Why Neural Training?
Neuroscience has confirmed that the brain changes, the mind can change the brain, and that human traits - once considered immutable - are, in fact, trainable neural skills. But these mental and emotional capabilities can't be developed through conventional teaching methods. They are trained through sensational experience and procedural training.
Through intentional neuroplasticity, we can develop neural networks that reduce stress and burnout while increasing mental clarity, attention control, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience. These outcomes drive greater motivation, engagement, personal productivity, and more effective leadership.
Information alone cannot make us more self-aware or more compassionate. Neural training can. This course teaches the specific practices that reliably, repeatably, and measurably create these shifts.
The NSHP Course
The Neural Skills for Human Performance course teaches us how the brain handles stress, distraction, change, conflict, bias, and emotions under pressure - and how to retrain those patterns to support better thinking, communication, and collaboration.
The program builds progressively, from foundational neuroscience to a structured framework of neural practices, then applies them to develop critical mental and emotional skills and resolve core organizational challenges.
NSHP is designed for real work. We practice skills directly, apply them between classes, and use them immediately to accelerate personal and leadership development.
What You'll Develop
The course builds mental and emotional capabilities that can only be activated through procedural learning - the direct embodied experience that trains and strengthens neural networks.
Cognitive Performance
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Sharpening focus and attention control
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Sustaining concentration for deep work
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Improving mental clarity and judgment
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Strengthening critical thinking and decision-making
Stress & Resilience
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Regulating stress and nervous-system activation
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Adapting and correcting amid change and uncertainty
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Building mental strength and resilience
Emotional Intelligence
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Developing self-awareness
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Strengthening emotional regulation
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Experiencing greater empathy and compassion
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Presenting authenticity, vulnerability, and integrity
Leadership & Teams
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Creating interpersonal trust and psychological safety
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Influencing and mobilizing others
The Urgency of Human Skills
Stress, burnout, dissatisfaction, and disengagement are already at record levels, and the incredible disruption of AI is only beginning. The world is not going to slow down. Our only way through is to train the mind.
Neural skills aren't yet taught in our schools, yet they are suddenly vital in the workplace. As with other periods of great disruption, we can't wait for public education to catch up. We have to learn what's necessary and get started ourselves.
Emerging Research, Practical Solutions
IOSM tracks, analyzes, and translates emerging neuroscience research into practical solutions for leaders and the workforce. We've created the first generation of business skills training that applies procedural learning and self-directed neuroplasticity to intentionally train the brain.
The neuroscience is clear, and the tools have been evolving over the past several decades. This knowledge is on its way to creating a sharp inflection point in our educational systems and corporate training programs.
We've long known that the automatic modern brain is the source of our fear, anxiety, worry, unconscious bias, limiting beliefs, negativity, and distress. Now we have the tools to identify the networks, intervene, and rewrite the code.
Who Should Attend
The Practitioner course is designed for high-performing individuals, leaders, and teams who recognize that the next frontier of performance is not in learning to work harder, but in training the human brain more effectively.
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Executive and Operating Leaders
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Managers, Team Leads, and Supervisors
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HR, OD, and Talent Development Professionals
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Wellbeing and Mental Health Practitioners
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Executive, Leadership, and Life Coaches
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Educators and Facilitators
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High-Performing and High-Potential Contributors
Course Snapshot
Program Type
Designed For
Public Training
Neural Skills Practitioner is a flagship Certificate Course, designed to provide broad foundational knowledge in neuroscience, neural training protocols, and their applications for developing core human skills for leadership and workforce performance.
High-performing individuals, operating leaders and their teams; HR-OD-LD professionals; and independent coaches, consultants, educators, and wellbeing professionals.
Public Training cohorts consist of eight consecutive weeks of 90-minute live instruction, 30-45 minutes per week of additional self-study, optional access to relevant research and resources, and a comprehensive final exam.
Core Capabilities Developed
Learning Portal
IOSM Network
Course participants develop an understanding of brain operations and the capability to intervene in and retrain circuits to reduce stress and burnout, increase focus and attention control, manage change and uncertainty, activate emotional intelligence, build more effective teams, and build mental strength and resilience.
Each Certificate Course includes a dedicated learning platform with optional pre-study resources, pre- and post-course assessments, class videos, learning decks, guided practices, self-study, progress tracking, and access to related materials.
Participants who miss classes can make them up by completing the class videos and self-study modules for those weeks and passing the final exam.
Learning Portals are embedded with full access to the IOSM Global Network platform, a rich community of experienced colleagues and experts working together on human and organizational challenges.
The Network offers a daily stream of new research and insights, access to curated studies, papers, and videos, and discussion forums in personal, leadership, workforce, and workplace development. Learn about the IOSM Network.
Certification Path
Organizational Training
Site-Licensed Training
The Practitioner course satisfies the foundational requirements for the Certified Neural Skills Coach (NSC) and Certified Neural Skills Teacher (NST) credentials Learn about IOSM Certification.
The course can be taught onsite or online as a dedicated program for teams and organizations. The twelve hours of live instruction can be scheduled as two full-day, four half-day, or eight weekly 90-minute classes — fully tailored to your objectives. Learn about Organizational Training.
Certificate Courses are included in our turn-key curriculum for Site-Licensed Programs. Learn about Site-Licensed Training
Certification Pathway
Students can register at any certification level, or begin with the Practitioner course and upgrade at any time.
YOU ARE HERE
LEVEL 1 · FOUNDATION
Neural Skills Practitioner
An 8-week foundational course with no prerequisites. Covers neuroscience and neural practices to reduce stress and burnout, improve attention control, navigate change, cultivate emotional intelligence, and build resilience. Graduates are qualified to continue through Coach, Teacher, and Teaching Partner programs.
$995 · You Are Here
LEVEL 2 · EXTENSION
Certified Neural Skills Coach
A 4-week extension for Practitioner graduates who want to apply neural training principles to help their coaching clients, work teams, and organizations become more effective. Ideal for coaches and practitioners looking to integrate science-based methods into their professional practice.
LEVEL 3 · ADVANCED
Certified Neural Skills Teacher
A 4-week extension for Coach graduates who wish to incorporate neural training into formal educational or consulting programs of their own. Graduates may apply to become licensed IOSM Teaching Partners to independently sell and deliver the NSHP course and additional proprietary IOSM curriculum.
Out Instructor
Åsa Fanelli
Chief Education Officer, IOSM
Åsa Fanelli is an experienced executive, consultant, and facilitator specializing in leadership development, with a strong focus on neuroscience and mindfulness-based emotional intelligence. She serves as Chief Education Officer at IOSM, where she designs innovative curricula and leads corporate and public programs to cultivate mental and emotional skills in the workplace.
With over 25 years of experience as a senior executive in global corporate and nonprofit sectors, Åsa has led high-performing, multicultural teams in 35 countries across 5 continents — often in complex, high-stakes environments. She brings a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, human behavior, and transformational change to her teaching and consulting work.