Introducing
NLP

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NLP was developed in the mid-70s by John Grinder, a Professor at UC Santa Cruz and Richard Bandler, a graduate student. NLP, as most people use the term today, is a set of models of how communication impacts and is impacted by subjective experience. It's more a collection of tools than any overarching theory.

Much of early NLP was based on the work of Virginia Satir, a family therapist; Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy; Gregory Bateson, anthropologist; and Milton Erickson, hypnotist.

Certification is tricky, because the field is quite young. Many NLP certification programs teach material in the order it was developed, rather than considering how to package it, now that twenty years' worth of pieces are known. The Dynamic Learning Center, The First Institute, and NLP of New Jersey revise their program substantially as new models are developed.

A rule of thumb: if your training program is a lot like the book Frogs into Princes, it's almost two decades out of date.

The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the oldest certifying body, and has set the standard categories for which certification is usually awarded.

Certification Levels

The most common certification categories within NLP are:

• Practitioner
• Master Practitioner
• Trainer
• Master Trainer
• Master Trainer Elite

The skills are divided among the levels with higher levels doing more pervasive changework. A Practitioner has skills to change a specific incident, fix a trauma, etc. A Master Practitioner understands and changes underlying beliefs and cognitive structures, which affect more of a person's life.

The Practitioner level training also covers the basics: developing sensory acuity, anchoring, and stuff like that. Most training organizations I know consider practitioners to be the "dabblers," while the MPs and above are considered to be more serious students. Thus, the MP programs are often more demanking up their own designations and certifications, these days. Some institutes have seminars in specific NLP applications, and they certify you for those applications.

My biased recommendation:

1. Take a Practitioner's training with the Dynamic Learning Center.
2. Take a Master Practitioner's training with the Dynamic Learning Center.
3. Take Richard Bandler's "Design Human Engineering" and "Trainer's Training."

Certifying Organizations

These are some of the organizations which certify people in NLP skills. Click on the name of an organization for more information about that organization.

Advanced Neuro-Dynamics

Advanced Neuro-Dynamics offers certification as an NLP Trainer.

The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming

The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the original certifying body created in the field of NLP.

The First Institute (Society member)

The First Institute is Richard Bandler's training organization. They certify all levels of NLP, as well as Design Human Engineering(tm).

NLP Seminars Group International (Society member)

NLP Seminars Group International is run by John LaValle. They certify all levels of NLP, as well as Design Human Engineering(tm).

IDEA Seminars (Society member)

IDEA Seminars is run by Rex Steven Sikes. They certify all levels of NLP, as well as Design Human Engineering(tm).

Advanced Communication Training

Advanced Communication Training offers certification for NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner, Trainer and Practitioner of Ericksonian Hypnosis.