How do you know you're serious about NLP?
For many people, it's when they decide to become certified. That's when you can officially call yourself an nlp professional.
It's one thing to read about Neuro-linguistic Programming on the web.
And don't get me wrong, you can learn nlp through a variety of free resource like articles, blogs, video, etc.
But it's another thing entirely when you're willing to dedicate time, money, and effort to take your knowledge and skills to the next level.
At the time of writing this, there are no free nlp certifications that I'm aware of.
In any case, becoming an NLP Practitioner was a defining point in my life.
At the time of this writing, I'm a certified NLP Practitioner, however, my ultimate goal is to become a certified NLP Master Trainer.
In order to get certified, you have to go to an NLP academy or training school, and that school should be recognized by a certification board.
There are 5 main NLP certification boards that exist.
Each one of them could be considered the best nlp certification in their own right, but that's up to you to decide.
We'll cover each one, along with their standards for each certification.
Let’s dive in.
SNLP
The first certification board to exist is The Society of NLP or SNLP for short. They were founded by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the co-founders of NLP, and they're still active to this day.
Unfortunately, Richard Bandler and John Grinder are no longer together but that’s a story for another time.
Criteria for Certification as a Practitioner in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Here is their criteria for certification as a Neuro-linguistic Practitioner:
- Representational Systems:
- detect representational systems and sequences of representation systems through the accessing cues of the primary sensory modalities (VAKGO).
- make sub-modality distinctions in all primary representational systems.
- resequence habitual representational system sequences.
- demonstrate the ability to access information in each of the primary sensory systems.
- demonstrate the ability to communicate in all primary sensory modalities.
- overlap and translate representational systems.
- detect and make distinctions between simultaneous and sequential incongruities.
- Rapport-building: Establish rapport (pace and lead) in all representational systems, non-verbally and verbally, through mirroring, direct matching and indirect matching, using the following:
- whole and part body postures, gestures and facial expressions, eye accessing movements.
- intonation pattern (e.g., tone, tempo, volume)
- breathing pattern
- predicates
- sub-modality accessing cues
- the language patterns of the Meta Model and the Milton Model
- Anchoring:
- elicit and install anchors in primary representational systems (in particular; visual, auditory and kinesthetic).
- utilize basic anchoring principles and formats/techniques; directionalize and contextualize “resources” via basic anchoring formats. including, stacking anchors, amplifying anchors, collapsing (synchronizing) anchors, chaining anchors (i.e., sequencing responses), change personal history, the Phobia Cure), and future-pacing.
- Language Patterns: Detect and utilize the linguistic distinctions of the Meta Model and the Milton Model as information-gathering and information-organizing tools.
- Outcome Framing: Elicit well-formed and ecological outcomes/goals, including the set of distinctions called the well-formedness-conditions; utilize Backtrack, “As-If,” Relevancy and Ecology Frames.
- Reframing: utilize basic reframing techniques, including, Content and Context Reframing; Reversing the Behavioral Presupposition; 6-Step Reframing Procedures; Negotiation models (including the Visual Squash).
- Sub-Modalities: utilize basic sub-modality technology, including the principles of “critical sub-modalities and contrastive analysis, belief changes, Swish Pattern, and the collection of techniques referred to as “timeline.”
- Strategies: Demonstrate basic strategy elicitation and utilization skills.
- Trance: demonstrate basic trance induction and utilization procedures, the language patterns of the Meta Model and the Milton Model (e.g., analog marking, embedded suggestions, etc.)
Criteria for Certification as a Master Practitioner in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Here is their criteria for the Master Practitioner Certification:
- Multi-level tasking, e.g., purposeful multi-level communication, including:
- Detect the differences between the forms of conscious and unconscious mind communication.
- Make the distinction between content and the form of the content.
- Combining the various elements of the techniques to design customized interventions.
- Building and utilizing states of consciousness and physiology that promote flexibility, variability, creativity and mobility in themselves and others.
- Making conscious shifts in perspective, state and behavior (e.g., resequence habitual representational system sequences to interrupt and re-direct “unresourceful” states) to keep open opportunities for discovery, creativity and learning for themselves and others in ways that broaden the range of possibility and choice in thinking and behavior.
NLP Master Practitioners are also expected to demonstrate a growing competency in the following specific skill areas that include:
- Meta Programs:
- Detect and identify the linguistic markers that presuppose the various Meta Programs, including the structures of Time;
- Elicit and utilize Meta Programs, not only as a set of “diagnostic” tools, but also as a pacing and leading tool, motivational tool, and as a information-reorganizing tool in the process of setting well-formed outcomes and making desired changes.
- In general, utilize Meta Programs and the structures of Time to work together as a system of resources.
- Advanced skills in framing outcomes:
- Make the distinction between an outcome and setting a direction.
- Know the difference between remedial change and generative change.
- Determine response environments: context-based and content-based, for example, “predicting” the implications of change through time, essential variables for feedback, and appropriately generalizing change.
- Advanced Language skills:
- Detect the linguistic distinctions known collectively as “Sleight of Mouth” Patterns.
- Reframing at different logical levels, using the various "Sleight of Mouth" Patterns, e.g., to weaken/strengthen a belief and redirect the process of generalization.
- Utilize Counter-Example Strategies, e.g., sort incongruities and conflict and reintegrate inside of larger functional frames in ways that expand the range of what is possible.
- Use language patterns more precisely and with purpose, e.g., design questions by presupposition.
- Values and Criteria: elicit, pace, utilize, adjust (if appropriate), and operationalize for the purpose of supporting the process, for example, motivation, setting outcomes, negotiation procedures, conflict resolution, strategies, etc.
- Advanced Strategies skills: elicit, design/modify and install strategies: learn how to use motivation, convincer, decision, and follow-through strategies inside of other intervention processes.
- Trance: in addition to skills at the Practitioner-level, participants should begin to recognize, induce, and utilize naturally-occurring trance phenomena (sometimes referred as “conversational hypnosis” or “wake state” hypnosis).
Requirements for Certification as a TRAINER in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Trainer Training is an intensive process that requires the dedication and commitment of your curiosity, motivation, time and resources to develop a high level of quality and competence in training. The evolution of your style as a Trainer into an art form is built upon a solid foundation of skill.
Here are the requirements for becoming a certified NLP Trainer:
- Certification as a Practitioner in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
- Certification as a Master Practitioner in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
- “The Art of Training” and certification as a Trainer Associate Neuro-Linguistic Programming (at least 14 days).
