Dr. Bourke is the Executive Director of the NLP Research and Recognition Project, and Coordinator to the NLP Community. He founded the Not-For-Profit Corporation to advance the science of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It is aimed at doing the research necessary to bring international recognition and acceptance of the new technology. Dr. Bourke has 33 years of professional experience in business (CEO, managed twelve psychiatric hospitals), academia (lecturer, Cornell University) and clinical settings (corporations, hospitals, and group private practice).

 

Dr. Bourke is a Clinical Psychologist. He was trained in research at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, where he received his PhD in Psychology in 1973. He earned his masters in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University in 1968. He was an Associate Professor of Community Psychology, New York School of Psychiatry. He has also been a Lecturer for Cornell University Psychology and Education Departments for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in Community Mental Health and Psychology.

 

Business experience has included being President and Chairman of the Board, Flowers Management Corporation, Miami, FL (1982-1987). He was the founder and developer of a professional service corporation which grew to manage twelve inpatient psychiatric and alcohol/drug programs in five states. Dr. Bourke was responsible for all facets of corporate development inclusive of administration, fiscal management, personnel selection, marketing and clinical systems programming. Later (1997-2002) in his career he was Co-owner and Clinical Director, Clinical Associates of the Southern Tier, a Mental Health Service Business employing sixteen psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists in a multi-service group practice. Since 1987 he has also been the owner of, and clinician for, a private clinical practice in Corning, NY.

 

In the aftermath of 9-11, in 2001, Dr. Bourke designed and implemented a rehabilitation plan for 800 World Trade Center building survivors of Aon Insurance’s New York Office. As a consultant, he developed referral and treatment system for 9-11 survivors. He conducted in-house education and therapy groups, and served as management consultant through the crisis and recovery. In commenting on this experience he has stated that he found that he was able to change the symptoms of PTSD survivors he was treating with an NLP-derived protocol much quicker and more effectively than the 30 or so therapists he was working with.

 

In discussing his commitment to the NLP Research and Recognition Project, Dr. Bourke has been using NLP techniques, among other tools, since the 1970′s in his clinical work. The effectiveness of NLP with trauma recovery was reinforced in his work with 9-11 survivors. He also used NLP techniques to deal with pain and optimize the healing process with his own struggle with cancer. He has commented that, when he realized that he had survived, he did a re-evaluation of what was important for him. He stated in his blog, “I took an oath to do what I could to get NLP research recognized to allow the full use of its wonderful capabilities.” He has been working extensively on NLP Research and Recognition Project since 2006, while also maintaining his private clinical practice.