Dr Terry McIvor is a Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Coaching, specialising in Mental Health and Performance Coaching. His professional work is situated at the interface of psychology-informed coaching, human performance, and adult learning, with a strong emphasis on ethical practice, critical thinking, and sustainable personal development.
Holding doctoral-level qualifications, Dr McIvor has developed a career focused on understanding how individuals think, communicate, and regulate themselves under pressure. His approach reflects a commitment to integrating psychological theory with applied coaching methodologies, ensuring that practice is both conceptually robust and practically effective. Rather than treating NLP and coaching as isolated skill sets, he positions them as coherent frameworks for understanding cognition, language, behaviour, and change.
As a Master Trainer, Dr McIvor is widely respected for his depth of knowledge and his ability to teach NLP and coaching in a manner that is intellectually rigorous rather than technique-driven. He challenges reductionist or overly mechanistic applications of NLP, arguing that effective change work requires contextual awareness, ethical sensitivity, and reflective competence. This stance is particularly evident in his work within mental health–adjacent coaching contexts, where clarity of role, professional responsibility, and client wellbeing must remain paramount.
Dr McIvor’s work in performance coaching spans leadership development, education, and high-responsibility roles where cognitive load, emotional regulation, and decision-making are critical. He maintains the position that performance cannot be meaningfully separated from mental wellbeing, identity coherence, and values alignment. Consequently, his coaching approach prioritises self-awareness, adaptive thinking, and psychological flexibility over short-term motivation or externally imposed performance metrics.
In the training environment, Dr McIvor is known for his demanding yet supportive teaching style. He encourages trainees to interrogate models of change, understand the assumptions underlying coaching interventions, and develop a professional identity grounded in competence rather than confidence alone. His programmes place strong emphasis on reflective practice, applied learning, and the ethical implications of working with human change processes.
Dr McIvor is also an advocate for raising standards within the NLP and coaching professions. In a field often characterised by inconsistency and variable regulation, he argues for greater integration with psychological knowledge, clearer professional boundaries, and a more evidence-informed discourse. His work consistently resists overclaiming and instead promotes credibility, humility, and practitioner accountability.
Through his teaching, training, and professional leadership, Dr Terry McIvor continues to contribute to the maturation of NLP and coaching as serious disciplines within mental health and performance contexts. His work reflects a commitment not only to individual development, but also to the long-term integrity and evolution of the coaching profession itself.