- At least 6 days of Hypnosis Training, emphasizing Ericksonian Hypnosis.
- Resource-Person in a complete NLP Practitioner Program and a complete Master Practitioner Program.
- A minimum of 100 hours of teaching/training experience, which must include teaching the following areas: The following areas must be included: NLP Operational Presuppositions, Representational Systems, Rapport, Anchoring, basic Milton Model Patterns and fundamental induction and utilization processes, Meta Model Patterns, Outcome Frame and Well-formedness Conditions, basic Strategy modeling processes, Reframing (Content, Context and 6-Step Reframing, Sub-Modalities (including the Visual Squash and the Swish Pattern), as well as other basic NLP Techniques (including Changing Past Personal History, Phobia Cure)
- Written Test.
- DVD of the first hour of a presentation or training with a new group, accompanied by a written planning outline of the presentation, including a written description of the first two exercises. (For the exercises, include a copy of the handouts that you gave to the participants.)
- Certification fee of U.S. $300, upon the completion of all NLP Trainer requirements.
- Certification procedures include the signing of a Certification and License Agreement
The Art of Training and Presenting Requisite Skills of a Trainer
The basic processes of communication excellence are classified Input Skills, Internal Representation Skills and Output Skills (Utilization Skills). Any higher-level pattern can be represented as an ordered sequence of the basic skill level chunks.
In general, NLP Trainers are expected to demonstrate competency in the following areas:
- Engage in multi-level tasking, e.g., purposeful multi-level communication.
- Detect the differences between conscious and unconscious mind communication.
- Make the distinction between content and the form of the content.
- Integrate the NLP operational presuppositions into their thinking (attitude) and behavior.
- Know the difference between remedial and generative change.
- Combine the various elements of the techniques to design customized interventions.
- Build and utilize states of consciousness and physiology leading to greater flexibility, variability, creativity and mobility in thinking and in action.
- Make conscious shifts in perspective, state and behavior (e.g., re-sequence habitual representational system sequences to interrupt states perceived as “unresourceful”) to keep open opportunities for discovery, creativity and learning for yourself and others.
- Utilize linguistic skills defined by purpose, e.g., use of language in ways that demonstrate “conversational interventions.”
- Develop a greater awareness and application of a systemic approach.
INPUT ACUITY SKILLS consist of the ability to detect, that is, to use senses with agility and flexibility, increasing the range of what you are able to perceive in all sensory systems. The verb "to detect" is operationally defined as the ability to identify and make sensory-based discriminations.
- Detect representational systems and sequences of representational systems through the set of physiological phenomena collectively referred to as "representational system accessing cues."
- Make discriminations in all major input channels: Visual, Auditory tonal and digital, Kinesthetic and their sub-modality distinctions.
- Detect and make the distinction between simultaneous and sequential incongruities; make the distinction between unfamiliarity and discomfort, agreement and understanding.
- Detect the differences in the form of conscious and unconscious mind communication.
- Language Patterns: Detect the linguistic distinctions known collectively as the Meta Model, Milton Model, which includes presuppositions, ambiguities and temporal distinctions; the ability to detect the linguistic markers that presuppose Meta Program reference structures; the ability to detect the class of language known as Sleight of Mouth Patterns.
INTERNAL REPRESENTATION SKILLS consist of the ability to use your internal processes with agility and flexibility. Internal requisite variety is operationally defined as the ability to do the following:
- Represent information in all sensory systems.
- Access information from and in each representational system.
- Store information in all systems.
- Overlap with facility and ease from each representational system into another.
- Make sub-modality distinctions in all primary representational systems and re-sequence characteristic representational system sequences to build a solid foundation of resource and choice.
- Access states and physiology that promote flexibility and variability in thinking and behavior which are independent of the three obstacles to learning and teaching, according to NLP Co-Developer, John Grinder: (1) internal dialogue at too high a volume; (2) tunnel vision (i.e., only seeing what is in the center of your visual field and failing to notice and recognize the relational aspects in the environment; (3) unnecessary tension in the body.
- The over-all purpose of developing, expanding and enhancing these abilities is to create greater flexibility, creativity and mobility in thinking; the ability to make conscious shifts in perspective, internal state and behavior that open up new channels of discovery, learning and change for yourself and your participants.
OUTPUT SKILLS: Utilization Skills include modeling skills, rapport-building skills, anchoring skills, language skills and multi-level communication, design and presentation skills that utilize conscious and unconscious mind learning strategies, meta-linguistic awareness (the ability to think about language and comment on language). Output flexibility is operationally defined as the ability to do the following:
- Vary behavior in all output communication channels.
- Establish rapport at both conscious and unconscious levels, demonstrating the ability to use mirroring, direct matching and indirect matching (i.e., cross-over mirroring).; pace and lead in each and all representational systems, verbally and non-verbally, including: whole and part body postures, breathing patterns, intonation patterns, sensory-system predicate usage sequences of eye-accessing cues, and sub-modality accessing cues and gestures
- Utilize the patterns of the Meta Model, Well-Formed Outcome Frame, Milton Model and “Sleight of Mouth” patterns (Patterns of Reformulation) to gather and organize information in ways that expand the range of possibility and choice in thinking and in action.
- Adjust one's language and behavior to pace the structure of another person's experience in relation of Meta Programs; also appropriately adjust (i.e., balance) the configuration of Meta Programs.
- Sort incongruities, polarities and “double-bind,” either-or thinking patterns and reintegrate them in ways that expand the range of what's possible.
- Elicit and anchor states (resources) in each and all representational systems, i.e., kinesthetically, auditorily and visually; directionalize and contextualize states using the basic anchoring formats:
setting and utilizing spatial anchors, stacking anchors, amplifying anchors, collapsing or synchronizing anchors, and chaining (or sequencing) responses - Demonstrate strategy elicitation, design and installation, including criteria; the ability to detect and utilize the following key strategies: internal performance strategies, motivational strategies, decision strategies, and learning strategies.
- Structure and implement “testing” procedures in consideration of ecological implications of change through time to “preserve” the integrity of the system as a whole.
- Identify the structure and function of each technique; appropriate contextualization and generalization of change techniques; re-anchoring formats, reframing techniques and basic negotiation models, sub-modality technology, threshold patterns, Swish Patterns; and Future-Pacing techniques.
