Abstract: A practising chartered psychologist who is also a practitioner and trainer of Neuro-Linguistic programming (NLP) I often make use of NLP patterns with my clients and I recently re-read the debate on the evidence for using NLP in athletics (Deeley & Tod, 2008). The debate seemed to display the Halo and Horns effect, a form of cognitive bias where we make either positive or negative attribution across the whole domain on the basis of our current perception. This resonated with the many discussions I have had with psychology colleagues on the topic of NLP which is a subject which often polarises individuals into two irreconcilable camps. In reflecting upon the debate between Deeley and Tod in this article I wish to highlight a characteristic concerning NLP that was put forward by Deeley yet not fully addressed in the debate. This is concerning the fundamental epistemology of NLP and how this translates to professional practice. I do this with reference to an individual client of mine who was an international Speedway rider and my current PhD research.