David Grove (Clean Language)

David Grove (Clean Language)

Clean Language is a neuro-linguistic programming technique that is used especially in psychotherapy and coaching. Clean Language is optimized to have the client discover and develop personal symbols and metaphors, without contamination or distortion of the developing metaphor landscape through the way the questions are put.

Clean Language was developed by David Grove in the 1980s as a result of his work on clinical methods for resolving clients' traumatic memories. As Lawley & Tompkins describe it, "He realised many clients naturally described their symptoms in metaphor, and found that when he enquired about these using their exact words, their perception of the trauma began to change."

Clean Language also is the basis of symbolic modeling, a stand-alone method and process for psychotherapy and coaching, which was developed by James Lawley and Penny Tompkins.