Nick Kemp
Some people already know that an oddball called Nick Kemp has been virtually stalking me for the last three years, posting dozens of messages about me on various blogs, forums and newsgroups.
Let’s cut to the chase. Nick has it in for me because back in 2006, he created a series of fake accounts on my forum – NLP Connections – and used them to post glorious reviews of his own training events. The fake characters raved about him – “Nick Kemp is better than Richard Bandler and Paul McKenna put together”.
It wasn’t the first time he’d done this kind of thing. He was caught using the same tactic on alt.psychology.nlp back in 2003-04, before I knew him. [See: Nick Kemp -- Hypocritical Liar]
It’s not as if self-reviews are unheard of in the media. Nick could have held his hands up and moved on. Instead he’s been on a bizarre and obsessive mission to smear me – and my family – ever since.
I tried to have a reasonable conversation with him when we were both at the same training event but he literally ran out of the room when he saw me walking over to him.
He’s told relentless lies about me and spread false rumours under his own name and even more using his fake internet accounts. He’s also admitted posting under one of my relatives names.
He phoned my friend and business partner late at night and used sneaky language patterns to try and trick him into saying something indiscreet about me… and *still* he couldn’t get any dirt.
I just want to say two things about Mr Kemp. One is that I haven’t actually done anything in my life that I mind people knowing about, so trying to embarrass me is likely to be hard and unrewarding work. The other is that I think you reap what you sow in life, and it’s no surprise to me that after spending so much energy trying to do me down, Nick’s own career has rather gone off the rails. After accusations that he has “mind fucked” several people around him, he has few friends left. His long-term business partner Tina Taylor walked out on him recently. John La Valle, president of the Society of NLP, has officially distanced himself too. John told me: “People change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not, and sometimes I find it necessary to withdraw a recommendation. Those trainers who are members in good standing, can be found here: The Society of NLP – Richard Bandler.”
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42 comments
I’ve been aware of Nick’s bizarre behaviour for a few years. What I think started out as maybe a little odd, with the sock puppet reviews, has gone on to a tirade of personal attacks and malicious posts.
To me, the even more ugly and uncalled for aspect has been trying to drag your partner and family into his mire.
I hope that he’ll come to his senses before it’s too late… if it’s not already too late to claw back some shred of credibility, as someone who professes to teach communication skills to others. What a joke.
What a grubby little man.
Remember: don’t get mad, get even.
I wouldn’t want to be even with him Julie; I wouldn’t lower myself.
While I think it’s a good thing that he’s been outcast from the field, I don’t have any ill intention towards him.
Tina Taylor and I recently had a four-hour heart-to-heart about her years with Nick and it put my own experiences of him into perspective. I hope Nick finds the help he needs.
I’ve seen some of his smears and rest assured he comes across as a small minded old homophobe. It doesn’t seem to have done you any harm so Live Strong.
I’m not sure exactly what to write but wanted to write something in support of you and your approach to situations… I like observing your commitment to being who you are Chris… It’s very inspiring…
“I haven’t actually done anything in my life that I mind people knowing about, so trying to embarrass me is likely to be hard work.”
There’s not many people who would happily say and mean that. You’re one of the few people I hear say that and I believe it, and you’re willing to go out and do something.
Wow … crazy … what has come over him … he used to have a really good name in the NLP / Therapy field.
In the end, perhaps your success with NLP Connections hit some buttons with him. Keep up the good work Chris.
EDIT: After posting this message, the poster was immediately contacted by Nick Kemp and has, reluctantly, asked for the message to be made anonymous. He stands by what he says but for business reasons he feels he cannot publicly criticise Nick Kemp.
Well done Chris – of course you have our full support.
You might be interested to know that there was a comment on my website a few weeks ago (which I’ve deleted now) from what seemed to be a woman in America saying (as I remember) she’d looked at your website and it was clear you knew nothing about NLP or how to change people.
I replied (in stereotypical NLP fashion!) what changes are you looking for, specifically. I never heard any more, and forgot all about it. Just another one for your file.
