NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming, and it deals with three basic aspects, which are neurology, language and programming. It is a science that deals with behavior and the thoughts and feelings that influence it. It is a system of therapy that attempts to analyze how behavior and patterns can be changed through effective communication.
It was originally founded in the 1970s as a form of psychological counseling and therapy. It was used primarily to help people overcome their fears and phobias, and help them cope with depression and manage different disorders. In the past, you had a little support from the scientific community, but now many people believe in NLP and want to become trained NLP practitioners. It is now a lucrative industry, with many self-help workshops, seminars, audiotapes, and books presented every month on all kinds of subjects.
A NLP practitioner is a person certified by law to practice NLP therapy. Today, being a NLP practitioner has tremendous scope and is a good career path. There is a high demand for NLP practitioners around the world and they make a lot of money. By being an expert in this field, you will be able to help others, as well as apply the techniques yourself to better communicate with and convince people.
One has to study many different areas of NLP while training to be a practitioner. First are the fundamentals of NLP and basic beliefs. Each area, namely neurology, language, and programming, must be studied to gain a full understanding. You will be taught the effective ways to build rapport with different types of people and you will be able to connect with people of a higher level.
It is important to realize the importance of the language and words we use, and their impact on the behavior of different people. There are certain strategies and plans that one can follow for different topics and a NLP practitioner must be an expert in all of them. Hypnosis is also part of the training.
Many institutes and academies offer NLP training courses for different periods of time. Course lengths can range from seven days to twenty-four days, depending on the number of credit hours you take each day. Core courses typically last two to four days and build on the basics.
The NLP Association, which is a UK-based non-profit organization promoting NLP, recommends 125 “contact hours” with an NLP trainer, spread over more than 20 days, to become a NLP practitioner. . According to the NLP Association, this is a reasonable time to cover all aspects of the curriculum.
Some organizations offer online trainings as well as NLP CDs or audiotapes to familiarize you with the topic. Although it can be used as additional material, it is important to work with a coach in person. NLP is an area that is more practical than theoretical and is based on experience. Once you are a certified professional, you can work with people or offer consulting / training services for companies.