Sexual health 'retail therapy' pilot: Evaluation research

Respondents spontaneously imagined a range of sexual health services, (a “Brook Clinic plus…”), but a shop housing services was well-received.

The ideal was a simple format for everything, with clear signage indicating process and journey through the experience - and no room for getting things wrong. The NLP intervention was felt – from the target audience perspective – to need to flow as part of the whole experience.

In marketing and explaining NLP, both target audience and practitioners prefer using more mainstream concepts and language like ‘confidence boosting exercises’ and ‘improving communication skills’.

General values for the look and feel of the shop were identified as high-street, confident, mainstream, feminine, up-market and colourful.

A simple, visible exchange (either payment for services or a free voucher hand-over) was ideal in order that the target audience felt validated as ‘proper clients’ under the conventional rules of a beauty treatment shop.

There was a strong need for an all-female staff (from bouncers to floor staff to NLP practitioner).

For the NLP expert witnesses, the concept had strong merit. NLP techniques were felt to be appropriate and suitable to achieve the types of behaviour change in the area of sexual health that one might expect.

An order of priority for techniques would begin with the Circle of Excellence, felt to be highly appropriate, and then to include options such as Mental Rehearsal, Sandwiching, Intuitive Questioning, Belief Changing – with more complex options being reserved for either the most engaged and intellectually flexible clients, or a possible second stage intervention.

Across both the target audience and the NLP professionals, there was a desire for a system and process that was well-managed and ‘risk-reckoned’ (all potential hazards piloted out/difficult to go wrong).

Importantly, a well-regarded practitioner was deemed essential and the voluntary nature of the experience should be emphasised to lower risk. Any pilot would also have to prepare for a range of possible negative responses of some members of religious and cultural communities.

Finally, the NLP aspect of the intervention is perceived to require more investment in terms of training, trialling, resource and post-care than may currently be envisaged. The message from the NLP experts, who endorse this approach in principle, is ‘NLP: For best results, seek to understand as much of the client as possible. Be flexible and adaptable. Handle with care’.