It was obvious he was up to something from his recent blog postings. Not that I’ll be seeing anything of his in future. You obviously know exactly how to handle this and any further support you need, you know where we are.
I also hope NK can get himself into a better place.
Be strong Chris,
[Name Removed]
Wow, that’s some scary stuff! Still, you’ve dealt with it and him in a very dignified manner (of course!). I guess nobody warned him that you’re no pushover.
This is shocking, and quite concerning that someone with NLP skills is using them in such a negative way.
Take care Chris!
Alexia
100% with you Chris. Stuff he has done that I know of myself is creepy enough, it’s a sad case of someone with some ability wasting their time trying to destroy when they could have come along for the ride and greatly improved many more lives.
As “Alice Tiller” once said, “I feel it’s a con”.
I am glad that previous defenders of Nick Kemp have realised he is not the man (men) he would like everyone to think he is.
Thanks again for your real contribution to the field of NLP, and for demonstrating, by example, how to deal with these type of people.
Vince
One thing I have learned along my journey is that people believe what you show them… regardless of what others are saying. I have had a few people try to do me harm and because I acted with integrity it just came back to bite them on the *ss!
Continue taking the high road, Friend. There will always be bees in the garden; remember that they help flowers grow!
Wishing you health,
xo Isabelle
I knew nothing of any of this until I called Nick Kemp to find out the dates of his next Frank Farrelly training. The way his website put it, he was the only person putting Frank on in the UK — not true, it turns out.
When Nick asked how I knew about him and Frank, and I responded NLP Connections, he spent the rest of the conversation belittling the website in a fashion that I found plain weird. All of which served to put me off Nick Kemp for good.
Then I found out what he’d been doing over time with Chris, and I was more than saddened. He was so obsessed with Chris’s website, that in the process of talking about it he lost business from me.
And it’s not just Chris that gets strange behaviour from Nick — I know someone who he asked to assist on one of his courses. She politely said no, and found out later that he’d badmouthed her on his blog. Class.
Anyway, as others have said, there tends to be some kind of karmic deal about this stuff, and it seems Nick is already reaping what’s coming his way. Sad: it really didn’t have to have turned out this way.
This mini article brings back memory lane for me because I made the mistake of buying his healing CD when my husband was ill and I have nothing but contempt for him because he phoned me multiple times per day and kept on that I was OBLIGATED to write a review on a bookstore website. FFS this was while my husband was in hospital Chris, I don’t think he has any humanity at all, not good for a healer.
I fully support you Chris, you are an honest person and making NLP available to many people. You have put together NLP Connections and put on loads of excellent training. With Vince we have had encounters with Nick Kemp and the sock puppets! I am glad it is getting recognised at last.
Well done Chris for speaking out.
The world sometimes puts things in your way that you have a choice to engage with… I have had some similar experiences and dealing with them with dignity and disengaging with what they are doing is all you can do… you can try to support for a while but if it carries on it affects who you are and what you are about… I have found this blog quite by accident… it has helped me to remember to stay with my reality… you are an amazing person Chris… you sound like you have not faltered from who you are… I too hope Nick gets the support he needs to not live in a world where he feels that doing those things is the way to live.. K
:):)
I appreciate all this support and I’m glad other people can tell their stories here too.
However – this is important – please note that Nick Kemp is still on the accreditation board for ANLP and he may make life difficult for anyone seeking accreditation via that group. One person who left a comment above immediately received an intimidating phone call from Nick Kemp and, reluctantly, he has asked me to anonymise his comment. He stands by what he said but for business reasons he feels he cannot publicly criticise Nick Kemp.
If you are seeking accreditation from ANLP or if you receive referrals from the JustBeWell.com network, please put yourself first before making any comment.
Sounds to me like a true douche-bag that should be behind bars.
Hey Chris, Hey Nick (who I’m sure will be refreshing this page at an alarming rate!!
)
S’funny. Nick contributed to an early product of mine…he was one of 4 people I interviewed about his relative success at producing and publishing audio/video products.
I found him forthcoming and professional – and we’ve talked maybe 2 or 3 times since then (2 years ago).