Criteria for Certification as a Master Trainer in the Art of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Master Trainers must continue to demonstrate their commitment to the advancement of their skills and knowledge in the service of enriching the quality of experience for their participants. Master Trainers have successfully completed the following requirements:
- Participation in Advanced Trainer Training (minimum of 8 days).
- A minimum of 500 hours conducting Practitioner training, according to the criteria for certification as a NLP Practitioner.
- A minimum of 500 hours of conducting Master Practitioner training, according to the criteria for certification as a NLP Master Practitioner.
- A written project analyzing the nested loops structure of the design of the Master Practitioner training that he/she has conducted.
- A DVD project of the entire presentation of Meta Programs, from beginning to end, using the Nested Loops Staircase Model.
IBCP
The International Board of Coaches and Practitioners, or, IBCP was founded by NLP Master Trainer Michael Stevenson, who is also the founder of Transform Destiny, a prominent NLP training school.
His certification board is reasonably priced and comes with a host of benefits such as a digital certificate with clickable verification of your credentials, listing on the NLP, Hypnosis, and Coaching referral directory, one ticket to the annual IBCP convention, and much more.
Here are IBCP's standards for each certification taken from their website:
Practitioner of NLP, Hypnotherapy, TIME Techniques, Success and Life Coach, EFT
Duration of training: Minimum of 120 hours of training in the basics of NLP, hypnosis and/or TIME Techniques patterns taught by a Certified Master Trainer or a Certified Trainer, with exercises under the direct supervision of a duly certified Master Trainer, a Trainer, or a Master Practitioner under the Master Trainer's or Trainer's guidance required. The three trainings and hours can run concurrently. You can get your life coach certification through Transform Destiny's NLP training.
Method of Training: Training is either to be held live, in-person with direct supervision and evaluation of students in exercises, or through online, recorded video training with verification of hours and direct supervision of the student doing exercises, either through recorded exercises with a volunteer, or live evaluation by the trainer over video chat.
Demonstration of ability to identify the following basic skills, techniques, patterns, and concepts of NLP and to utilize them competently with self and with others.
- Behavioral integration of the basic presuppositions of NLP, including:
- Outcome orientation with respect for others' models of the world and the ecology of the system
- Distinction between map and territory
- There is only feedback (cybernetic)-no failure
- Meaning of your communication is the response you get
- Adaptive intent of all behavior
- Everyone has the necessary resources to succeed
- Resistance is a signal of insufficient pacing
- Law of requisite variety
- Rapport, establishment and maintenance of
- Pacing and Leading (verbal and non-verbal)
- Calibration (sensory-based experience)
- Representational systems (predicates, and accessing cues)
- Meta-Model language patterns
- Milton-Model language patterns
- Elicitation of well-formed, ecological outcomes and structures of present state.
- Overlap and Translation
- Metaphor creation and delivery
- Frames; contrast, relevancy, As If, Backtrack
- Anchoring (VAK)
- Collapse Anchors
- Chain Anchors
- Ability to shift consciousness to external or internal, as required by the moment's task and in a natural way.
- Dissociation and Association
- Chunking
- SubModlities
- Verbal and non-verbal elicitation of responses
- Accessing and building of resources
- Reframing
- Parts Integration
- Strategies; detection, elicitation, utilization, & installation
- Demonstration of behavioral flexibility
- Hypnosis induction (Hypnosis)
- Deepening techniques (Hypnosis)
- Direct suggestion (Hypnosis)
- Timeline elicitation (TIME Techniques)
- Discovery of root cause (TIME Techniques)
- Eliminating negative emotions(TIME Techniques)
- Eliminating limiting decisions (TIME Techniques)
- Changing direction of the timeline (TIME Techniques)
- Putting a single SMART goal into the future (TIME Techniques)
Master Practitioner of NLP, Master Hypnotherapist, Master of TIME Techniques, and Master of Success and Life Coaching
Prerequisite: Successfully passed NLP Practitioner in accordance with the above standards.
Duration of Training: Minimum of 120 hours of advanced training taught by a Certified Master Trainer or a Certified Trainer with exercises under the direct supervision of a duly certified Master Trainer, a Trainer, or a Master Practitioner under the Master Trainer's or Trainer's guidance required. The four trainings and hours can run concurrently.
Method of Training: Trainings are only to be held live, in-person with direct supervision and evaluation of students in exercises. Virtual, distance-learning, or home-study courses are not approved under any circumstances.
Demonstration of the ability to identify the following basic skills, NLP techniques, patterns and concepts of NLP and to utilize these competently with self and with others.
- All practitioner-level skills, singly and in combination
- Design individualized interventions (generative and remedial)
- Ecological change work
- Shifting easily back and forth between content and form, and experience and label.
- Specific Master Practitioner Skills/Techniques:
- Quantum Linguistics or equivalent
- Meta Programs, elicitation, and utilization
- Basic
- Complex
- Criteria (Values):
- Identification and utilization
- Criteria ladder
- Elicitation of complex equivalence and adjustment of criteria
- Values adjustment and installation
- Spiral Dynamics values
- Installation and utilization of strategies
- Advanced use of submodalities
- Advanced use of Anchors (Sliding Anchors)
- Advanced Parts Integration
- Deliberate multi-level communication
- Negotiation
- Advanced communication skills
- Modeling with output
- Utilization and transformation of beliefs and advanced use of presuppositions
- Logical Levels of Therapy
- Sleight of Mouth patterns
- Compulsion Blowout
- Allergy Model
- Godiva Chocolate Pattern
- Designer Swish Patterns
- Family Therapy model
- Advanced Strategies
- TOTE Model
- Design
- Installation
- Utilization and transformation of beliefs and presuppositions
- Advanced ideomotor response, such as pendulum (Hypnosis)
- Modeling
- Detailed Personal History (TIME Techniques)
- Personal Breakthrough Session format (TIME Techniques)
- Emotional chains (TIME Techniques)
- Timeline regression (TIME Techniques)
Trainer of NLP, Trainer of Hypnotherapy, Trainer of TIME Techniques, Trainer of Life/Success Coaching, Trainer of EFT
Prerequisites: Successfully passed NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner in accordance with the above standards
Duration of Training: Minimum of 120 hours of advanced training taught by a certified Master Trainer.
