The IN-NLP-Story

Together for a Better World:

By Nandana Nielsen, Karl Nielsen, and Adam Nielsen

Have you ever experienced the feeling that you can really make a difference together with others? Imagine being part of a global movement dedicated to improving communication among people and positively advancing the world. Does that sound exciting? Then you are in the right place with us!

Our motto is: “We evolve the world” (We Evolve World). This is also the name of the umbrella organization for our current 6 associations. It was created during the 3-day online Zoom conference of our Master Trainers in August 2020 as their shared wish: We-Evolve.World Before we tell you the success story of our associations, we would like to briefly summarize who we are and why it is worth becoming part of our community.

1. Who are we and what makes us special?

Our community brings together six associations under the umbrella of We-Evolve.World:

IN for NLP, ICI for Coaching, WHO for Hypnosis, WSCO for Constellation, In-Me for Mindfulness, and PosPsy for Positive Psychology. But that’s not all! We are continuously growing: Three additional associations are already in the starting blocks – EWA for Enneagram, NLPt-WA for therapeutic NLPt, and AITA for Artificial Intelligence. Together, by the end of 2024, we will have over 12,000 members in 105 countries. In the NLP field, we are the largest international association that adheres to the demanding 18-day standard, collaborates with other associations under the umbrella of We-Evolve.World, and cooperates with universities. This makes us unique – and offers you a platform full of opportunities.

Why our Master Trainers love being part of our associations: The key benefits for our Master Trainers:

1. Marketing: Joint marketing ensures high visibility and measurable success.

2. Quality and ethics standards: Global standards build trust and credibility.

3. Knowledge exchange: Mutual learning fosters knowledge and competence.

4. Projects & Synergies: Collaboration on big goals leads to extraordinary successes.

5. Cooperation instead of competition: Working together strengthens our community.

6. Free profiles: Participants receive free profiles, promoting exchange.

7. Live what you teach: Authentic role models inspire and motivate.

8. University cooperation: Opportunities for scientific work and NLPsych development.

9. SOC surveys: Satisfaction surveys before and after trainings for success monitoring and learning best practices.

10. Free membership in other associations: Active participation in multiple associations without additional costs.

11. Internal forum: Space for exchange and mutual support.

12. Training management: Publish courses, invite participants, present training publicly, and create certificates online.

Why our seminar participants love being part of our community:

The key benefits for seminar participants:

1. Profile design: Upload specializations, texts, images, link your website, and easily be found through member search. Provide feedback on your qualifications and rate their quality.

2. Exclusive resources: Access discussion forums and materials only for members – ideal for knowledge exchange and joint projects.

3. SOC survey: Measure your life satisfaction and progress before and after the training through a specialized questionnaire from a university.

4. World congresses: So far, six major in-person world congresses with culturally diverse approaches and inspiring perspectives.

5. Sense of community: Become part of a community dedicated to a more peaceful world and better communication.

6. Always informed: Newsletters keep you up to date on everything important.

7. Marketing tools: Use official logos of our associations for your website.

8. Anonymous contact system: Let yourself be contacted without sharing your email address.

2. Our Association's Foundation

The founding of the International Association of NLP Institutes (IN) in 2001 was the result of a unique experiment: Competitors became partners. It all started a year earlier, in 2000, with an integrated "NLP Trainer and Coach Training" in Berlin. Eleven of the most experienced NLP Master Trainers from seven competing NLP institutes came together to learn intensively in a new way with and from each other.

For the first time, these institutes shared their seminar materials, and each Master Trainer could participate live in the training sections of others. This collaboration instead of competition was a real milestone and showed how much potential lies in learning and sharing together. From this inspiring experience, the desire to found an international association arose, which promotes exactly these principles. In 2001, this wish became reality. The founders of the "International Association of NLP Institutes" (IN) were Nandana and Karl Nielsen from the "NLP & Coaching Institute Berlin," Evelyne Maass from the "Spectrum Communication Training," Bernd Isert from the "Forum for Meta-Communication," and Wolfgang Lenk from the "Milton Erickson Institute Berlin." Their goal was to expand the successful exchange from the Berlin training worldwide and support new NLP trainers in their first trainings. This included worldwide quality control based on the 18-day standard and the exchange about the development of NLP. The shared values and beliefs are based on the seventh human developmental stage by Prof. Dr. Clare W. Graves: Creativity, flexibility, personal responsibility, and systemic thinking. These principles still shape our work today.