I also saw “Obsession” too.
I ain’t gonna join in the rotten tomato throwing…not because I’m on his “side”….
…far from it…
…simply this:
I’m not surprised at any of this…not one bit.
Good luck to both of you.
J.
P.S. Maybe he fancies you Chris!
(ok – ok that was a bad joke)
I don’t know much about NLP except what you told me but if this guy is a therapist then who’d want therapy?
This is shame to hear this.
I have never got involved in the politics of what has been going in the NLP world but having done a weekend training with Nick and Tina in 2008 I can say the experience was high quality and well worth my time.
But trying to gain creditbility when selling anything by slagging someone else off have never been an recommended sales strategy. And particularly as personalised in its target in Chris, who whilst I only briefly met seems a top chap.
Odd choice to have made.
I myself had a little to do with Mr. Kemp, when I made an in-jest comment about him on your NLPC site. Next thing I know He starts sending me personal messages via Michael Neill’s forum – the first two messages were to the point yet polite, I told him that for me my comments was in jest and it was over – next thing I get an onslaught of messages – which I never opened and just ended up blocking Mr. Kemp from sending messages – 30 minutes later he started sending me personal e-mails and I was forced to block his e-mails too -
The only thing I would say about him now is stay far, far away.
Its time this bully was put to bed.
Jay Budzynski
Hi Chris,
your post is absolutely amazing! You experienced a lot of destructiveness and yet the way you write about it is still full of respect and doesn’t come about as lashing out on him. You took the old quote “To harbour resentment is like drinking poison and expect the other one to get sick” to heart and live it!! That’s amazing to see and I admire your for this. Thank you for beeing such a wonderful example of how respectful one can deal with destructiveness! I sincerly hope you can hold this esprit whatever else may happen!!
With lots of supporting thoughts!!
Anja
I think you have handled this with great grace.
“Don’t let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality” Les Brown
Chris, very well said indeed.
You’re not the only young male friend of mine that Nick has pestered, as you know.
To me, this blog is a perfect example of a group of commenters being more than willing to use their real names, linking to their own real websites, sending a powerful and honest message about a bully who’s been hiding behind a mask of anonymity, proxies and a barrel of porkies for way too long.
Perhaps now he’ll be able to get the help he so sorely needs. It’s always a shame when a lonely isolated man decides to behave in that way and I doubt he’ll stop even now. Knowing that we all get to be part of creating our own reality is usually for the creation of good stuff, but some, such as Nick, must be living in a personal hell.
Here’s to everyone who’s willing to stand up and be counted. The days of the activist are far from over and those who try to bully other human beings will rightly be outed. We’ve seen through history what happens when people like him get to make decisions on behalf of other people, and it takes a brave, honest, truthful man, Chris, to challenge the kinds of behaviours and ideas that a person like Nick can inflict on the world and its individuals.
Good on ya and everyone who’s unwilling to put up with the type of sh*t that Nick’s sort represent.
Thanks Jamie. I agree there’s something powerful about us posting publicly in our own names, taking clear positive action, and that easily trumps the lesser power of Nick’s anonymous smears and inferred threats.
Seems he picked on the wrong guy this time. >:-)
It sounds like you have been having a rough time of it. I can’t begin to understand what the hell’s been going on! It just sounds completely nuts!
You sound like you could do with some protection Chris. My guess is you know how to put up a good strong energetic shield, which might be a good idea! I hear the best kind at times like this are mirrored ones – they just bounce stuff back at the sender! Then if the sender is sending nice stuff they get it back magnified and if not… well it is their own fault. And your Karma stays neutral. Let me know if you need any extra help to put it together xxx
Nick Kemp and Tina Taylor are both greedy, jealous, sad and desperate people. I find it difficult to contemplate how they slipped through the net and ended up being assistants at Paul McKennas. They tried to publicly humiliate me, acusing me of smelling, something they’ve allegedly done to others also. They obviously have no conscience about repeatedly abusing lot’s of different people, abusing public trust, they have malicious intentions toward people who surpass them at least I know that i’m not the only person who they’ve tried to victimise. I feel sorry for their paying clients and delegates who are duped into paying for their services. And I feel sorry for the fools who are in business with them or allow them to be associated. Looks like their behavious has come back to bite them in the ass. Say hello to karma Nick and Tina.