Method of Training: Trainings are only to be held live, in-person with direct supervision and evaluation of students in exercises. Virtual, distance-learning or home-study courses are not approved under any circumstances.
Satisfactory demonstration of the following behavioral competencies:
- Complete behavioral competence in all Practitioner and Master Practitioner level skills, ability to do any and all practitioner and master practitioner techniques simultaneously both overtly and covertly
- Demonstrate facility to shift between content and form (IE: between experience and labeling)
- Ability to demonstrate the behavior of what one is teaching and to teach what one is doing — and to label it linguistically (IE: Model Self)
- Demonstration of Presentation and Teaching skills:
- Pacing and leading
- Respect for audience (i.e. at least keeping separate your and others model of the world, and responding to these congruently; considering and responding ecologically to others; conscious and unconscious processes.
- Ability to answer questions, (including discerning the level and intent of questions and generating level-appropriate responses)
- Design of presentation: At the least, setting opening and closing frames, setting outcomes, chunking and sequencing of information and experience, balancing information–giving and occasions for discovery, facilitating generalization of in formation and skills across context and time
- Design of exercises: At the least, providing for both overt and covert learning in each exercise, including previously learned material for cumulative learning, specifying outcomes of exercises, providing a task for all involved persons insuring behavioral learning, including a future pace
- Explanation of exercises including the ability to explain an exercise behaviorally without the use of notes or printed aids
- Use of deep and shallow metaphor
- Utilization of multi-level feedback: ongoing re-evaluation and incorporation of overt and covert information from individuals and group
- Graceful intervention in groups: at the least maintaining rapport and giving specific sensory grounded feedback, via questions that directionalize appropriate search to facilitate people's discovery for themselves, demonstration, or if necessary, overtly telling them what to do
- "Tasking": creating a task that presupposes that a person behaves in a different way that expands his/her model of the world
- Ability to do demonstrations
- Demonstration of a personal style, and artistry (indicating that the new trainer is integrating skills into his/her own behavior)
- Demonstration of an understanding of the process of NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner training
- Ability to demonstrate and teach all certification requirements for Hypnotherapist, Practitioner of Hypnotherapy and Master Practitioner of Hypnotherapy levels (Hypnosis)
- Demonstration of an understanding of the process of Hypnotherapy, Practitioner of Hypnotherapy and Master Hypnotherapy training. (Hypnosis)
- Ability to demonstrate and teach all certification requirements for Practitioner TIME Techniques and Master Practitioner TIME Techniques training. (TIME Techniques)
- Ability to lead groups through all TIME Techniques processes, with the exception of Emotional Chains (TIME Techniques)
- Demonstration of an understanding of the process of Practitioner TIME Techniques and Master Practitioner TIME Techniques training (TIME Techniques)
Master Trainer of NLP, Master Trainer of Hypnotherapy, Master Trainer of TIME Techniques, Master Trainer of Life/Success Coaching, Master Trainer of EFT
Prerequisites: Successfully passed NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner, and NLP Trainer in accordance with the above standards.
Duration of Training: Variable, depending on the development and progress of the subject
Satisfactory achieve the following, as mentored and evaluated by a duly certified Master Trainer of NLP:
Complete behavioral competence in all Practitioner, Master Practitioner, and Trainer level skills, ability to do any and all practitioner and master practitioner techniques without scripts simultaneously both overtly and covertly.
Adequately, competently, and clearly be able to teach NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner, and NLP Trainer Training content.
Embody all of the NLP Principles both consciously and unconsciously and use NLP in your own life (walk the talk).
Read and demonstrate competency in the 12 foundational books of NLP:
- The Structure of Magic Vol 1
- The Structure of Magic Vol 2
- Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson MD Vol 1
- Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson MD Vol 2
- Frogs into Princes
- NLP Vol 1
- Reframing
- Using Your Brain... For a Change
- Tranceformations
- Magic In Action
- Change Your Mind and Keep the Change
- Heart of the Mind
Assist and receive hands-on training in the following trainings (post-Trainers Training)
- Minimum one NLP Practitioner Training
- Minimum one NLP Master Practitioner Training
- Minimum three NLP Trainers Trainings
Successfully train at minimum 100 students in NLP Practitioner (over at minimum three separate trainings) and 50 students (over at minimum two separate trainings) NLP Master Practitioner following all the standards set forth by the IBCP
Create and demonstrate on original NLP technique created by the subject, either by:
- Modeling and creating a new pattern from the model
- Synthesizing NLP principles into a novel technique.
ABH-NLP
ABH-NLP was founded in 1982 by Dr. A. M. Krasner as the California Board of Hypnotherapy. Due to its rapid growth, it went on to become the American Board of Hypnotherapy with members all across the globe.
They later expanded to include NLP and their members are globally recognized for maintaining a high standard of excellence in their training.
Here are their standards for each of the main certifications:
NLP Practitioner
Duration of Training: Minimum of 120 hours of training in the basics of NLP patterns taught by a Certified Trainer, or a certified Master Practitioner under the supervision of a trainer.
Demonstration of ability to identify the following basic skills, techniques, patterns and concepts of NLP and to utilize them competently with self and with others.
Behavioral integration of the basic presuppositions of NLP, including:
Outcome orientation with respect for others’ models of the world and the ecology of the system.
Distinction between map and territory.
There is only feedback (cybernetic)-no failure.
Meaning of your communication is the response you get.
Adaptive intent of all behavior.
Everyone has the necessary resources to succeed.
Resistance is a signal of insufficient pacing.
Law of requisite variety.
Rapport, establishment and maintenance of.
Pacing and Leading (verbal and non-verbal).
Calibration (sensory-based experience).
Representational systems (predicates, and accessing cues).
Meta-Model.
Milton-Model.
Elicitation of well-formed, ecological outcome and structures of present state.
Overlap and Translation.
Metaphor creation.
Frames; contrast, relevancy, As If, Backtrack.
Anchoring (VAK).
Anchoring Techniques (contextualized to the field of application).
Ability to shift consciousness to external or internal, as required by the moment’s task.
Dissociation and Association.
Chunking.
SubModalities.
Verbal and non-verbal elicitation of responses.
Accessing and building of resources.
Reframing.
Strategies; detection, elicitation, utilization, & installation.
Demonstration of behavioral flexibility.
NLP Master Practitioner
Duration of Training: Minimum of 120 hours of advanced training taught by a certified trainer. A minimum of 15 hours of direct trainer supervision.
