The Importance of Due Diligence

When you are choosing an NLP professional or trainer, it is important to check that they are who they say they are.

Today, anyone can create a website, build a social media profile and make claims about their qualifications, experience or professional status. Most professionals are honest and transparent, but it is still sensible to check before you commit your time, money or trust.

This process is called due diligence.

Why due diligence matters

NLP is not regulated by law in the same way as some clinical, healthcare or legal professions. This means the responsibility for choosing carefully sits partly with you.

Due diligence helps you make a more informed decision. It allows you to check whether the NLP professional or trainer has appropriate qualifications, relevant experience, professional membership, insurance, ethical standards and accountability.

It also helps protect you from misleading claims, poor practice or training that may not be suitable for your needs.

What should you check?

Before working with an NLP professional or trainer, you may want to check a number of things, which are covered by our Due Diligence Checklist

If someone claims to be a member of a professional body or to hold external accreditation, check directly with that organisation if you are unsure.

Why ANLP membership helps

ANLP is the gold standard Independent Professional Body for NLP.

All ANLP members have their NLP qualifications checked before they are promoted on the ANLP website. ANLP keeps copies of members’ NLP certificates on record and requires members to provide external references as part of the membership process.

All ANLP members also agree to follow the ANLP Code of Ethics and are accountable through ANLP’s independent Complaints Procedure.

Current ANLP members from Professional level and above are listed in the ANLP Member Directory. If someone says they are an ANLP member and you cannot find them in the directory, you can contact ANLP directly to check.

What about other accreditations?

Some NLP professionals or trainers may also hold additional accreditations, especially if they work in areas such as training, coaching, therapy, healthcare, education or organisational development.

Additional credentials can be useful, but they should also be checked.

When looking at any accreditation, consider whether it has been awarded by an independent third party. This means the accrediting organisation is separate from the individual, training company or business being accredited.

Be cautious where a professional or trainer appears to be accredited by an organisation they own, control or are closely connected with. This may not provide the same level of independent scrutiny as accreditation from a genuinely separate professional body or awarding organisation.

How due diligence helps you choose well

Due diligence is not about mistrust. It is about making a responsible and informed choice.

A professional NLP practitioner or trainer should welcome sensible questions about their qualifications, experience, membership, insurance, fees, approach and ethical standards.

If someone is reluctant to answer reasonable questions, avoids giving clear information or makes claims that cannot be checked, that may be a sign to pause and look further.

What should I do next?

Before engaging an NLP professional or trainer, use our Due Diligence Checklist to guide your questions and checks.

You can also search the ANLP Member Directory to find NLP professionals and trainers who have chosen to be part of ANLP’s professional framework.

If you are an HR manager, business owner or individual considering employing an NLP professional, we recommend checking the ANLP Member Directory first. If the person you are considering is not listed and they claim to be an ANLP member, contact ANLP directly.

In summary

Due diligence means checking before you choose.

It helps you confirm that an NLP professional or trainer has appropriate qualifications, professional membership, ethical standards, relevant experience and accountability.

ANLP, the gold standard Independent Professional Body for NLP, helps by checking members’ NLP qualifications, requiring external references, providing a Code of Ethics and maintaining an independent Complaints Procedure.