Information For Participants On Transformations Trainings

Practitioner group in circle

Nau Mai, Haere Mai (Welcome)

Welcome to your training with Transformations International Consulting & Training. Most of the following information will be explained on your training course. The rest of it is unlikely to be needed. We provide it to you so that you have all the facts easily available if you should ever want them. This page is a kind of Student Guide to Transformations. Our aim is for our trainings to be immensely enjoyable, safe and successful experiences. This guide gives you some of the background information about how we ensure that happens.

We want you to know most of all that on our trainings you can expect:

  • To be respected and supported in your own ability to learn
  • To have fun, learning things that truly change your life experience
  • To get value for your money and more

Entry To Transformations Trainings

Generally, entry to our NLP Practitioner training and Transforming Communication basic training is open to anyone, and there is no prior learning required. We will support you to easily achieve the learnings you have come for.

Because NLP training involves exploring the work of the brain, if you have any existing psychiatric or neurological health condition, please let us know as soon as possible. At times people with such conditions will benefit from extra support through the program. Also, if you have challenges speaking, reading and writing English, or are differently abled (eg through visual impairment, deafness, tetraplegia) please discuss with us how to ensure your learning experience is successful.

Many people who have commenced their NLP training with another NLP Institute join our training at Master Practitioner level. We prefer such people to have had experience of our “style” of NLP, and we find it helpful to know what NLP techniques were taught on their basic course. We will check this with you in that case. If someone is over half way through NLP training with a recognised NLP Institute, it may be possible for them to join our NLP Practitioner training and have this prior learning recognised. The group-based culture of our trainings makes it inappropriate for people to join half way through a week block.

Please understand that if you are planning on receiving international certification, we expect you to set aside the time so that you can attend 100% of the training, including both the start of the course and the last hours of the last day.

Training Agreements With Transformations

Our experience is that NLP Trainings run successfully when students and staff are committed to some agreements about the process of training. Some of these agreements are included in every training we run (typed below). Others may be added to this list by negotiation during a training.

1. Permission to Learn: Participants are here to learn. Asking questions, listening and experimenting with new skills is encouraged to the extent that participants permit others to do similarly.

2. Timing and Attendance: The course is structured so that what happens in the first 30 minutes each day shapes what happens the rest of the day. What happens in one day shapes all the following days. Commit yourself to 100% attendance and notify us as soon as possible if its not easy achieving it.

3. Safety: On our courses you will learn powerful personal change techniques. We expect you to use these only where they support your own and others’ positive intentions. We also ask that you do each technique as taught, so as to get the result described.

4. Confidentiality: In the event that personal information is revealed during the course by any other participant, treat this information as confidential to this context. Get permission before passing on information specific to any individual.

Ensuring The Agreements Are Working

a) If you have a concern about these or any other matters please let an assistant or trainer know so we can resolve it as soon as possible, including providing individual Assistant support with learning if needed. If your concern involves the behaviour of other participants or staff, the Assistant or Trainer will help you to clarify your choices in terms of:

  • approaching that person to resolve the concern,
  • approaching that person with their support to resolve the concern,
  • raising the concern in the group for discussion.

b) If the Trainers have a concern about your behaviour in regard to any of the agreements, or in other ways which may endanger your achievement of course objectives, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. This method applies to Trainers own concerns. The trainers do not undertake to act on behalf of participants to “fix” participants’ concerns in relation to another participant, assistant or trainer, in secrecy from that other person. Such concerns can be resolved as described in a) above.

c) If either of us is not happy with the result of a) or b) above, an assistant or trainer will be available as a mediator to assist finding a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

d) If, following this process, either the participant remains unhappy with the result or the trainers remain concerned about a persons inability to meet course objectives, the participant will be offered the option of a full refund of their fees upon their leaving the course. This option is available any time before a participant has received certification. If at a future time such a participant wants to re-enter training for that certification, their fee will need to be renegotiated.

e) Transformations International Consulting & Training is a recognised NLP Training provider with The International Association of NLP Institutes and The International Association of NLP. If the above measures are not effective in resolving a complaint, you can contact these organizations to discuss your concern.

f) Transformations International Consulting & Training is committed to the standards of its former registration with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. We are not currently registered with NZQA as we believe the extra cost to our students is not justified by the length of our courses.

g) Transformations Certifications are aligned with the international curricula set by The International Association of NLP Institutes and The International Association of NLP.

The Certification Agreement

For those attending NLP certification trainings with us (9 day or 18/19 day trainings), we also require you to sign a certification agreement. This is an agreement about your future use of the skills and resources you gain from your training with us. The text of this agreement follows. This agreement defines ethical limits to what you will do with with your training. It will be more fully discussed on the training.

1. In agreeing to this training I accept that I will be learning information useful to create rapid and lasting personal change. The power of these techniques requires care, integrity and respect for the highest intention of all those involved.
2. I undertake, both during the course and after, to use this information only for self improvement or to achieve positive and ethical outcomes for others with whom I am involved, personally or professionally.
3. I understand that this workshop may raise emotional issues, but is not intended to provide a replacement for ongoing counselling or psychotherapy. It is a training workshop.
4. I also understand that this course is not a substitute for formal education in the behavioural sciences. I agree to use this information only as it applies to my personal level of expertise, and my existing professional credentials and/or education.
5. I also undertake, both during the course and after, to respect the copyright of written materials, and audio/visual recordings of any part of this course; unless first negotiating the conditions of use of such written materials or recordings with the trainers.

