Allen Kanerva — Founder of Inspyrd, Trauma-Focused NLP Trainer & Speaker
Allen Kanerva
Founder · Trainer · Writer

Allen Kanerva

Founder of Inspyrd Inc. Developer of Affective Memory Resolution and Visual-Spatial Tasking — neuroscience-grounded protocols for resolving trauma at the level of the nervous system. Former military pilot and humanitarian worker.

About

I'm Allen Kanerva. I build evidence-based tools that help people resolve trauma without reliving it — and I train the clinicians and coaches who use them. My work sits at the intersection of affective neuroscience, memory reconsolidation, and clinical Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Before any of that, I was a military pilot and humanitarian worker. I spent years in places where unresolved trauma was the rule, not the exception — Iraq, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia. The protocols I now teach grew out of that environment, and out of my own recovery.

Today I run Inspyrd Inc., where hundreds of practitioners have completed our 12-week certification and where we're launching the Inspyrd Beyond Trauma app for people who need confidential, accessible healing on their own terms.

What I'm doing now

Inspyrd Beyond Trauma — the app

A confidential, mobile-first version of the same neuroscience-informed protocols clinicians use in the certification program. Built for people who need healing but aren't ready to talk about it. Launching May 2026.

The Inspyrd NLP Certification

A 12-week program training clinicians, therapists, and coaches in Affective Memory Resolution (AMR) and Visual-Spatial Tasking (VST). Three ABNLP certifications, lifetime community access, hundreds of graduates.

Writing & research

Long-form articles on trauma recovery, PTSD, and the neuroscience of reconsolidation at allenkanerva.substack.com. Short-form video at YouTube.

Book a consult

Background

  • Founder & Lead Trainer — Inspyrd Inc. 2024 – present
    Developed the AMR and VST protocols. Built the 12-week clinical NLP certification. Trained hundreds of practitioners. Currently shipping the Inspyrd Beyond Trauma app.
  • Founder — Inspired Outcomes a decade prior
    The predecessor practice — a decade of one-to-one trauma and performance coaching that became the clinical foundation for Inspyrd's protocols. (See "From Inspired Outcomes to Inspyrd.")
  • Humanitarian operations field work
    Operated in Iraq, Uganda, Sudan, and Somalia. First-hand exposure to the cost of unresolved trauma — for survivors, families, and the people who try to help them.
  • Military pilot earlier career
    High-stress operational flying. Where the habits of nervous-system regulation that later informed VST were first earned the hard way.
Credentials: MA · ABNLP Trainer · Certified NLP Coach · AMR Practitioner
Based in: Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Writing, press & talks

FAQ

Who is Allen Kanerva?
Allen Kanerva, MA, is the founder of Inspyrd Inc. and the developer of Affective Memory Resolution (AMR) and Visual-Spatial Tasking (VST) — neuroscience-grounded protocols for resolving trauma at the level of the nervous system. He is a former military pilot and humanitarian worker who has operated in Iraq, Uganda, Sudan, and Somalia. Today he trains clinicians and coaches worldwide through the Inspyrd certification program.
What is Inspyrd?
Inspyrd Inc. is a clinical NLP training and trauma-recovery company. It delivers evidence-based protocols (AMR and VST) through a 12-week practitioner certification program and the Inspyrd Beyond Trauma mobile app. Hundreds of practitioners have completed the certification, with reported success rates above 90% and no observed recurrence.
What is Affective Memory Resolution (AMR)?
AMR is a protocol developed by Allen Kanerva that applies memory reconsolidation and visual-spatial tasking to resolve the emotional charge held in traumatic memories. It is rooted in affective neuroscience and is designed for use by clinicians, coaches, and certified NLP practitioners.
What is Visual-Spatial Tasking (VST)?
VST is a technique within the Inspyrd framework that uses controlled visual and spatial cognitive load to keep the nervous system in a regulated state while a memory is reconsolidated. It is one of the core mechanisms behind the AMR protocol.
What is Allen Kanerva's background?
Allen is a former military pilot and humanitarian worker who served in conflict and post-conflict regions including Iraq, Uganda, Sudan, and Somalia. After witnessing the effects of unresolved trauma — and resolving his own — he trained in clinical NLP, completed an MA, and founded Inspyrd Inc.
How can I work with or learn from Allen?
Practitioners can enroll in the Inspyrd 12-week NLP Certification. Individuals can join the Inspyrd Beyond Trauma app waitlist. Long-form writing lives at allenkanerva.substack.com and video at YouTube.

Contact & elsewhere