Psychiatric care has not only become more socially acceptable in recent years but has completely changed compared to something like 75 years ago.
When dealing with such issues as depression and anxiety disorders, there are a number of practices these days to not only help manage it but improve the individuals outlook on life.
One of these practices would be the NLP Practitioner (Neuro-Linguistic Programmer) and while it sounds like a complicated job based on the title alone, there are a number of ways to become one of these practitioners, specifically through an INLP Centre.
What is an NLP Practitioner?
An NLP Practitioner, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, is an individual who is trained specifically to help a patient adjust their outlook on life by changing the way they think as well as helping them to adjust their approach to life, and how they view past events.
In short, this practitioner teaches you how to gain control of your mind, and thus affecting how you control your life, based on “you can’t always control what happens, but you can always control how you deal with it” which was a direct quote from one of the co-creators, Richard Bandler.
The practice was developed in 1972 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder as a means of helping individuals take charge of their life. Some have addressed the practice as “mind tricks” or the practitioners as “Magicians of Change” because of the approach the Coaches utilize.
The Techniques Used
While psychoanalysis practices focus on the “why” of a problem, NLP focuses on “how” to address the problem.
Utilizing a number of techniques and strategies, these Coaches help make it possible to gain a better degree of control over your life through such things as:
- Asking Questions– When confronted with a problem our brains automatically start searching for answers. In some ways these answers can make the problem worse when overthinking begins to kick in. Instead, change the questions you’re asking to hold a more positive aspect. Instead of asking “why is this happening to me?” Ask yourself “what can I learn from this?”
- Goal Guidance- Creating goals can not only be challenging, but it can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. This can cause overthinking with thoughts like “that’s not realistic” or “you aren’t good enough for that” at which point the NLP Practitioners will help you recondition your thought process to create more positivity around your goals. For example, when thinking about a dream job, don’t think about the steps it will take to get there, but rather think about what you’ll experience when you reach that goal. Or, when thinking about your dream home, don’t think about what it will take to get there, but what it will be like to actually live there.
- Challenging the Critical Voice– As a part of overthinking our brain automatically starts becoming very critical of itself saying things like “Come on, you aren’t capable of doing that,” or “What’s the point? Nothing will come of it”. Instead, change it up a bit. Challenge the critical voice by giving it a goofy tone, come up with 3 points as to how you’re capable of the task, or try to focus on the good that’ll come from you trying something new. For example, working a new job you might have difficulties while the boss is away. Instead of thinking “I’m not qualified, I wish *insert name* was here to help”, think “I have enough knowledge to help them fix the problem, and I can address it when *insert name* comes back.”
- Meditation and Hypnosis– Hypnosis may seem daunting to some people, but it can be quite beneficial if done correctly by a trained professional. With the practices of meditation and hypnosis, the main focus is to change the communication from self to mind, directly changing a specific association between a memory and a feeling or changing the visualization one has of themself. This is not a practice that’ll happen overnight, but once there’s a definite sign of progress the practice itself becomes easier.
How to Become an NLP Practitioner?
If this particular practice has piqued your interest, and you’re wondering what the next steps are, there’s sites which offer not only more information, but INLP coach training as well. Where to start though?
Fortunately, considering society has gone through a drastic change recently due to the pandemic, the training to become an NLP Practitioner can be done entirely online through a virtual classroom that offers access to a webinar library, different learning modules, videos, and conference formatting. It’s definitely an important factor to research whether an establishment offering NLP training is accredited and offers flexibility so you’re able to work it into your existing schedule.
After you’ve received your certification the next step is to find an establishment that’s either searching for an NLP practitioner, or potentially interested in bringing one on as a member of the staff. This may take some time, but the result of having the opportunity to help other people will no doubt be worth it.
Conclusion
In general, an NLP Practitioner is someone who works in the psychiatric care industry to help with any problem that ranges from anxiety, weight loss assistance to quitting smoking, phobias, and even stress.
If there’s a problem an individual is experiencing that they’re not qualified for they’ll probably recommend them to a colleague who is better equipped to assist with the matter.
The goal for an NLP Practitioner is to help reform how one approaches their mental health and mindset whether it’s through basic assistance or more in-depth analysis; based on the background of the Practitioner be it healthcare, business, culinary, or even a stay at home parent, they’ll have different specializations that can be very beneficial to certain individuals based on how they handle stressors, anxiety, or every day challenges.
