My name is Jonathan Clark. I am an NLP Trainer and I have been running these kinds of courses for sixteen years. I certify people at Practitioner and Master Practitioner level, and I am always trying to make my courses better and better. That is my business. Yes, I am in the NLP Training business, but my style and approach does not suit everyone. My intention here is to give you some hints and tips about how to choose an NLP Provider, because the varying standards in the NLP community affect my reputation.

I have personally attended several NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner and Trainers Training courses, as well as countless other seminars and workshops. I have invested tens of thousands in training, and I have been on all kinds of courses, from the really awful to the totally mind blowing!

Maybe you know someone who has done an NLP training and you have noticed how much they have changed. Possibly you read an NLP book and like what you have seen so far.

There are a whole bunch of things I think you need to think about before you spend a whole lot of time, money and energy. Think about it - you will probably only ever do one NLP Practitioner course in your lifetime, so you had better get it right.

You see, I've learned that NLP training is the subject of much confusion. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about NLP that I decided to offer this consumer awareness guide so when you select an NLP company, you can make an informed & intelligent decision.

NLP came about through modelling how things work. Many NLP Trainers teach you one set of principles, yet seem to live by another. While the syllabus is usually the same, the method of delivery and standards of training vary dramatically.

In every course I have attended there was usually one or two things that could have been better - it would have made it so much easier if the parking was free, or if the venue had not been so stuffy, of if the Trainers actually kept in touch after the course finished. There was usually a hole somewhere that had not been filled, you know?

So let me give you some suggestions about what to look for. Think of it like buying a used car. It is useful to get someone in who knows a bit about cars, who can give it a once over and point out the tricks of the trade, the possible repairs needed, how much is a fair amount of money to spend, and to point you in the right direction. You get the idea.

As I said before, NLP Training is a big investment of time and money, so you need to know:

1. Where do you start?
2. How do you know what to look for?
3. What are the danger signs to look for?
4. How can you be certain that you are looking at a reputable company?

NLP is seductive and manipulative? So is wearing perfume or buying designer clothes to make you look good. There is a vast market for seduction and persuasion skills, and a number of NLP schools specialise in that.

In my experience a company that teaches Rapport skills will know that once you have rapport with a person, if you have dubious intentions towards them, they will pick that up.

Generally people who voice this concern are actually concerned about being manipulated, and that is the students issue. Generally they have been duped before and are wary of it happening again. All the more reason to use Time Line Therapy or emotional clearance techniques to let that go.

Is it a cult? Cults generally are centred around one leader, demand total compliance and obedience, and if you show any resistance or disobedience you are excommunicated and made to feel like a heretic.

NLP is a tool - like a hammer, it can be made to smash things, or build things. The hammer itself has no ethics, only the person who wields it. NLP has never done anyone any harm or any good - it is all down to the people who use it.