I’m sorry to hear about your experiences Tony. I know several other people who have had the “smelly” treatment and it seems either Tina has a very sensitive nose or possibly it’s a way to embarass and get rid of assistants she doesn’t want around. I don’t know.
My own experience of Tina is mixed. In the right context she can be good company, friendly and sweet. Other times I have seen her be a very nasty piece of work. She’s lied to me *many* times – and then later admitted and apologised for that. However, I know she’s been through a hard time with Nick herself and none of us know the full story there.
lol @ energy forcefield. What Nick needs is a swift kick in the nuts and realise what goes round comes round. How soon will ANLP drop him like SNLP has?
Well done Chris for being such a lovely forgiving person, I do hope that Nick wants the help he so very much needs.
Em
Hi Ben
I know at least 4 of my friends have dropped their membership from ANLP because of Mr. Kemp’s association and I know 2 others who wont be renewing their subscriptions when they run out next year.
Its amazing effect what can happen when you poke the wrong people-
J
Interesting lynching you’re doing here, ladies and gentlemen.
No proof – just one sided arguments. On a moderated blog, no less. But hey, there’s a chance to engage in the exact same behavior you’re supposedly against? Great, let’s go for it.
In other words, a modern-day witch hunt. Done by people who consider themself professionals in working with others (although, by behavior, I’m starting to doubt that professionalism) who really should know better.
After I met you, when I see his postings I think the person he writes about is his own invention, maybe he needs it for some reason, but I remember you as you were to me, and whatever reason he has, I don’t think it’s anything to do with you.
This makes sense of an odd convo I had with him on phobia day
You could be flattered he is so interested in you
I was libelled through a fake account set up on NLP Connections some time ago – a negative ‘review’ of my training from someone who I had never met! To say this smear was a detriment to my business would be a great understatement.
I had suspected at the time that it was a business competitor and Chris tells me that the IP address of that ‘character’ matches one used previously by Nick Kemp.
I’m sharing these remarks on here because I believe that a community such as ours must be, to an extent, self regulating. I think that disclosure is a good step towards that. I agree with Artur that we can avoid a ‘witch hunt’ by sticking to provable facts.
Phil, if you agree with me, why are you doing the oposite?
What’s your agenda Arthur, it seems like you’re hushing things up?
Artur has a business partnership with Nick Kemp. He’s the promoter for Nick’s provocative training events.
I guess he doesn’t want people sharing their experiences, and that makes sense.
But there’s no moral equivalence between Nick using fake names to make fake allegations, and real people using our own names to tell our own stories.
Does it seem likely to anyone except Artur that all these different unconnected people would all tell porkies? I know it looks unpleasant when lots of people “gang up” on someone – but remember how we got here. People have been afraid to speak out for years and now they can do it in a group, so they’re standing up to be counted. I support that.
Put it this way: if we aren’t telling the truth about our experiences, Nick has an easy remedy – sue us for libel.
He can’t of course, because people are telling the truth. So then his best option is to stop, draw a line under it, and move on.
Phil’s comment was actually very restrained given what I know he’s been through with Nick, not just on the occasion he wrote about but other times too. In fact, all the posts here have been very fair and sensitive to Nick’s situation. I know I could say a lot more. But what’s the point? I don’t want to kick a man while he’s down – I just want to set the record straight and move on.
Wow I am so glad I read all this. I was just about to take my son (age 21) to see Nick Kemp for a session on drug related problems. What a catastrophe that could have been. Thank you for being so open and honest. He sounds like a dangerous man to me
I can’t comment on what you say as I don’t know the full facts but it does ring true. I was under his influence for a while before realising his true nature. If he gives you any more problems, ask him about his co-director at Making Plans Limited in Bradford. You’re not the first he’s done this sort of thing to.
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