Starting NLP Training

Neuro-Linguistic Programming

Starting NLP training can be a lot of fun, either by yourself or in a group environment. Like any type of training it is important that you do it in a way where you feel comfortable. Some people learn best by themselves, and others learn best in groups.

NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It was created in the 1970's by John Grinder and Richard Bandler. NLP is essentially a type of therapy. The basic premise is that by modeling anyone who is excellent at what they do you can become excellent yourself.

For example, if you want to become a better golfer, instead of learning through trial and error, you could find someone who is great at golf and study their techniques, swings, but more importantly how they think.

For example by learning how Tiger Woods mentally approaches each shot, each hole, you can model what he does and improve your golf game. My NLP training started through reading books. There are hundreds of great NLP books available. If you are just learning about this area, start with some introductory books on the subject.

Be careful when picking out books to read, some NLP books can be very advanced and can be quite dry for the beginner. Many of these books were written for certified NLP practitioners and not for beginners.

Another way to get training is through group workshops. These are held all over the nation and are a great way to get cutting edge techniques. Try and find a workshop for beginners. A lot of these workshops focus on more advanced techniques or their purpose is for more advanced practitioners to gain certification.

If you don't have time to travel there are also lots of great audio courses you could buy as well. Some people learn better through audio courses, which can be a very convenient way to learn. You can easily spend a small fortune doing NLP training if you wanted to. I find it best to not spend all your money on one large conference, but to go to smaller one-day workshops, or buy study at home courses, which are much cheaper.

If money is really an issue, eBay always seems to have a good amount of NLP material available. However you choose to learn about NLP, pick a way that you feel comfortable with. You might find that you like NLP so much you want to become a certified practitioner.