Demonstration of the ability to identify the following basic skills, techniques patterns and concepts of NLP and to utilize these competently with self and with others.
All practitioner-level skills, singly and in combination.
Design individualized interventions (generative and remedial).
Ecological change work.
Shifting easily back and forth between content and form, and experience and label.
Specific Master Practitioner Skills:
Meta Programs.
Criteria (Values).
identification and utilization.
criteria ladder.
elicitation of complex equivalence and adjustment of criteria.
sleight of mouth.
Installation and utilization of strategies.
Refined use of submodalities.
Deliberate multi-level communication.
Negotiations.
Presentation skills.
Modeling.
Utilization and transformation of beliefs and presuppositions.
NLP Trainer
Duration of Training: Minimum of 120 hours of advanced training taught by a certified Master Trainer. A minimum of 15 hours of direct trainer supervision.
Satisfactory demonstration of the following behavioral competencies:
Complete behavioral competence in all Practitioner and Master Practitioner level skills, ability to do any and all practitioner and master practitioner techniques simultaneously both overtly and covertly.
Demonstrate facility to shift between content and form (IE: between experience and labeling).
Ability to do (demonstrate the behavior of) what one is teaching and to teach what one is doing — and to label it linguistically (IE: Model Self).
Demonstration of Presentation and Teaching skills:
Pacing and leading.
Respect for audience (i.e. at least keeping separate your and others model of the world, and responding to these congruently; considering and responding ecologically to others; conscious and unconscious processes.
Ability to answer questions, (including discerning the level and intent of questions and generating level-appropriate responses).
Design of presentation: At the least, setting opening and closing frames, setting outcomes, chunking and sequencing of information and experience, balancing information–giving and occasions for discovery, facilitating generalization of information and skills across context and time.
Design of exercises: At the least, providing for both overt and covert learning in each exercise, including previously learned material for cumulative learning, specifying outcomes of exercises, providing a task for all involved persons insuring behavioral learning, including a future pace.
Explanation of exercises including the ability to explain an exercise behaviorally without the use of notes or printed aids.
Use of deep and shallow metaphor.
Utilization of multi-level feedback: ongoing re-evaluation and incorporation of overt and covert information from individuals and group.
Graceful intervention in groups: at the least maintaining rapport and giving specific sensory grounded feedback, via questions that directionalize appropriate search to facilitate peoples discovery for themselves, demonstration, or if necessary, overtly telling them what to do.
”Tasking”: creating of a task that presupposes that a person behave in a different way that expands his/her model of the world.
Ability to do demonstrations.
Demonstration of a personal style, and artistry (indicating that the new trainer is integrating skills into his/her own behavior).
Demonstration of an understanding of the process of NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner NLP training.
NLP Master Trainer
Duration of Trainings: A minimum of 5 years as lead trainer in Practitioner and Master Practitioner Trainings taught as a Certified Trainer. A minimum of 5 consecutive years, member of ABNLP at the NLP trainer level. A minimum of 5 (five) Trainers Training coaching and assisting under direct trainer supervision by a Master Trainer approved by ABNLP. An evaluation of the candidate’s student is also necessary. A copy of your course curriculum and course manual at Practitioner, Master Practitioner, and NLP Trainer level. A copy of Master Trainer program from your school and/or Master Trainer.
Satisfactory demonstration of the following behavioral competencies:
A video of you teaching an NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner course, along with exercises
Teaching at least 10 NLP Practitioner and 10 NLP Master Practitioner trainings
Immediate and flawless recall and teaching of any NLP subject from memory without notes
Being able to conduct on request and without notice a Demo Day during the NLP Trainers Training and Evaluation under direct Master Trainer supervision.
There are additional requirements that are more subjective, and which can be discussed with your Master Trainer.
To be certified as a NLP Master Trainer, the NLP Trainer must be approved by 2 NLP Master Trainers from different organizations who are current and approved members of ABNLP to provide NLP Training.
INLPTA
The INLPTA was formed in 1993 by 3 NLP Master Trainers: Wyatt Woodsmall, Marvin Oka, and Bert Feustel. It is an international cooperative association of NLP Trainers and Master Trainers who have agreed to abide by and uphold INLPTA's standards of quality, professionalism and ethics in their NLP accreditation trainings and in the conduct of their NLP business.
They have trainers in over 50 countries and on all 5 continents.
Here are their standards for each of the main certifications:
NLP Practitioner
Duration of training: Minimum of 130 hours (excluding breaks longer than 30 minutes) and a minimum of 15 days of formal course training. 18 days is recommended.
The most critical factor in evaluating practitioners is their ability to:
Work within an outcome frame
Establish and maintain states of resourcefulness
Sort by others
Establish and maintain rapport
Respect and pace other people's models of the world
Do effective and ecological change work
Certification requirements are the successful completion of the following:
Written examination for intellectual competence
Behavioral examination for behavioral competence
Case study documentation or personal/professional application project report
The assessment criteria of an INLPTA NLP Practitioner is based on Attitude (embodiment of the presuppositions of NLP), Content Knowledge (frames, principles, techniques, and distinctions) and behavioral skills (demonstrated integration of learnings)
NLP Master Practitioner
Training Structure
Trained by an INLPTA registered NLP Trainer
The certification training meets INLPTA training structure requirements
Minimum of 130 hours of formal course room training. (excluding breaks longer than 30 minutes)
Minimum of 15 days of formal course room training
The attended training meets the INLPTA accreditation competency standards and guidelines
The candidate has successfully met the competency standards of INLPTA of NLP Master-Practitioner, as assessed by the registered INLPTA Trainer
The certificate needs to be signed by at least one INLPTA NLP Trainer. 2 is ideal.
