframing in action. You didn’t change the event itself—you changed the meaning you gave it. By doing so, you created a new outcome for yourself. In hypnosis and NLP coaching sessions, this process can be accelerated and made more intentional, helping you step out of old patterns and see new possibilities right away.
Your subconscious mind stores the meanings you’ve attached to past events, often without you realizing it. If those meanings are negative, they can create limiting beliefs that hold you back. For example, if a childhood experience left you believing “I’m not good enough,” your subconscious may continue running that program into adulthood.
Through hypnotherapy and NLP techniques, you can revisit those stored meanings and reframe them. Instead of continuing to carry the belief that you’re unworthy, your subconscious can accept a new interpretation—one that supports your confidence, growth, and success. The event doesn’t change, but the emotional weight you carry does.
One of the most inspiring parts of reframing is its ability to transform pain into strength. A client who once viewed a difficult breakup as proof of failure, for example, may come to see it as the turning point that allowed them to discover their independence and self-worth. With this new meaning, they feel empowered instead of defeated.
Reframing is not about ignoring challenges or pretending that pain doesn’t exist. It’s about choosing a perspective that allows you to grow rather than stay stuck. In both NLP coaching and hypnotherapy, reframing helps you rewrite the inner story that guides your life—so you can create a future that reflects your true potential.
Every experience you’ve had is open to reframing. By shifting perspective, you can transform setbacks into stepping stones and limitations into opportunities. If you find yourself replaying old events with pain or regret, remember: the past is not fixed. What matters most is the meaning you give it today.
Change the meaning, and you change the outcome.
Jayne Goldman, MBA, C.Ht., is the Founder and Principal of Best Life Hypnotherapy in Los Angeles. She specializes in helping clients reprogram limiting beliefs and achieve their goals through hypnotherapy, NLP coaching, and Time Line Therapy®. Her work empowers clients to harness the full potential of their subconscious mind for lasting change.
