The term reframing designates a communication technique which has origins in family systems therapy and the work of Virginia Satir

Virginia Satir

Virginia Satir was an American author and psychotherapist, known especially for her approach to family therapy and her work with Systemic Constellations...

. Milton H. Erickson

Milton H. Erickson

Milton Hyland Erickson, was an American psychiatrist specializing in medical hypnosis and family therapy...

 has been associated with reframing and it also forms an important part of Neuro-linguistic programming

Neuro-linguistic programming

Neuro-linguistic programming is an approach to psychotherapy, self-help and organizational change. Founders Richard Bandler and John Grinder say that NLP is a model of interpersonal communication and a system of alternative therapy which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective...

. In addition, provocative therapy uses reframing with an emphasis on humor.

Another meaning or another sense is assigned by reframing a situation or context, thus sees a situation in another frame. A frame can refer to a belief, what limits our view of the world. If we let this limiting belief go, new conceptions and interpretation possibilities can develop.

Psychotherapists trained in the reframing by communication attempt to let scenes appear in another point of view (frame) so that someone feels relieved or is able to deal with the situation better.

An example of this is the reframing of the role as a passive victim (“the craze overcomes me”) into an active role, from which different decisions than so far can be made (“can you now see the situations out, in which you decide your course of action?”). Other examples are the reinterpretation of the negatively noticed behavior (“my mother constantly interferes into my life.”) in a positive (“your mother would like to thus protect you”), or a sensitization going by that “a well meant” behavior releases negative effects with the target object.

Anthony Robbins wrote, "A signal has meaning only in the frame or context in which we perceive it." For example, if a person is resting in bed and hears his bedroom door open, exactly the same noise will have two totally different meanings to him and evoke drastically different reactions depending on whether (1) he is alone in a locked house, or (2) he had previously invited his friend over and left the back door to his house unlocked. According to Anthony Robbins:

[I]f we perceive something as a liability, that's the message we deliver to our brain. Then the brain produces states that make it a reality. If we change our frame of reference by looking at the same situation from a different point of view, we can change the way we respond in life. We can change our representation or perception about anything and in a moment change our states and behaviors. This is what reframing is all about.

Example of reframing

For example, say a university or college student breaks his leg during summer vacation. He is crestfallen, because he can no longer play tennis and golf with his family and friends. A few days later, he realizes that he now has the quiet, alone time to learn how to play the guitar, something he had always wanted to do but had been too busy to attempt. He then discovers he has a great aptitude for music and becomes a decent guitar player by summer's end. One year later, he changes his major to music. After graduation he embarks on a successful music career. Years later, his friends recall how unfortunate his leg fracture was that summer, and he says, "Breaking my leg was the best thing that ever happened to me!" From then on, whenever he is disabled by injury or illness, he recalls the lesson and is far less despondent over his temporary disability than he otherwise would have been, as he takes the opportunity to do something novel.

Context reframing

The meaning of any behaviour or event exists only in relationship to the context in which it occurs.

Every behaviour is appropriate in some context. With a context reframe a person takes the disliked behaviour and asks, "Where could this behaviour be useful?" or "In what other context would this particular behaviour be of value?"

A context reframe leaves the meaning of a behaviour the same and shows how it could be a useful response in a different context.

For example:

A: "I procrastinate all the time; I just can't get things done."

B: "That's a great skill to have; especially when you apply it to overeating - just put off having that second helping. Lucky you."

Value reframing

In brand management and marketing terms value reframing can mean giving a new value to a product/service by finding a new market/context.

For example, Pepsi-Cola created value by reframing the discussion of Coca Cola as "old" and traditional, whereas Pepsi was new and exciting.

When it started talking about the Pepsi Generation and issued its "Pepsi Challenge," it turned its weakness into strength. Pepsi said, "Sure the other guys have been king, but let's look at today. Do you want yesterday's product, or do you want today's?" The ads reframed Coke's traditional dominance into a weakness, as indication that it was a product of the past, not the future. --Unlimited Power, p.299