The certificates need to have the starting and ending dates, as well as the numbers of hours and dates written on them. All certificates need to ordered by the international or national INLPTA coordinator and be numbered and sealed with the official INLPTA seal
Certification Requirements
Behavioral competency in all Practitioner level skills and the demonstrated ability to do several patterns simultaneously
The ability to identify, utilize and demonstrate one's integration of the Master Practitioner content, skills, frames, concepts, principles, processes, techniques and distinctions. (see INLPTA Master Practitioner Assessment Criteria list)
The ability to do individualized interventions
Demonstrated ability to operate from an ecological framework and philosophy, and to do ecological change work with self and others
Advanced development of flexibility with ones' own representational systems and perceptual filters
Demonstrated capacity to shift back and forth between content and form as appropriate to context
Ability to track shifts in different logical levels of internal processing and logical types of descriptions
Ability to facilitate one's own learning processes at the appropriate logical levels
Embodiment of the Presuppositions of NLP
Multi- tracking abilities
Ability to maintain resourceful states for intellectual, emotional, and physical choice
Ability to process one's own modeling of the world and to re-organize one's processing as appropriate to the context and outcome
Assessment Criteria for NLP Master Practitioner
Degree of integration, mastery, and elegance with all NLP Practitioner Skills
Degree of integration of NLP Master Practitioner Process Skills
Conscious/Unconscious Embodiment of the Legs of NLP
Conscious/Unconscious Embodiment of the Presuppositions of NLP
Conscious/Unconscious Multi-tracking:
Multi Layered Outcomes
Multi-Level Calibration Skills
Multi-Level Conscious/Unconscious Processing
Ability to Be At Choice With the Process of Identification and Self Evaluation
Precision Resourcefulness Through All Representational Systems
Scope of Sensory Flexibility
Perceptual Sorting Flexibility (Metaprograms and Perceptual Positions)
Ability to Track One's Own Epistemological Processing
Ability to Track the Epistemology of Others
Epistemological Flexibility
Ability to Track Logical Levels and Logical Typings
Ability to Process Learning from Achievement
Ability to Establish and Maintain Multiple levels of Rapport
Ability to Separate Process from Content About Process
Ability to Deliver Deliberate Multi-Level Communications
Ability to Deliver Deliberate Multi-Level Communications
Ability to Generalize and Contextualize the NLP Master Practitioner Content and Skills to Other Fields of Personal Interest
Degree of Integration of NLP Master Practitioner Content Knowledge and Skills
NLP Trainer
Training Structure
The Trainer's Training is/was conducted by an INLPTA Master Trainer authorized to do so by the INLPTA Board of Directors
The certification training meets INLPTA training structure requirements
Minimum of 150 hours of formal course room training. (excluding breaks longer than 30 minutes)
Minimum of 19 days of formal course room training
The attended training meets the INLPTA accreditation competency standards and guidelines
The certificate needs to be signed by at least two INLPTA NLP Master Trainers
The certificates need to have the starting and ending dates, as well as the numbers of hours and dates written on them. And all certificates need to ordered by the international or national INLPTA coordinator and be numbered and sealed with the official INLPTA seal
General Criteria for NLP Trainer
The candidate is of INLPTA NLP Master Practitioner accredited status
The candidate has attended and successfully completed an INLPTA Trainers training
The candidate has successfully met the INLPTA competency requirements for an INLPTA Trainer, assessed by at least two authorized INLPTA Trainer Trainers
The candidate has successfully completed the following:
Written assessment of intellectual integration of Practitioner, Master Practitioner, and Trainer content (at least 85% correct)
Behavioral Assessment of presentation and training skill levels
At least two (30 min.+) evaluated NLP presentations before an audience with feedback from the audience and the INLPTA Trainers Trainer
An unannounced impromptu presentation and/or demonstration of an NLP content piece or technique before an audience
Assessment of competency in training design
Demonstrated attitude based on ecology, learning, and the living embodiment of the presuppositions of NLP
It is strongly recommended that the candidate has either reviewed and/or assisted with a Practitioner and Master Practitioner program since their original training at those levels as a student
It is strongly recommended that the candidate has received 20 hours of either personal coaching, supervision, or therapy by a certified INLPTA NLP Trainer
Intellectual and Behavioral Competencies
An INLPTA NLP Trainer is expected to demonstrate intellectual and behavioral competence in the following areas at appropriate levels of frames, principles, techniques, and distinctions:
Excellence in attitudinal, behavioral, and intellectual competency in all Practitioner and Master Practitioner level skills and the demonstrated ability to do several patterns simultaneously at multiple levels
Demonstrated ability to design a complete INLPTA Practitioner and Master Practitioner accreditation training
Demonstrated ability to design and conduct the delivery of NLP content chunks
Demonstrated ability to facilitate within students the learning of NLP content and the development of NLP skills and attitudes
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain excellent levels of rapport with all participants, colleagues and trainers
Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate group inductions overtly and covertly
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain rapport with groups
Demonstrated ability to work ecologically with groups
Demonstrated ability to pace and lead a group in ecological directions
Demonstrated ability to model the learner
Demonstrated ability to pace, lead, incorporate and utilize the differences in world views between students-students and trainer-student(s)
Demonstrated ability to utilize Satir Categories as applied to group communication
Demonstrated ability to design, facilitate and debrief exercises
Demonstrated ability to deliver instructions for exercises
Demonstrated ability to demonstrate all Practitioner and Master Practitioner patterns overtly and covertly
Demonstrated ability to establish and utilize stage anchors
Demonstrated ability to design and deliver nested loops
Demonstrated ability to answer questions and facilitate unconscious processes in an open frame
Demonstrated ability to coach by facilitating unconscious learning processes
Demonstrated ability to utilize environmental influences to facilitate optimum learning at conscious and unconscious levels
Demonstrated ability to facilitate learning at different logical levels and of different logical types
Demonstrated ability to design and conduct trainings that facilitate different adult learning styles
Demonstrated ability to appropriately assess and evaluate students at Practitioner and Master Practitioner levels
Behavioral demonstration of being able to "walk what you talk and talk what you walk"
Excellent state control, emotional stability, stress resistance and self management
Demonstrated ability to know and process your own model of the world and to adjust yourself congruently, ecologically, and respectfully to another person's model of the world
Demonstrated ability to handle and resolve conflict, and to make effective and ecological decisions as appropriate to context
Basic understanding of common knowledge models from psychology, physiology, brain research, therapy and other related areas to NLP
Demonstrated ability to design, deliver and utilize metaphors in training
Demonstrated ability to give and receive feedback in educative and self evolutionary ways
Demonstrated ability to design, deliver and facilitate educative tasking
Demonstrated ability to handle hecklers, under achievers, "problem" cases, ecological and/or ethical issues
Demonstrated ability to calibrate groups and to respond accordingly
Demonstrated ability to alter one's own training style as appropriate to context, audience and outcome
NLP Master Trainer
NLP Master Trainers are recognized as having attained a superior level of training excellence in the domain of NLP Certification trainings. The request for entry to the assessment process must be accompanied with a personal voucher from the NLP Master Trainer with whom the applicant has trained.
