Faced with numerous NLP training courses, many of them to be claiming the best, I was in a dilemma as to which one to choose. Some well known names in the business have been making compelling cases about employing “accelerated learning techniques” by keeping students in a trance and condensing the overall course period. However, I recall the old maxim that “knowledge is only potential power”. Actual power comes from being able to apply the knowledge which needs practice –and lots of it! So were these shorter courses likely to give me adequate opportunity in practising & building my skill level or were they simply designed to be more profitable for the trainers?

I finally decided to try out the Premier Practioner Course held in July 2007, Central London, put together by Michael Carroll founder of the NLPAcademy. Running side by side with Trainers training, the students were exposed to an exhilarating 13 days of 4 trainers – John Grinder, Carmen Bostic St Clair, Michael Carroll and John Thompson.


All the trainers turned out to be warm, friendly, approachable eager to help in various ways – John Grinder, co-creator of NLP, was absolutely brilliant with his metaphors and stories, Carmen with her razor sharp precision of meta model language, adopting 3rd positions & micro muscle exercises, John Thompson facilitating the whole event with his warm Yorkshire humour making learning fun despite the long hours, and Michael of course, synthesising different aspects of the course to ensure that overall we were delivered a professional, cost-effective course! An additional bonus was to work with and be mentored by the trainee “trainers” who were being taught in another room, in some of the evenings.

Michael has often quoted that Croydon (where his NLPAcademy is based) is fast becoming the "California of NLP". Well, judging by the performance of the course and his endeavours to raise standards in the industry, I would believe this to be more a reality than just fantasy.

Hasu