Being Comfortable With Assessment

For those attending full certification trainings (9 days or longer) your certification is dependent on passing certain assessments. We are generally successful in ensuring that 100% of participants are able to pass these assessments within the time of their training. However where this does not happen, we make arrangements to ensure you will be assisted to complete any remaining requirements at a later date. “Failure” is not an NLP frame. In our model of the world, people either succeed or get the feedback they need to tell them how to succeed in future. This means you can relax. We expect you to succeed. The only question is “how” to do that most easily.

To simplify matters, for each area of your course, we have a “Unit standard” (a statement that describes what a learner knows or can do after that part of the training). For each unit standard, there are performance criteria (things we can actually check for, as we observe your work in a small group or a pair, to find out if you have achieved the unit standard). Our high level of skilled trainers and assistant trainers ensures that we can generally observe each person in each exercise and ensure, as you do the course, that you are achieving the objective of each exercise. Following are the various Unit Standards which are assessed in this way, listed by course. All the NLP terms in this section will be explained on the course. You do not need to know them until then!

NLP Practitioner Unit Standards

  • Use The Presuppositions of NLP
  • Use Sensory acuity/Calibration
  • Apply Rapport
  • Use Language Patterns To Cause Internal Representations
  • Use Frames To Work Towards An Outcome
  • Assist Individual To Specify Well Formed Outcome
  • Use Sensory Systems
  • Apply Principles Of Anchoring
  • Work With Strategies
  • Use Submodalities
  • Assist Client To Change Towards Desired Outcome

NLP Master Practitioner Unit Standards

  • Use Advanced Language Patterns To Cause Internal Representations
  • Utilise Metaprograms To Achieve Outcome
  • Optimise Values To Achieve Outcome
  • Use Hypnotic States To Communicate With The Unconscious Mind
  • Model A Task Or Skill
  • Facilitate Integrated Learning
  • Assist Client To Change Towards Desired Outcome

Transforming Communication Unit Standards

  • Specify and take action towards goals.
  • Apply rapport.
  • Use sensory languages.
  • Apply anchoring.
  • Use the problem ownership model
  • Use helping skills to assist others to find solutions.
  • Use assertive skills to find own solutions.
  • Use conflict resolution skills to resolve conflicts.
  • Influencing values.

Transforming Communication Instructor Unit Standards

  • Elicit Learning States Using Anchors
  • Answer The Four Key Learning Questions Sequentially
  • Use Language Patterns In Training
  • Utilise Learner Experiences
  • Initiate A Public Training
  • Successfully Teach The Transforming Communication Model

Written Assessments

Although most unit standards can be checked by direct observation, on the Practitioner and Master Practitioner trainings we follow the International norms and provide simple written assessments. These assessments are listed below. We fully explain these on the training, and you will have had practice with all the skills needed to comfortably pass these checks, by the time you come to do them.

NLP Practitioner Training Written Assessments

1) Closed book check, Week One. This is a short check that you have learned three core NLP concepts; setting a well-formed outcome, identifying eye accessing cues, and pacing the sensory system a person speaks in.
2) Closed book check, Week Two A. This is a check that you can use the language patterns called the meta-model.
3) Closed book check, Week Two B. This is a check that you have learned some core NLP concepts about submodalities, anchoring, time line use, and strategies.
4) Case Study. This is a brief report which you write up on some brief individual NLP work with someone (usually 30-60 minutes of NLP, done outside the course time).

NLP Master Practitioner Written Assessments

1) Closed book check. This is a short check that you can generate “sleight of mouth” language patterns, identify metaprograms and values from a person’s comment, identify a person’s “strategy” using the NLP TOTE model, and design NLP interventions using the RESOLVE model.
2) Modelling Project. This is a study you do in your own time, using NLP distinctions to study how someone does something that they are very good at
3) Case Study. This is a brief report which you write up on some brief individual NLP work with someone (usually 30-60 minutes of NLP, done outside the course time).

Choices For Written Assessments And Learning

We are not testing your written English. If you prefer, we can arrange for one of the assistants to ask you the questions and record your spoken answers (an Oral Assessment). If you would be more comfortable completing the written assessment in Te Reo Maori, please advise us as soon as possible, and we will arrange for an NLP Master Practitioner familiar with the Maori language to assess your papers. We have found it possible for Differently Able people, for example people with back injuries, blindness or other physical differences to complete our trainings successfully. Again, please let us know your requirements early so we can think through to the best solutions with you.

Continuing Until You Succeed

We believe you can succeed in the training you have selected. Most people find that they can easily complete all assessments within the time of the course, and receive their certificate on the last day of the course. If we are concerned about the results of your individual practical NLP work or the results of the written checks, we will discuss this with you and arrange for you to get extra support.

Our first aim will be to ensure that you complete all the tasks within the course time. In the rare cases where that has not been possible, we have arranged with the person to complete tasks after the course, and verify their success by meeting with an NLP Practitioner or Master Practitioner who a) is approved by us for this task, and b) lives near the participant. You can ask for a re-assessment of any written or practical work by a second trainer, and you can appeal any assessment which you still are not fully satisfied with (see the section on “Ensuring The Agreements are Working” above).

Guaranteeing Your Satisfaction

We want you to be satisfied and richly rewarded for every investment you make with us. If, at any time before certification, you find yourself irreconcilably unhappy with the training you have enrolled in, you may withdraw from that training. In such a case, your money will be refunded if you request it, excepting for a $50 course administration fee. If you withdraw earlier than three weeks before the start of a training, your money will be refunded in full.

Assistants

You can also apply to assist at the NLP Practitioner or NLP Master Practitioner training if you have already attended the full training. Being an assistant gives you the chance to review the course content free of charge, and extend the personal changes. We deeply appreciate the contribution of our assistants, and the high quality of learning support they provide. There is usually no fee for assisting. Check out the details of assisting here.