I am delighted today to welcome Oscar Ramirez. Oscar works from Monterrey in Mexico and can also be contacted on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Talking4good: How did you come into contact with NLP?
Oscar: I came in contact with NLP around 23 years ago, when my brother Francisco -better known as Paco Ramirez- started his NLP practice and also started an NLP Institute in Mexico. This event was a big theme in our family and some of my siblings and I started learning NLP. At that time I used to practice triathlon, so my first use of NLP was to improve my performance on this sport. I had to say, I had great results. At that time I wanted to enjoy its benefits just for my sports practice, and wasn´t looking to have more theoretical knowledge about NLP. However, later on, with a Human Resources degree on my toolbox, I became eager to see how NLP tools, that had helped me so well on sports, could assist on my new areas of interest: Organizational Development and Training. So I started going deeper and deeper with it… up to taking a whole year of study in US with very good NLP trainers such as Robert Dilts, Suzy smith, Tim Hallbom, Nick Leforce, Christiane Turner, Larry Dillenbeck, Susan Nate, Kevin Creedom.
T4g: What NLP qualification do you have?
Oscar: NLP Practitioner, Master Practitioner, Trainers training, NLP and Health applications, as well as two NLP Coaching Certifications -one with Jan Elfline and Tim Hallbom and -one with Joseph O´Connor, and an Hypnosis Certification with Nick Leforce and Stephen Gilligan.
T4g: Which NLP association would your qualifications be endorsed by?
Oscar: Centro Mexicano de PNL, (CMPNL) which stands for Mexico´s Centre of NLP, Anchor Point, Inner works, NLP University and NLP California; also the two non-NLP associations, The Milton Erickson Foundation and the International Coaching Federation.
T4g: Have you joined an NLP association?
Oscar: IASH, The Institute for Advanced Studies of Health pioneered by Robert Dilts, Tim Hallbom and Susy Smith to promote NLP and health applications. And, of course, I´m a member of the trainers’ team for CMPNL <smile>.
T4g: What do you expect from those various NLP associations?
Oscar: To build a community where we, as NLP community, can offer a strong validation and support to the theme in itself. I also expect that they can help as a source for specific themes and investigations.
T4g: What do you like best in NLP?
Oscar: Well… several things so it’s hard to pick just one <laughs>. A main one is the NLP discovery frame, where many things emerged after those pioneers kept this NLP Spirit to find out what works and how it works. This is the spirit that we, as NLP Practitioners, need to keep… to keep looking for best performers. I also really like the pragmatism present around NLP; this search for practical tools. For instance, with beliefs change, NLP doesn´t tell you to just “change your limiting beliefs for some more functional;” it also tells you the how. NLP has many practical tools and skills that can have a profound and positive impact on peoples’ lives, when applied by a well taught practitioner.
T4g: Tell us about executive coaching using NLP?
Oscar: Executives look for coaching for many reasons -they look to have somebody outside of their companies who can offer a neutral point of view on work related issues -they may want somebody that will listen to their dreams and frustrations –or they could be looking into developing skills and tools to improve their jobs performance, working relationships and so on… I have had many nice experiences using NLP in Coaching. For instance, I use very often the ‘change of limiting beliefs’ with very good results; the application of meta-programs as a way of profiling people´s behaviours and personalities at work. Actually, when I tell people about their meta-programs profile, they are always amazed on how many behaviours they do unconsciously, and how helpful it is to start creating consciousness about them. I believe that Coaches with good NLP background can have a positive and tremendous impact in their clients. NLP should be a ‘must-have’ in every coach toolbox, whether s/he works as executive, life or team coach.
T4g: How is NLP present in Mexico?
Oscar: Of course we have CMPNL, which is and NLP pioneer in Mexico. Started by a very creative Paco Ramirez, CMPNL has been around for more than twenty years, and the centre organizes NLP Conference every two or three years with national and international trainers, people like Robert Dilts, Jeffrey Zeig, Stephen Gilligan, Steve Andreas, Tim Hallbom, Susi Smith, Paco Ramirez, José Merino, Sergio Hernandez, Enrique Caballero and many more. The centre also has provided training in Masters degree in NLP for more than twelve year now, with some of its former students having written books based on their thesis projects, and many of those thesis available for consultation. Pepe Merino, who is one of the best NLP trainers I have seen, is an expert in metaphors and delivering them. Also in Mexico and with very good international presence is -Gabriel Guerrero, a proficient student of Richard Bandler -Luis Jorge González, a priest who makes NLP available to all in Mexico, US and Spain and an author of more than twenty NLP books. Then in Monterrey Coaching Estratégico which is an Institute that I started and manage, we offer NLP Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner, Hypnosis Certification and Coaching Certification. We have had national and international trainers coming teaching for us.
T4g: What about NLP in Latin America?
Oscar: It’s growing more and more. I know there are very good efforts into making NLP more available, for instance, besides the NLP conferences in Mexico, some are now hold in South America.
T4g: What opportunity do you have to meet with other NLP practitioners?
Oscar: A lot of very good opportunities <laughs>, it’s actually part of my everyday life and sometimes I spice things up by being invited to teach NLP in some nearby cities besides Coaching Estratégico centre.
T4g: What about NLP and research?
Oscar: It’s very important to have research that supports the NLP field.
T4g: Any specific NLP research you would like to be involved with?
Oscar: Mainly, using NLP in health and education.
T4g: What would be your next step with NLP?
Oscar: Maybe not a next step… and on-going step <smile>, to keep promoting NLP and all the good that NLP can help creating in people’s lives.
T4g: A last comment to conclude?
Oscar: Just thank you <smile>. It’s good to see efforts like yours.
© 2012 Florence Dambricourt – talking4good.com/
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