3. Our In-Person World Congresses

Our world congresses are incomparable events that bring people from around the world together to share profound insights and unforgettable experiences. Here are the main highlights:

2006: Germany – "A Global Integral Vision of NLP"

Our first world congress was organized along the Graves stages (also known as Spiral Dynamics, part of the AQAL model by Ken Wilber). Between the presentations, intensive group animations took place, which made the theory come alive and experiential. A magical evening with a circus full of artists and acrobats provided unforgettable moments and enthused the participants. It was organized in cooperation with Evelyne Maaß & Karsten Ritschl from the Institute spectrum Communication Training, Carlos Manuel da Silva Costa Salgado from the NLP-INSTITUT SALGADO e.V., and Rudolf Metzner from the Metzner CONSULTING Institute.

2009: Brazil – "MagicLife"

Our second world congress in Brazil brought together 41 international speakers and was organized in cooperation with the Meta-Forum by Bernd Isert. The title "Magic-Life" reflected the joyful, energetic atmosphere of Brazil. A special highlight was an evening with real shamans from the Brazilian jungle, who enchanted the participants with their traditional rituals and deeply impressed them.

2012: Croatia – "EmotionScience"

Our third world congress was held in 2012 at a hotel right on the beach in Croatia, organized in cooperation with the NLP Academy by Dr. Nada Kaiser. A special highlight was the "Hero's Journey," which was designed by Karin Pätze and Andrea Mills. During the breaks, participants experienced each stage of this journey firsthand through guided group exercises, which greatly deepened the emotional impact of the congress. Representatives from the Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) and Universidad Azteca also participated in this congress, and UCN students presented their research findings as speakers.

The title "Emotion-Science" captured the connection between emotionally intense seminars and scientific grounding. At this congress, NeuroLinguistic Psychology (NLPsy) was also founded, with the goal of integrating more content from psychology into the training programs.

Involved Institutes: NLP Akademija by Dr. Nada Kaiser, NLP & Coaching Institute by Nandana & Karl Nielsen, European Business Academy by Prof. (UCN) Dr. Christian Hanisch, Metzner Consulting by Rudolf Metzner, KP-Business-NLP by Karin Pätze, BES Beratung-Entwicklung-Strategien by Andrea Mills.

2017: Paris – "Hypno-Culture: Hypnosis/NLP/Coaching"

Our fourth world congress took place in 2017 in Paris, organized in cooperation with the PSYNAPSE Institute by Virginie and Philippe Vernois. The title "HypnoCulture" emphasized the close connection of NLP to hypnotherapy. NLP builds on the most effective methods of Gestalt therapy by Fritz Perls, Systemic Therapy by Virginia Satir, and Hypnotherapy by Milton Erickson. All NLP techniques integrate hypnotic processes, involving the unconscious.

At the end of the 4th world congress, Bento Augusto da Cunha Santos from the Instituto Você in Brazil introduced the idea of founding an association for Constellation. This suggestion led to intensive considerations and laid the foundation for future developments. Additionally, he offered to organize a world congress in São Paulo in 2019. At the same time, Sehil Triki and his wife Dr. Habiba Zmerli Triki expressed their wish to also organize a world congress in Tunisia in 2019. Since both insisted on the year 2019, all attempts to postpone one of the congresses to 2020 were unsuccessful. Luckily, we had the flexibility to hold both congresses in the same year – a decision that proved to be forward-thinking, as events in 2020 would have been impossible due to the Corona pandemic. But no one knew this at that time.

