MBTI® Master Practitioner Referral Network

Choosing an MBTI® Master Practitioner

If you are considering retaining the services of an MBTI® Master Practitioner, you are making the right decision. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument has decades of research and use that serves as the foundation of knowledge for MBTI experts.

Psychological type professionals who obtain the credential of MBTI® Master Practitioner are recognized for their expertise and are invited to join the MBTI® Master Practitioner Referral Network.

Those who become a part of the network come from different professional backgrounds and have a variety of skills. Some specialize in business with an emphasis on such areas as leadership development and team building. Others have practices where they work one-to-one with clients as a coach, counselor, or consultant.

Once you have identified a professional who meets your needs, it is up to you to determine if you want to hire that person for their services. We suggest that you review their credentials and talk with them by phone (if not in person) before making a decision to retain them for their services.

As you search for and consider the selection of an MBTI professional, it is important for you to know the standards that surround the professional use of psychological type.

  • There is only one Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® personality assessment. Before using any instrument that measures psychological type, inquire about its origins and ask about reliability and validity studies to ensure that it measure what it says it measures.
  • The MBTI instrument only measures psychological type. It does not measure intelligence, aptitude, skill, or ability.
  • It is not ethical to use the MBTI instrument for hiring or for deciding job assignments.
  • Stereotyping a particular type or using type in a prejudicial way, is wrong and can have a negative impact on both people and the organization.
  • Those administering the MBTI assessment should inform a person that taking the Indicator is voluntary.
  • Before the results of the MBTI assessment are shared with the individual taking it, a verification process should take place. This process is sometimes called "finding your best-fit type."
  • If someone in your organization or family does not want to take the Indicator, he or she can still attend the program or session. It is not uncommon for someone who takes this position to change their mind once they see how helpful the results can be.
  • A core ethic for administering the MBTI assessment is that results are given only to the respondent. The decision to share type preferences is up to each individual and not the consultant or someone in the organization.
  • Regardless of the pressure to keep training sessions short, personality type is most beneficial when the practitioner has enough time to introduce the concepts and give participants meaningful feedback. A minimum of a four-hour session is suggested.

MBTI practitioners are required to follow the ethical guidelines for use of the MBTI instrument. Read the Ethical Guidelines for professionals who use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Instrument.