PLR Certification: Which Body Is Recognised Internationally?
Not all PLR certifications are equal. Some are issued by internationally recognised bodies with public member directories that anyone can verify. Others are self-issued by the trainer or institute — with no independent validation whatsoever. This guide explains which certification bodies actually matter, how to verify any trainer's credentials in under two minutes, and what the gold standard looks like in this field.
Direct Answer
The three internationally recognised certification bodies for past life regression and transpersonal hypnotherapy are the Michael Newton Institute (MNI), USA, the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), USA, and IPHM, UK. Of these, MNI is the specific gold standard for PLR and Life Between Lives work. Any programme without affiliation to one of these bodies is self-certified — regardless of how the certificate is presented.
Soul Consciousness Lab holds all three accreditations. Dr. Rashhi Sharma is the only MNI Career Partner in India — verifiable publicly at newtoninstitute.org/career-partners.
Why Certification Body Matters More Than the Certificate
The past life regression and hypnotherapy space in India has grown significantly over the past decade — and with it, the number of training programmes issuing certifications. The challenge is that the certificate itself tells you very little. What matters is the body that issued it and whether that body maintains verifiable, publicly accessible standards.
Consider the difference between a medical degree from a recognised university versus a certificate from a private institute with no external accreditation. Both are pieces of paper. The institutional backing is what determines professional recognition.
The same principle applies to PLR certification. A self-issued certificate from a trainer who created their own "academy" carries no independent weight. A certification from MNI, NGH, or IPHM means your training has been evaluated against standards maintained by an independent body with a public member directory that anyone — including future clients and employers — can check.
The Three Recognised Certification Bodies
Michael Newton Institute (MNI) — USA
The MNI is the international gold standard specifically for past life regression and Life Between Lives work. Founded on the research of Dr. Michael Newton — who documented 7,000+ regression cases across his career — MNI maintains strict standards for both practitioner certification and trainer accreditation. Their member directory is publicly searchable and maintained to current standards.
MNI certification carries the highest recognition specifically within the PLR and transpersonal regression field. Graduates of MNI-accredited programmes are recognised globally — in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia, and across Asia. The MNI Career Partner programme is the most rigorous level of institutional recognition — there is only one in India.
View Dr. Rashhi's MNI Profile ↗ View MNI Career Partners ↗National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) — USA
The NGH is the world's largest and oldest professional hypnotherapy organisation — founded in 1950, with members in over 80 countries. NGH certification is widely recognised across the USA, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and beyond. For clinical hypnotherapy training that includes regression techniques, NGH affiliation is a primary marker of credibility.
NGH maintains a public member directory and an official certified instructor listing. Dr. Rashhi Sharma is an Official NGH Certified Instructor — verifiable at ngh.net. Soul Consciousness Lab's NGH Clinical Hypnotherapy Training is fully accredited under this credential.
View Dr. Rashhi's NGH Profile ↗International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM) — UK
IPHM is a UK-based accreditation body for holistic and complementary therapy training. IPHM Executive Trainer accreditation indicates that the training programme meets a defined professional standard reviewed by an independent UK body. IPHM certification is recognised internationally and provides practitioners with a professionally credible designation.
Soul Consciousness Lab is listed as an IPHM Executive Trainer — verifiable at iphm.co.uk. Graduates of our PLR training receive dual MNI + IPHM certification.
View IPHM Listing ↗How to Verify Any Trainer's Credentials in 2 Minutes
Before enrolling in any PLR programme, spend two minutes doing this:
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1
Check the MNI member directory
Go to newtoninstitute.org/career-partners and search for the trainer or institute. If they claim MNI affiliation but are not listed here — the claim is false. Dr. Rashhi Sharma is listed as the only India Career Partner.
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2
Check the NGH instructor directory
Go to ngh.net and search for the trainer by name. NGH maintains a public member and instructor listing. Absence from this directory means the NGH credential is self-claimed.
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3
Check the IPHM directory
Go to iphm.co.uk and search for the training provider. IPHM publishes a searchable directory of all accredited training providers.
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Check the Monroe Institute if Monroe training is claimed
For anyone claiming Monroe Institute credentials, check monroeinstitute.org. Monroe maintains a public outreach trainer listing. Dr. Rashhi Sharma is the only Monroe Outreach Trainer in India conducting onsite training.
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If you cannot find the listing — the credential is self-issued
This is the definitive test. If a trainer claims certification from any of these bodies but cannot be found in the public directory — they have not been certified by that body. Period. No exceptions.