General Criteria for NLP Master Trainer
The candidate is an accredited INLPTA NLP Trainer
The candidate has attended and successfully completed an INLPTA Master Trainer's Training as authorized by the INLPTA Board of Directors
The candidate has successfully met the INLPTA competency requirements for an NLP Master Trainer, as assessed by the INLPTA Board of Directors
Training Excellence
Have fully conducted as the principal trainer a minimum of 5 NLP Certification Trainings consisting of at least one Practitioner and one Master Practitioner Certification Trainings. to INLPTA standards.
Dates of conducted trainings to be submitted to the INLPTA Board of Directors along with the signatures of the students who have attended those specific programs.
Have trained and accredited to INLPTA standards a minimum of 50 NLP Practitioners and 20 NLP Master Practitioners. This is to be monitored by the process of the NLP Trainer submitting to the INLPTA Board of Directors signed acceptance forms from each of their certified students for receipt of their Certificates, which are to be correlated to the number of INLPTA certificates and seals that have been requested by that NLP Trainer
It is strongly recommended that the candidate has assisted and co-taught in an INLPTA Trainer's Training at least once (separate from the tasks encompassed within the Master Trainer's Track), and have received successful evaluations from a minimum of two INLPTA Board of Directors based on the degree of training expertise, content knowledge, and attitude.
Contribution to NLP
The contribution constitutes a new technique or model of intervention for change that allows NLP to do something it could not do before, or could not do as easily, elegantly, or generatively.
The contribution is able to be operationalized in a practical form
The developer is to conduct a presentation of their contribution at an INLPTA International Conference if requested to do so
INLPTA is given the rights to publish the contribution, with all due credit to the developer, for dissemination to the NLP community in the most appropriate form as determined by the INLPTA Board of Directors (with input from the INLPTA Board of Advisers)
AIP
The Association for Integrative Psychology, or AIP for short, was founded in 2005 by Matthew B. James, Ph.D. Its purpose is to promote awareness and acceptance of complementary, alternative, and integrative approaches as viable ways to facilitate change. A variety of disciplines is represented in the field of Integrative Psychology such as acupuncture, hypnosis, NLP, naturopathic medicine, and others.
Here are their standards for each of the NLP certifications:
NLP Practitioner
Duration of Training - Minimum of 120 hours of training in the basics of NLP. Taught by a Certified Master Practitioner of NLP under the supervision of a Certified Trainer of NLP, or a Certified Trainer of NLP, or a Certified Master Trainer of NLP.
Demonstration of the ability to identify the following basic skills, techniques, patterns and concepts of NLP and to utilize them successfully with self and others.
Presuppositions of NLP
Rapport
Sensory Acuity
Representational Systems
Meta-Model
Milton Model
Elicitation of well-formed, ecological outcomes and structures of the present state.
Metaphor Creation
Frames
Anchoring
Dissociation and Association
Logical Levels of Thinking
Submodalities
Reframing
Strategies
Parts Integration
NLP Master Practitioner
Duration of Training - Minimum of 120 hours of advanced NLP training. Taught by a Certified Trainer of NLP or a Certified Master Trainer of NLP. Minimum of 15 hours of direct NLP trainer supervision.
Prerequisite: Must be at the Practitioner of NLP level.
Demonstration of the ability to identify the following basic skills, techniques, patterns, and concepts of NLP and to utilize these successfully with self and with others.
All NLP Practitioner-level skills.
Design individual interventions.
Master Practitioner Skills
Meta Programs
Criteria (Values)
sleight of mouth
Installation and utilization of strategies
Refined use of submodalities
Negotiations
Presentation skills
Modeling
NLP Trainer
Duration of Training - Minimum of 120 hours of very advanced training. Taught by a Certified Master Trainer of NLP. Minimum of 15 hours of direct trainer supervision.
Must be at the Master Practitioner of NLP level.
Satisfactory behavioral demonstrations of the following:
Successfully complete behavioral demonstrations in all Practitioner and Master Practitioner level skills, ability to do any and all practitioner and master practitioner techniques simultaneously both overtly and covertly.
Demonstrate ability to shift between content and form (i.e. between experience and labeling).
Ability to do (demonstrate the behavior of) what one is teaching, to teach what one is doing, to teach what one is doing and to label it linguistically (i.e. model self).
Demonstration of Presentation and Teaching Skills:
Pacing and leading
Respect for the audience (i.e. at least keeping separate your's and other's model of the world, and responding to these congruently; considering and responding ecologically to others; conscious and unconscious processes).
Answers questions that include discerning the level and intent of questions and generating level-appropriate responses.
Design of presentation - At the least, setting opening and closing frames, setting outcomes, chunking, and sequencing of information and experience, balancing information - giving information and allowing occasions for discovery, and facilitating generalization of information and skills across context and time.
Design of exercises - At the least, providing for both overt and covert learning in each exercise, including previously learned material for cumulative learning, specifying outcomes of exercises, providing a task for all involved persons ensuring behavioral learning, and including a future pace.
Explanation of exercises including the ability to explain an exercise behaviorally without the use of notes or printed aids.
Use of deep and shallow metaphors.
Utilization of multi-level feedback - Ongoing re-evaluation and incorporation of overt and covert information from individuals and group.
Graceful intervention in groups - At the least maintaining rapport and giving specific sensory grounded feedback, via questions that directionalize appropriate search to facilitate peoples discovery for themselves, demonstration, or if necessary, overtly telling them what to do.
"Tasking" - the creation of a task that presupposes that a person behaves in a different way that expands his/her model of the world.
Performs successful demonstrations.
Demonstration of a personal style and artistry (indicating that the new trainer is integrating skills into his/her own behavior).
Design in writing, a Practitioner and Master Practitioner NLP Training.
NLP Master Trainer
Duration of Training - Minimum of three (3) years as lead trainer in Practitioner and Master Practitioner NLP Trainings. Must be taught by a Certified Master Trainer of NLP.
Must be at the Trainer of NLP level.
Demonstration of the following behavioral competencies:
Practitioner, Master Practitioner, and Trainer level of NLP knowledge and techniques.
Lead NLP Trainer in at least five (5) Practitioner of NLP Trainings. Proof of trainings necessary.