March 2019: Tunisia – "Education & Life Long Learning with NLP, Hypnosis, and Coaching"

Our fifth world congress was held in Tunisia, organized in cooperation with the Institute Alliance & Co, Psynapse Tunisia by Sehil Triki and his wife Dr. Habiba Zmerli Triki. It focused on the question of how NLP, coaching, and hypnosis can support learning processes in education and lifelong learning. Lifelong learning forms the roots of these disciplines and helps to shape a fulfilling present and create a promising future for generations to come. Many Tunisian teachers and ministry representatives participated, and the congress served as preparation for our "Tools for Educators" initiative.

November 2019: Brazil – "The Magic of Emotional Intelligence"

Our sixth world congress was held in 2019 in Brazil in cooperation with the Instituto Você by Bento Augusto da Cunha Santos. This was the largest congress worldwide for NLP, coaching, hypnotherapy, constellations, and mindfulness. The focus was on the high emotional intensity of Brazilian training methods. Following this congress, the first training for "Mindfulness Trainers, In-Me" with 50 NLP trainers was launched in Brazil.

You are warmly invited to join our inspiring world congresses. The next one is planned for 2026 in Poland. As a member, you will receive all the information in due time. We look forward to welcoming you at our world congresses!

4. Our Associations

International Association of NLP Institutes (IN) The International Association of NLP Institutes (IN) was founded in 2001 and forms the origin of our associations, as described in the section about our foundation.

Webseite: www.nlp-institutes.net

International Association of Coaching Institutes (ICI)

The International Association of Coaching Institutes (ICI) was founded in 2006 after our first World Congress. The basic idea was that, in NLP Practitioner training, one learns the techniques for change work and in further coaching training, these techniques are deepened to be used specifically in coaching. We chose to be an open international association that makes ethics and high-quality standards accessible to all members worldwide.

Website: www.coaching-institutes.net

World Hypnosis Organization (WHO)

The World Hypnosis Organization (WHO) was founded in June 2016 when a group of experienced Master Trainers from IN and ICI came together to pool their extensive expertise in the field of hypnosis. The founding was inspired by the desire to create an international association that promotes the highest quality standards in hypnosis training and addresses the growing demand for well-founded hypnosis practices worldwide. During the founding phase, the chosen name "WHO" caused some smiles, as the abbreviation is internationally very well-known. Together, the experts developed curricula based on scientific findings and years of practical experience. We would like to especially thank Virginie Vernois and Philippe Vernois from PSYNAPSE Institute for their support in the founding of this association.

Website: www.world-hypnosis.org

World Systemic Constellation Organization (WSCO)

The World Systemic Constellation Organization (WSCO) was founded in 2018, when leading experts from the fields of NLP and systemic constellations joined forces to establish an international association with the highest standards. Inspired by the growing worldwide importance of systemic constellation work, we developed a comprehensive curriculum that integrates both traditional and innovative approaches. The final version of the curricula was ceremoniously presented at our World Congress in 2019 in Tunisia and received great recognition. We would like to especially thank Bento Augusto da Cunha Santos from Instituto Você, Virginie Vernois and Philippe Vernois from PSYNAPSE Institute, Angela Bachfeld from NLP-Zentrum & NEURES Academy, Leo Angart and Rebecca Szeto from Solution Group Institute, and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah from The Field of Awakening Institute for their support in the founding of this association.

Website: www.wsco.online

Institutes for Mindfulness Evolving (In-Me)

Our association Institutes for Mindfulness Evolving (In-Me) was founded in December 2018 and introduced at the World Congresses in 2019 in Tunisia and Brazil. The basic training expands the scientifically grounded training of Jon Kabat-Zinn: “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” with techniques from NLP, coaching, and hypnosis. Mindfulness teaches us that we are not our thoughts or feelings – they come and go, while our true essence lies beyond these fleeting states. From NLP, coaching, and hypnosis we understand that identity is a flexible collection of beliefs, values, and attitudes. Combining these approaches opens up fascinating possibilities for personal growth and a deeper understanding of ourselves. After the basic training: “Mindfulness Intensive, In-Me” we are globally leading in the subsequent training programs: “Mindful Human, In-Me” based on scientific facts about human development by Prof. Dr. Harari and “Mindful Hero, In-Me” based on the Hero’s Journey.

