Health Coaching Education & Certification: A Critical Review
The title "health coach," in its modern conceptualization, describes a professional in the healthcare industry who helps individuals manage the health-related aspects of their daily lives such as diet, physical activity, and general wellness, which contribute significantly to their overall health in the long run. This modern profession is a product of the health industry's rudimentary shift in the 21st century from a treatment healthcare approach towards a more preventative one that promotes taking steps daily to build immunity and achieve optimal health so that the development of chronic disease is less likely later in life. The lack of a distinct definition of the term "health coach" in the nutrition, fitness, and wellness industry is problematic for both individuals seeking a health coach's services and to those pursuing an education with the intention of entering the profession. There is not a single, specific degree that one can get to become a health coach, nor is there a single, set path that one must follow in order to receive this title.
There are several health coach certification programs available, all of which involve some sort of online, distance-learning coursework which culminates in a final exam that must be passed in order to earn the certification after completing the coursework.The programs vary in the levels or amounts of previous experience or education that they require applicants to have. According to Exercise Science Guide, the 5 most popular health coaching certification programs are the National Society of Heatlh Coaches (NSHC), Dr. Sears Wellness Institute--The L.E.A.N. Group, LLC., the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Duke Integrative Medicine, and Wellcoaches School of Coaching. The National Society of Health Coaches and Duke Integrative Medicine programs are only open to licensed and credentialed, highly-educated (4-year degree minimum) professionals in the health, nutrition, and fitness industries, such as physicians (PhD), registered dietitians (RD), registered nurses (RN), certified athletic trainers, exercise physiologists, and pharmacists. In addition to accepting these kinds of qualified professionals, the Wellcoaches School of Coaching and the American Council on Exercise health coach certification programs also accept individuals who have completed certain accredited fitness training programs or who have worked a certain amount of hours or years in a health or fitness-realted occupation, and The L.E.A.N. Group, LLC certification program created by Dr. Sears, accepts applicants who don't have any previous experience or education in the health and fitness industry at all.
With such a tremendous variety of health coach certification programs available, each differing in course length, price, and quality, how much value does a formal certification really have? This depends on how much education the individual already has or is willing to complete, why they want to become a certified health coach, what kind of environment they want to exercise their health coaching skills in, and how much time, money, and other necessary resources they are willing to commit to developing their career.
Certification programs whose prerequisites include a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a health or nutrition-related field would primarily benefit individuals who are interested in medical healthcare; for example, the Duke Integrative Medicine health coaching certification program offers a prestigious, high-quality education for those individuals who are interested in working closely with patients in doctor's offices and hospitals to "bridge the gap between medical recommendations and patients’ abilities to successfully implement those recommendations into their complex lives." It's a 3-month course priced at $5,497, and it includes five web-based training modules on coaching topics, 8 coaching demonstration videos, and four 90-minute telephonic skills practice sessions via online, distance learning technologies, as well as two on-site 5-day training modules spaced 8 weeks apart where course participants will attend lectures, participate in small group learning activities, get to see live coaching demonstrations, gain experiential practice, and receive mentored feedback.
