NEURO Linguistic Programming(NLP) expert Yoka Brouwer, who is visitingCosta Rica for the second time, will beoffering a series of one-day workshops inher specialty.Born in The Netherlands, Brouwerlived for 15 years with her husband, sonand daughter in California, where sheworked as a computer programmer beforediscovering her talent for working withpeople. She became an instructor in Touchfor Health/Applied Kinesiology, eventuallyintroducing thetechnique in Europe,where she trained thefirst 150 Touch forHealth instructors inHolland.A Holocaust survivor,Brouwer saidTouch for Health“gave me a way tokeep my body together”and helped herresolve “a whole lot ofphobias” she had carriedwith her. But she soon realized that “Iliked the psychological side of helpingpeople even better,” and when she discoveredNeuro Linguistic Programming duringone of her trips back to the U.S. withthe Touch for Health Foundation, “I immediatelyknew, yup, I gotta do this!”SHE went on to receive her B.S. inpsychology and became a MasterPractitioner of NLP. With her husbandDick she co-authored three books abouthealth and NLP, published by AnkhHermes and still widely read in Holland.“One of the things I like about NeuroLinguistic Programming is that it’s practical,”the ebullient 64-year-old grandmotherexplained. “It doesn’t require people togo back to the womb or empty their souls.NLP believes the best expert on a person isthe person himself. It’s a way to help peoplemake better choices, and how they do itis completely up to then.”With this is in mind, she said, her introductoryworkshops are geared to givingpeople the basic techniques of NLP, suchas “reframing,” “anchoring” and becomingaware of use of language, so they canimmediately put theskills to use in theirdaily lives. Those whowant to go further canlearn more in followupday-long workshopscovering beliefsystems, working withspecific problems, andhealth.“When I startedstudying NLP, it waseven more fascinatingthan I thought,” Brouwer said. “I’m evenmore enthused now!”NLP isn’t Brouwer’s only skill: shealso reads cards, based on a system shelearned in California 35 years ago and hassince refined into her own personalmethod. Using a regular deck of cards, sheinvites clients to ask as many questions asthey want, “really concentrating.”“I lay the cards out, and whateveryou’ve put in them, I get out,” she said. “Itry to do with the cards the same as what Ido with NLP – give people more choices.If you know what your challenges are, youcan work with them.”Brouwer’s workshops, which will beoffered in English, run from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. and cost $50, will start on Jan. 21 inEscazú/Santa Ana, west of San José. Toreserve space or for more info, call her at228-0887, 9-10 a.m. or 5-7 p.m., e-mailmail@yoka-info.com or visit her Website, www.yoka-info.com/contacts.html.
