Welcome!
If you landed on this page, you’re probably curious about what it’s like to be a Health Coach and how to become one, yourself. Look no further.
I remember back in 2016, I was on an upward swing of my own healing journey and I could not have done it without a team of holistic practitioners, helping me unravel all the layers of my emotional and physical distress.
After experiencing such profound changes in my own health, I wanted to do the same for others. My chiropractor suggested I check out the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. A week later, I enrolled.
I feel so fortunate to be a Health Coach now, to have received the training I did — it instilled in me an abundance of health and nutritional information that even many doctors aren’t taught in medical school. It gave me hundreds of wellness resources at my fingertips, which have served me, my friends, my family, and my clients well.
What Do Health Coaches Do?
Health Coaches are trained in various holistic healing modalities and nutrition, however, their work goes beyond diet and exercise. Health Coaches hold space for clients and encourage them to look inward for answers, allowing for deeper exploration and insight into all areas of their lives. Health Coaches provide personalized nutrition education and supportive guidance that lead to transformation.
While a client may come to a Health Coach with concerns about weight, digestion, or sleep, a Health Coach may also help clients manage their stress, improve their relationships, and find a meaningful career.
Health Coaches approach wellness from a biopsychosocial or holistic viewpoint—health has as much to do with our social connection and life fulfillment as it does with the food we eat, traumas, or the skincare products we use.
Most importantly, Health Coaches do not heal their clients—they facilitate healing by empowering clients to heal themselves. After all, no one is more of an expert on your life and body than you!
How are Health Coaches Different From Other Practitioners?
Doctors prescribe the “what” (lower your cholesterol, take this medication), while Health Coaches provide the “how,” helping clients formulate attainable action plans and habits that will help them achieve their goals.
Health Coaches also help clients get clear on their “why,” or their motivation for getting healthier. Having a clear “why” gives clients a North Star to stay on track. The “why” will need to be revisited over and over again along the journey.
Nutritionists prescribe specific meal plans, however, generally focus solely on the dietary components of health.
For Health Coaches, diet is only part of the focus. Our food choices and state of health are heavily influenced by our mindset, stress levels, personal relationships, emotions, family history, and so much more.
Health Coaches do not treat, diagnose, or prescribe, nor do they hand out one-size-fits-all suggestions. When it comes to food and lifestyle changes, Health Coaches help clients recognize what’s best for them and encourage exploration to find personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans.
What Does Health Coach Training Look Like?
Health Coaches must earn their credentials from a reputable health coaching school, such as The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Training courses can be between six months and one year.
During training, health coaching students develop a niche, or specific area of focus such as new parents, male athletes, or women going through menopause. The possibilities are endless, and training to be a Health Coach will help you find the niche that speaks to you!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Nutrition, Health, and Root-Cause Analysis
Students get extensive nutrition training and develop an understanding of the various bodily systems, from Eastern and Western perspectives. Students receive the latest scientific findings in health, disease, and treatment options, and learn to examine the mind-body connection through a functional medicine lens.
Primary and Secondary Food
The food on our plate is secondary, meaning, we can eat all the kale and blueberries in the world, but if we’re not getting sleep or having fulfilling relationships, we can’t achieve optimal health. Additionally, we will naturally learn how to pick the best foods for our bodies when our primary food—the nourishment we get outside of diet—is aligned.
Students will receive an experiential education in primary and secondary food. Students are encouraged to experiment with different lifestyle and eating approaches to discover for themselves what works best for them, then learn how to help their clients do the same for themselves.
Coaching Skills
Having all the nutrition knowledge in the world won’t help clients transform. Lack of information is not the issue (hello, Google!). It’s the lack of transformation that’s the problem. That’s why they’ve come to you, a Health Coach.
You’ll learn powerful, therapeutic skills in listening, encouraging, motivating, inspiring, supporting, and lovingly challenging clients. This creates necessary behavior and habit changes that lead to better health. Our habits create our reality, and coaching helps clients commit to and follow through on newly developed healthy habits.
Business
In addition to nutrition science and coaching techniques, health coaching students are taught business development skills; they walk away with solid tools to build a health coaching practice. Whether you want to see clients one-on-one, do speaking engagements and seminars, be part of a medical team, work at a gym or spa, launch a product, run wellness retreats, or write self-help books, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on your dream career!