The Full Certification Landscape — A Comparison
| Certification type | Public directory | Independent review | PLR specific | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNI Career Partner / Practitioner | Yes — searchable | Yes — MNI standards | Yes — PLR & LBL specific | Global gold standard |
| NGH Certified Instructor | Yes — searchable | Yes — NGH standards | Hypnotherapy broad | 80+ countries |
| IPHM Executive Trainer | Yes — searchable | Yes — IPHM standards | Holistic therapy broad | International UK-based |
| Generic "academy" certificates | No | No | Variable | No external recognition |
| Self-issued PLR certificates | No | No | Variable | Not independently verified |
The most common claim to watch for
Many training programmes in India claim "international certification" or "internationally recognised credentials" in their marketing. These phrases carry no specific meaning unless the certifying body is named and verifiable. Always ask: which body issued the certification, and where can I verify the trainer's listing on that body's official website?
If the answer is a private academy or an organisation you have never heard of with no public directory — the certification is self-issued.
The LBL Credential — The Rarest in This Field
Certified Life Between Lives (LBL®) Therapist — Michael Newton Institute, USA
Beyond PLR certification, there is a second level of MNI credential: the Certified LBL Therapist. There are only approximately 230 certified LBL therapists in the entire world — all trained and certified exclusively by the Michael Newton Institute (USA). Dr. Rashhi Sharma is among this select group and one of the very few based in India. This credential requires completion of the full MNI LBL training pathway under direct MNI supervision — it cannot be self-awarded. View Dr. Rashhi's verified MNI profile → newtoninstitute.org
Soul Consciousness Lab's Verified Credentials
All credentials held by Dr. Rashhi Sharma and Soul Consciousness Lab are publicly verifiable through the respective institutions. Here is the complete list with direct verification links:
- MNI Career Partner (Only in India) — View MNI Career Partners listing ↗
- MNI Certified LBL Therapist & PLR Practitioner — View Dr. Rashhi's MNI profile ↗
- NGH Official Certified Instructor — View NGH member profile ↗
- Monroe Institute Outreach Trainer (Only in India) — View Monroe Institute trainer profile ↗
- IPHM Executive Trainer Accreditation — View IPHM directory listing ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PLR certification bodies and credentials.
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Yes. MNI certification is recognised globally — in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, and increasingly in India as awareness of the field grows. For serious practitioners in India, MNI affiliation is the strongest available credential in the PLR and LBL space. Soul Consciousness Lab is the only MNI Career Partner in India — the highest level of institutional recognition MNI offers outside its core faculty.
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Technically yes — PLR is not regulated in India the way medicine is. However, practising without recognised certification significantly limits your professional credibility, your ability to build a client base based on trust, and your capacity to work with international clients who expect verifiable credentials. Beyond credibility, the training itself is what gives you the competency to work safely — certification is the proof of that training, not just a marketing asset.
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MNI practitioner certification qualifies you to facilitate PLR and LBL sessions professionally. MNI Career Partner status is a separate, higher-level institutional recognition awarded to trainers and training programmes that meet MNI's standards for teaching others. Career Partners are authorised to train and certify practitioners under the MNI framework. There is only one MNI Career Partner in India — Soul Consciousness Lab, under Dr. Rashhi Sharma.
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Currently, there is no India-based certification body for PLR that carries equivalent international recognition to MNI, NGH, or IPHM. Several Indian institutes have created their own certification frameworks — but these are self-certified and carry no independent international standing. For practitioners who intend to work with an international client base or wish to have internationally recognised credentials, MNI and NGH remain the most credible options available.
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MNI practitioner certification does not expire — it reflects completion of a training pathway rather than an annual renewal requirement. NGH certification has a renewal process for instructors which includes continued professional development. The certification issued at the conclusion of Soul Consciousness Lab's PLR training programme is the full MNI and IPHM accredited certificate — it does not require case submissions after training or a waiting period before it is issued.
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Yes — the MNI Certified LBL Therapist credential is the only internationally recognised certification specifically for Life Between Lives therapy. It is the most exclusive credential in the consciousness and regression field globally — there are only approximately 230 certified LBL therapists worldwide. Dr. Rashhi Sharma holds this credential and is one of the very few in India. Learn more about LBL therapy at Soul Consciousness Lab →
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Graduates receive dual certification: full MNI-approved certification (through Soul Consciousness Lab's Career Partner status) and IPHM (UK) accredited certification. Both are issued at the conclusion of the 7-day programme — not after months of case submissions. The certification is competency-based: it reflects demonstrated skill in supervised practice sessions, not just attendance. View the full programme at rashhisharma.com/past-life-regression-training →
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Most clients who seek PLR sessions are not familiar with certification bodies — they are looking for a practitioner they can trust. What matters to them is your experience, your approach, your reviews, and the clarity of your communication about what the work involves. Your MNI certification matters most in professional contexts — for other practitioners, for referral networks, and for clients who specifically research credentials. For general client trust, your 8,500+ session count, your 4.9-star Google reviews, and your transparent communication about the work are what build confidence.
Written by Dr. Rashhi Sharma, PhD. Credentials independently verifiable at newtoninstitute.org, ngh.net, monroeinstitute.org, and iphm.co.uk.
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