THREE-YEAR HEALTH & WELLNESS COACHING MASTER PROGRAM

Asynchronous/synchronous online courses

Awarded with a Certificate of Completion

The three-year comprehensive Health & Wellness Coaching Master Program, facilitates students and wellness professionals, such as health educators, present and future healthcare practitioners, registered dieticians, exercise physiologists, psychologists, nurses, physical therapists, and other allied health professionals, as well as professional coaches and students in coaching, who want to further develop their skills in the wellness niche with an understanding of the principles and concepts of integrated health coaching. This program is of value to anyone interested in coaching knowledge and skills.

With an evidence-based approach to integrated health as well as core competencies, skills, and tools grounded in well-respected theories of the psychology of change and well-being, students gain knowledge and practice to facilitate and empower clients to achieve self-determined skills related to health and wellness goals.

This program provides knowledge of ethical and legal guidelines and professional standards in the emerging field of health and wellness coaching. It offers an overview of all the core competencies for integrated health and wellness coaching, as outlined by the International Coach Federation (ICF), Lifestyle Medicine from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), and the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). The NBHWC Program Approval Commission approves the course Positive Psychology and Mental Health (year two) as a continuing education course for National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coaches. The master program is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any official certifying body or examination provider. On completion, the student is awarded a Certificate of Completion.

The program is further designed to examine stress, including the assessment of stress triggers and application of stress management techniques, as well as sleep, with its assessment of effective sleep routines and science-based sleep management techniques.

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In the second year, students will be introduced to the concepts and principles of Positive Psychology and Mental Health. With the advent of positive psychology, there has been a significant shift in the focus of mental health research and practice. In its core understanding, positive psychology recognizes happiness and well-being as “essential human skills”. Positive psychology, an evidence-based approach to well-being, focuses on a person’s strengths, abilities, talents, relationships, positive emotions, positive experiences, and intrinsic motivation.

The inspiring and educational curricula will explore advances in the understanding of the causes of mental illness, which have important implications for therapeutic uses in the treatment of depression, anxiety, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, and other mental health problems. This section of the three-year program provides the knowledge and practice to support a whole-body approach to mental health disorders, utilizing multiple fields of medicine and nutritional sciences. It introduces students to holistic and therapeutic methodologies indicated for integrated mental health care.

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In year three, the students will be introduced to the knowledge, skills, and guidelines for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, as well as a comprehensive overview of Lifestyle Medicine. By definition, health and wellness coaches are not content experts in health or disease; they do not diagnose or prescribe, unless a coach holds credentials in another profession that allow them to provide expert advice. However, coaches need to have a solid working familiarity with current evidence-based recommendations provided by public health groups.

Coach competencies include enhancing client self-management, identifying risk factors, understanding measurement standards and screening procedures, knowing basic information regarding prevention and behavioral treatment, and recognizing medical red flags. Monitoring health numbers, like blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, allows the coach to take proactive steps to improve the client’s health, manage existing conditions, and work towards a longer, healthier life. Since the coaching relationship is client-centered, the coach’s focus is on determining what the client already knows, needs, and wishes to learn about.

Lifestyle medicine portrays the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substance use, and other non-drug modalities to treat and oftentimes, reverse and prevent the lifestyle-related, chronic diseases that are all too prevalent. Lifestyle medicine acknowledges the link between lifestyle and health outcomes.

Professional health and wellness coaches need to be knowledgeable in a variety of areas, including lifestyle assessments, effective relationships, collaborating with patients, working with a team of caregivers, making referrals, utilizing medical information, technology, and promoting healthy habits as a foundation for health. Another core competency involves the need for and value of the personal practice of a healthy lifestyle.

And lastly….this unique and inspiring Three-Year Health & Wellness Coaching Master Program supports students in developing self-awareness and consciousness related to the integration and balance of body, mind, and spirit.

For more information, contact Medica Nova Online Education at health@medicanova.net