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NLP Knowledge Base — NLP for Professionals by Wisdomtree Solutions

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Brief answers for first-time readers. Longer explanations live on the cornerstone and evidence pages.

NLP Knowledge Base Editorial · Reviewed 21 September 2026

What is NLP?

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a practitioner field concerned with how people use language, attention and learned patterns of behaviour. Read the full essay: What Is NLP?.

What is an NLP Practitioner?

It is a training title, not a licensed medical profession by default. See What is an NLP Practitioner?. For how certification programmes are structured, see NLP Practitioner certification and NLP Master Practitioner certification.

Is NLP scientifically proven?

Not as a whole. Some practices overlap with communication and coaching skills. Many theoretical claims remain disputed. See Evidence and criticism.

Why is this not a list of courses?

The NLP Knowledge Base explains the field. It is not a catalogue of programmes, dates or fees.

How should I use the glossary?

Look up a term when you meet it in a book, conversation or essay. Each published entry has a short definition and a longer explanation. Terms that are not yet written are simply absent — they are not listed as “coming soon”.

How does NLP relate to coaching or leadership?

Some coaches and managers use NLP distinctions about language and state. That overlap is explained in NLP and coaching and NLP and leadership. Neither page is a course list.

Questions readers often ask

What is NLP in one sentence?
NLP is a practitioner field from the 1970s that offers models of language, attention and behaviour; it is not a single scientific theory of the mind.
Is NLP the same as a training course?
No. NLP is the field. A practitioner programme is one way people study that field. Course dates and fees are published by training organisations.
Does the NLP Knowledge Base offer certification?
No. It is a knowledge base.

See also

  • Neuro-Linguistic Programming

    Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a practitioner field, originating in the 1970s, that studies how language, attention and behaviour patterns relate to subjective experience.

  • Modeling

    In NLP, modeling is the process of studying how someone produces a useful result, then making the pattern explicit enough to practise or teach.

  • Rapport

    In NLP, rapport is a working relationship of attention and responsiveness; it is practised through pacing, listening and calibration rather than through forced friendliness.

  • What Is NLP?

    Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a set of models and methods, developed in the 1970s, for describing how people use language, attention and behaviour. This page explains the term without hype and without treating every practitioner claim as established science.

  • What Is an NLP Practitioner?

    “NLP Practitioner” is a training and certification title used in the NLP field. It names a level of practitioner study, not a licensed medical or psychological profession.

  • NLP Practitioner Certification: What It Is and What to Look For

    NLP Practitioner certification is a training designation used across many independent schools. It names a first substantial level of study in a commonly used pathway — not a single government qualification, and not a licence to practise therapy.

  • NLP Master Practitioner Certification: What It Is and What to Expect

    Master Practitioner is the usual next training designation after NLP Practitioner. It generally means a deeper, more integrative use of skills already introduced — not a second copy of the same course, and not a therapy, coaching or healthcare licence.

  • Evidence and Criticism

    NLP is a practitioner field with a mixed and often disputed evidence record. This page states the site’s stance so that later technique and model pages do not have to pretend otherwise.

  • NLP and Coaching

    Coaching is a conversation toward a client’s stated direction. Some coaches use NLP to make that direction, and the language around it, more specific. The overlap is a vocabulary, not a licensed method and not a proof of better coaching outcomes.

  • NLP glossary

    Look up terminology used in this article.