The ACE health coaching certification program is the most comprehensive and far-reaching certification course of those which are available to almost any individual actively pursuing a career in the health and fitness industry. The requirements for registering for this program's certification exam are broader than Duke's, and the course material is meant to aid professionals in both health and fitness occupations. Watch the video below to learn more about what being a health coach means and why the ACE health certification is valuable for a variety of professionals in healthcare occupations:
Requirements for registering for the certification exam are: you must be at least 18 years old, you must have a valid CPR/AED certificate, and you must either have a current NCCA-accredited certification, an associate’s degree or higher in a health, nutrition, or fitness-related field, or comparable work experience in healthcare, fitness, nutrition or related fields. The ACE Academy Select package includes an ACE Health Coach Manual eBook, a presentation lecture series, custom progress tracking, 2 practice tests, an exam review, full access to the ACE Resource Center, a "Master the Manual" workbook, an exam retest voucher, and the certification exam registration fee, all for the price of $599. Another option is the Standard ACE Academy package, which includes a 12-week guided email series, 1 practice test, an exam review, and full access to the ACE Resource Center, at the price of $499. The exam registration fee must be paid separately. Although the ACE certification program is the same length as the Duke Integrative Medicine program, it is more flexible, allowing course participants to work at their own pace, and it is much more affordable at nearly one tenth of the cost of the Duke program! It is also the only health coaching program accredited by the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies), so it carries the most credibility and ensures the highest quality course material (learn more about why accreditation is important here). I think that this health coach certification would be most beneficial as a source of supplemental or continuing education for individuals in the nutrition and fitness fields, such as Registered Dietitians, sports nutritionists, and personal trainers. Although I don't think that it should take the place of formal-institution Dietetics, Exercise Science, or Athletic Training educational programs, I do think that this certification would be a valuable investment for anyone entering a career in these fields who wants to enhance their abilities to connect with clients and apply the knowledge of nutrition and exercise science that they gained from their formal degree thereby maximizing the quality of care they give to each individual client.
Not all health coach certification programs require previous education and/or experience in the fields of health, nutrition, or fitness, however: the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute offers thorough Health Coach Certification courses based on the "four pillars of health: Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, and Nutrition" for all interested individuals. The courses are divided by life-stage; course participants can choose between courses focused on health coaching for families, adults/seniors, and/or pregnancy. Six-week course packages are offered at the price of $745 for each individual focal area, nine-week course packages are offered at the price of $995 for Families & Pregnancy and Families & Adults/Seniors , and an all-inclusive 12-week course covering all 3 focal areas is offered at the price of $1,245. Each of these course packages includes:
The Dr. Sears Wellness Institute also offers an 18-week Master Heatlh Coaching Certification & Training program, which includes all of the above resources as well as advanced coaching psychology, evidence-based coaching techniques, insight to step-by-step processes to work more in depth with clients, and more for the price of $1,595.
The Dr. Sears Wellness Institute health coaching certification program would be most beneficial to personal trainers and other health professionals with minimal or no formal education in the fitness and nutrition fields who are self-employed and/or looking to broaden their knowledge and skills to be able to better advise and help their clients to make and commit to making permanent healthy changes to their lifestyle in order to reach their health goals and achieve an optimal state of wellness. Like the ACE health coach certification course, these courses can also be used as a resource for continuing education for individuals practicing within the fields of Dietetics, Exercise Science, Athletic Training, and more.
Technological communication innovations in the 21st century have greatly impacted education, particularly higher level and/or professional educational systems. Thanks to the Internet and other ever-improving communication technologies (phones, instant messaging, video conferencing, etc.), higher education is cheaper and more accessible than ever, and to a larger population than ever too. Health coaching certification programs are just one example of the overabundance of supplemental educational programs and tools that are available via the Internet today. The accessibility and flexibility of these programs have favorable implications for continuing education, especially for professionals in such dynamic fields as medicine and nutrition which are always changing due to new discoveries from research and case studies. I think all professionals in the healthcare and nutrition & fitness industries would benefit from any of the above health coaching certification programs, however some programs may benefit some types of professions more than others; for example, doctors would probably benefit most from the Duke Integrative Medicine program in terms of their resulting ability to apply what they learned from the program to their everyday practice in the field. Personal trainers who are looking to increase the breadth of their knowledge of overall human wellness so that they can better advise their clients, on the other hand, would probably benefit more from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute program. Like seemingly everything else on the Internet, there is such a large variety of online certification programs available that it may be difficult to determine which one offers the highest quality education for the amount of time and money the course requires; however, in reviewing 5 most popular health coach certification programs, I must conclude that the American Council on Exercise program would be the best option for a majority of professionals looking to be certified, including registered dietitians like my [future] self, due to its affordability, flexibility, and its universal approval and endorsement by health and fitness agencies as well as its accreditation by the NCAA. It is important to research reviews and accreditations of all available online programs before picking one to register for in order to ensure that you pick the best one for you and for the future of your career!