Client Welfare
Protect the wellbeing, safety and autonomy of every client. Serve their interests and do no harm.
International NLP Coaching Council
A higher standard for NLP and Coaching.
The definitive standard for ethical, competent and professional coaching that draws on Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Client welfare first
Professional integrity
Responsible NLP practice
International public trust
The NLP Coaching world needs a higher standard.
The field has grown rapidly without consistent standards. The public can struggle to distinguish responsible practice from unsupported claims, blurred professional boundaries and coaching presented as a substitute for medical or psychological treatment. INLPCC exists to establish a clear, credible standard with client welfare at its centre.
Coaching is a position of trust. The access a client grants is a privilege, not a right, and it carries obligations that do not bend to convenience, fashion or commercial pressure.
The standard rests on four principles.
These principles are ordered deliberately. When they come into tension, the welfare of the client comes first.
Professional Integrity
Be honest about qualifications, services, methods, fees and limits. Never exploit the trust of the role.
Competence and Development
Work within the limits of training and ability. Keep learning, seek supervision and refer when needed.
Responsible Representation of NLP
Describe NLP coaching truthfully. Do not present it as treatment or promise outcomes that cannot be supported.
Honorary President Dr. Wyatt Woodsmall
A Living Legend of Modern NLP, Master Modeler, and Teacher of Teachers
Dr. Wyatt Woodsmall is one of the most influential figures in the fields of NLP and behavioral modeling. He studied directly with Richard Bandler and John Grinder during the formative years of NLP and is recognized as the first certified NLP Master Trainer.
Together with Marilyne Woodsmall, he developed Advanced Behavioral Modeling Technology, pioneering new applications of modeling across leadership, business, sales, education, and sports.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Woodsmall has trained thousands of coaches, NLP Trainers, and human development professionals in more than 50 countries. Many of the individuals who went on to shape the international coaching and personal development landscape have studied with or been mentored by Dr. Woodsmall, including Tony Robbins, Tad James, Eben Pagan, Joe Polish, and Dean Graziosi.
His influence is also reflected in his collaboration with his student Tad James on the landmark book Time Line Therapy® and the Basis of Personality, widely regarded as one of the most influential works in the history of NLP.
For INLPCC, Dr. Woodsmall’s presence and active involvement in our team represent a living bridge between the roots of NLP and its contemporary teaching and practice. He embodies the continuation of an educational lineage through which the knowledge, modeling expertise, and values of NLP are passed from one generation of trainers to the next.
One ethical standard across every coaching domain.
The context may change, but the duty of care does not. The Council standard is intended for NLP-informed practitioners working across the following fields.
Life Coaching
Personal transformation, purpose, confidence and major life transitions.
Executive Coaching
Responsible development for leaders, teams and organisations.
Business Coaching
Entrepreneurship, performance, decision-making and sustainable growth.
Health and Wellness
Wellbeing and habit change practised within a clear and appropriate scope.
Relationship Coaching
Communication, connection and constructive change in relationships.
Performance Coaching
Achievement, focus and peak performance without unsupported promises.
NLP Training
Practitioners and trainers shaping the next generation of NLP coaching.
Career Coaching
Career transitions, professional development and workplace decisions.
The Council's Work
A standards body with practical responsibilities.
The Council is building the structures through which its standard can be understood, assessed and upheld. Operational details will be published as each function opens.
Practitioner Recognition
A rigorous assessment route leading to formal recognition that can be withdrawn when the standard is breached.
Ethical Standards Framework
A binding framework grounded in the Founding Charter and made practical through clear guidance.
Continuing Development
Planned pathways for ongoing learning, reflection and evidence of current competence.
Supervision and Peer Review
A planned structure for reflective practice, qualified supervision and professional challenge.
Public Practitioner Registry
A planned register allowing the public to verify the current recognition status of a practitioner.
Complaints and Accountability
A transparent accountability framework in development, with proportionate and meaningful outcomes.
Seven commitments shape the practice.
Honour the depth of the person
Meet the whole person, not a label or presenting problem.
Begin in the client’s world
Understand meanings and reasons before challenging or guiding.
Hold methods with open hands
Practise confidently while remaining fallible, curious and transparent.
Stand on real ground
Name the difference between practice that protects and practice that harms.
Work for the client’s flourishing
Serve the client’s genuine good, never dependence or personal gain.
Respect the pace of change
Do not rush change beyond readiness or promise the instant and dramatic.
See the whole life
Consider how change lands across relationships, work, health and community.
Recognition must be earned, not purchased.
Council recognition is intended to show that a practitioner has been assessed against a known ethical and professional standard. It will carry continuing obligations and may be withdrawn when that standard is broken.
Credibility grounded in a meaningful, published standard
A clear ethical foundation that clients can understand
Ongoing accountability, development and professional limits
Recognition Path
A clear route from application to ongoing accountability.
The final assessment framework is being established. The intended route has four stages, with complete requirements and terms to be published before applications open.
- 01
Apply
Submit evidence of training, relevant experience and ethical commitment.
- 02
Review
Evidence is assessed against the Founding Charter and published recognition criteria.
- 03
Recognition
Successful practitioners receive formal recognition and, when launched, a registry listing.
- 04
Maintain
Recognition is maintained through development, reflective practice and continuing accountability.
The founding standard, in full.
Read the Council’s complete commitments, principles, directives, bright lines and practitioner affirmation.
Questions about Council recognition.
These answers describe the intended recognition model while its final procedures are being completed.
How is Council recognition different from a training certificate?
A certificate confirms that training was completed. Council recognition is intended to confirm a practitioner's continuing commitment to a published ethical and competence standard, with accountability after recognition is granted.
Will an existing NLP certification still be relevant?
Yes. Relevant practitioner training is expected to form part of the evidence considered. Council recognition does not replace training; it adds an independent ethical and professional standard.
Does the Council favour one NLP school or methodology?
No. The Council welcomes a plurality of methods. Practitioners are free in method and bound in conduct.
What happens if a practitioner breaches the Charter?
The accountability framework is intended to provide fair review and proportionate outcomes, including guidance, supervision requirements, warnings or withdrawal of recognition. The complete procedure will be published before recognition is issued.
What are the expected requirements?
The proposed requirements include practitioner-level training, relevant experience, understanding and affirmation of the Charter, and a commitment to continuing development and reflective practice. Final criteria will be published before applications open.
Is INLPCC a membership association?
No. The Council is being established as a standards-setting and recognition body, not a social or networking association.
How will recognition benefit clients?
The intended model gives clients a clear standard to expect, a way to verify current recognition through a planned public register, and access to a published accountability process.
What will recognition cost?
A fee schedule will be published with the final application framework. No payment will be requested until the criteria, process and terms are available for review.
Council notices
Formal updates, standards publications and Council announcements will appear here.
No notices have been published yet.
Ready to stand for something that matters?
If you believe the privilege of client trust must be matched by the discipline of a clear professional standard, start a conversation with the Council. Recognition applications are not yet open, but you can register your interest now.
Contact the Council