Lead NLP Trainer in at least three (3) Master Practitioner Trainings. Proof of trainings necessary.
Documentation of direct supervision by a Certified Master Trainer of NLP doing the training. The result of these evidentiary procedures would be that the Certified Master Trainer of NLP would "know" the candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities as an NLP Trainer and would be able to attest to those areas. Documentation would include:
Immediate and accurate recall and teaching of any NLP subject from memory (without written notes).
Assisting and teaching at three (3) Master Practitioner of NLP Trainings that are taught by a Certified Master Trainer of NLP. Topics of instruction should show variety of material. Quality of instruction should be at satisfactory or higher. Proof and quality of instruction must be signed by the Certified Master Trainer of NLP.
Assisting at three (3) consecutive Trainers Trainings for NLP. Proof of assistance with a listing of areas of responsibility that were performed and signed by the Certified Master Trainer of NLP.
Able to think and discuss at least two (2) logical levels above the content of Trainer level of NLP.
During this process, demonstrate a willingness to learn how to improve his/her knowledge, skills, and abilities in NLP Training by having meetings/discussions with the Certified NLP Master Trainer as needed.
There may be additional requirements that are more subjective and may be discussed with your Certified NLP Master Trainer.
Must be approved by two (2) Master Trainers of NLP from different organizations.
Other NLP Certifications
In each of the NLP certification boards, we only covered the 4 main certifications, however, some certification boards have standards for other NLP certifications besides the main 4.
For example, INLPTA has standards for an NLP Coach (nlp coaching) as well as an NLP Master Coach. These particular certifications place a strong emphasis on the coaching aspect of NLP.
Some NLP schools have an NLP Business Practitioner Certification, which was originally pioneered by Sue Knight. She was also the first person to write a book about using NLP in a business setting called NLP at work.
How to Become an ANLP Accredited NLP Trainer and Course Provider
If you are an NLP trainer or a course provider who wants to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your professionalism and quality, you might want to consider applying for an accredited nlp certification through ANLP Accreditation programme. ANLP stands for the Association for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes and supports the ethical and professional use of NLP. The ANLP Accreditation programme is an independent, peer-reviewed process that evaluates and recognizes NLP trainers and courses that meet the ANLP standards and criteria.
What are the Benefits of ANLP Accreditation?
By becoming an ANLP accredited NLP trainer or course provider, you can enjoy many benefits, such as:
- You can increase your credibility and reputation in the NLP field
- You can attract more clients and students who value quality and excellence
- You can network and collaborate with other ANLP accredited members and organizations
- You can access exclusive resources, support, and opportunities from ANLP
- You can display the ANLP logo and certificate on your website and marketing materials
- You can contribute to the development and advancement of NLP as a profession
What are the Requirements for ANLP Accreditation?
To apply for the ANLP Accreditation programme, you need to meet the following minimum criteria and core requirements:
- You need to be a current member of ANLP
- You need to have a minimum of 5 years of NLP experience
- You need to have a minimum of 2 years of NLP training experience
- You need to have a minimum of 120 hours of NLP trainer training
- You need to have a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice as an NLP trainer
- You need to adhere to the ANLP Code of Ethics and Conduct
- You need to submit a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates your competence and quality as an NLP trainer and course provider
The portfolio of evidence should include:
- Your CV and qualifications
- Your course syllabus and materials
- Your course evaluation and feedback forms
- Your course certificates and assessment methods
- Your personal statement and references
- Your video recordings of your training sessions
How to Apply for ANLP Accreditation?
To apply for the ANLP Accreditation programme, you need to follow these steps:
- Step 1: Contact ANLP and request an application form
- Step 2: Complete the application form and pay the application fee
- Step 3: Submit your portfolio of evidence online or by post
- Step 4: Wait for the review process by the ANLP Accreditation Panel
- Step 5: Receive feedback and notification of the outcome
The review process may take up to 12 weeks, depending on the volume of applications. The outcome may be one of the following:
- Approved: You have met all the requirements and are granted the ANLP Accreditation status
- Conditional: You have met most of the requirements but need to make some minor adjustments or improvements before being granted the ANLP Accreditation status
- Rejected: You have not met the requirements or have failed to demonstrate your competence or quality as an NLP trainer or course provider
If you are approved, you will receive a certificate and a logo that you can use to promote your accreditation. You will also be listed on the ANLP website as an accredited member. You will need to renew your accreditation every 3 years by submitting an updated portfolio of evidence and paying a renewal fee.
If you are conditional, you will receive feedback and guidance on how to improve your portfolio of evidence. You will have 6 months to resubmit your portfolio for another review. If you pass the second review, you will be granted the accreditation status. If you fail the second review, you will be rejected.
If you are rejected, you will receive feedback on why you did not meet the standards or criteria. You will have 12 months to reapply for accreditation by submitting a new portfolio of evidence and paying another application fee.
How to Find Out More About ANLP Accreditation?
If you want to learn more about the ANLP Accreditation programme, you can check out some of the following resources:
- ANLP Accreditation Programme: A detailed explanation of the programme by ANLP.
- ANLP Accreditation Criteria and Core Requirements: A comprehensive list of the criteria and requirements for accreditation by ANLP.
- FAQs - ANLP Accreditation: A compilation of relevant frequently asked questions about accreditation by ANLP.
- The Value of Accreditation: An article that explores the benefits and importance of accreditation by Luke Bong, an accredited trainer.
ANLP Accreditation is a valuable way to demonstrate your professionalism and quality as an NLP trainer or course provider. It can help you to enhance your reputation, attract more clients, and contribute to the NLP community. If you are interested in applying for the ANLP Accreditation programme, you can contact ANLP today and start your journey of excellence.
Closing Thoughts
When it comes to getting an NLP certification, there's a lot you have to consider.
You have to not only pick a training school, but you also have to see which certification board your training school is affiliated with.
Depending on your ambitions, you could settle for an NLP Practitioner certification, or you can go all the way up and become a Master Trainer, which in most cases means making a significant contribution to the field.
If you want to use NLP in a business setting, then you might want to consider getting an NLP Business Practitioner certification. Or if you're passionate about coaching, then becoming an NLP Coach or Master Coach might make sense for you. There are many options to explore and the only limit is your imagination.
If you were to ask me, is nlp certification worth it, my answer would be that it's up to you. You have to make it worth it by using what you learn. If you don't apply what you learn, then it'll never be worth it.