Website: www.in-me.world

Positive Psychology (PosPsy)

The Positive Psychology (PosPsy) association was founded in November 2019 at the end of our World Congress in Brazil. The idea emerged from the overwhelming response to the exercises on Positive Psychology, which were presented at our World Congresses in Tunisia and Brazil. This discipline, which provides scientifically based methods for well-being and life satisfaction, was immediately recognized as an essential field. Together, we then developed the curricula to anchor Positive Psychology in our associations and to promote international exchange in this area. We would like to especially thank Angela Bachfeld from the Institute: NLPZentrum & NEURES Academy and Prof UŚ DR HAB ALICJA GAŁĄZKA from the Institute: Future Centrum Edukacyjne for their support in founding this association.

Website: https://pospsy.org

5. Academic Connections of Our Associations

Collaboration with the Universidad Central de Nicaragua

Since 2008, Nandana Nielsen and Karl Nielsen, as professors of psychology at the Universidad Central de Nicaragua, have developed study programs for Master's and Doctoral degrees in psychology. These programs also offer study specializations in NLP, coaching, hypnosis, constellation work, positive psychology and mindfulness. Our Master Trainers can evaluate the success of their training scientifically while also earning an international Master's or Doctoral degree (PhD). International School of Psychology: www.ucn.edu.ni/?page_id=3531

Collaboration with the Universidad Azteca in Mexico

Since 2009, we have also had an academic partnership with the Universidad Azteca in Mexico. This university offers the unique opportunity, based on acquired competencies through Lifelong Learning, to earn degrees such as the “Bachelor of Professional Studies” (BPS), “Master of Professional Studies” (MPS), “Doctor of Professional Studies” (Dr.) and “Professor of Professional Studies” (Prof.). Such qualifications are widely recognized and valued in many European countries, including Austria, Spain, and France. In Germany, however, these degrees are less known and not officially recognized as equivalent. Azteca University: https://univ-azteca.edu.mx

Scientific Evaluation with the SOC Questionnaire

The use of the SOC questionnaire (Sense of Coherence) is another initiative to scientifically validate the effectiveness of NLP training. This internationally recognized questionnaire, available in over 30 languages, measures how understandable, manageable, and meaningful life is perceived. We would like to especially thank Dr. Susanne Lapp, Gudrun Heinrichmeyer and Bernhard Wagner who have been pursuing this project for years and brought it into IN. They are already successfully using the questionnaire in their training, with immediate evaluations. From 2025, the questionnaire will also be available for NLP training in other languages and later for all our associations. More about it: www.nlp-institutes.net/blog/articles/soc_befragung

6. Outlook on Our Future

Our associations are constantly evolving, and we have exciting plans to strengthen our community and make the content of our Master Trainers even more visible. Here are the latest decisions from the meeting of our Presidents from August 31st to September 1st, 2024, in France.

Some of the decisions of our Presidents:

• We are founding new associations: the Enneagram World Association (EWA), the NLPt World Association (NLPt-WA), and the Artificial Intelligence Training Institutes (AITI). These initiatives expand our spectrum and promote collaboration in emerging fields.

• Our next World Congress will take place in 2026 in Poland. This provides an important opportunity to strengthen our global connections.

• We are expanding our Tools for Educators initiative. With the development of innovative educational materials, we promote international exchange.

• Under the leadership of Yvonne and Darko, we have founded a Social Media Team. Here, Master Trainers collaborate on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. This brings more visibility to each individual in social media and also benefits our associations.

• Stephan, as our German IN ICI WHO President, has already done many podcasts with German Master Trainers and has now taken over the task of asking all our 300+ Master Trainers to intensively expand our treasure chest of articles, handouts, audios, and videos for our members.

Together, we are shaping a future in which the content and successes of our associations receive worldwide recognition and we continue our mission to positively change the world.

Our Invitation to You:

If you are inspired by our vision and the projects, please become a member with us.

Let’s change this world positively with NLP.

If you are already an NLP Master Trainer and consider becoming a member with us, please join the exchange of our Master Trainers on September 13th – 14th, 2025, in Berlin.